Table 1: Physicians, RNs, NPs and PAs in the United States, 1975-2016 (numbers of professionals).

 

Physicians

Active physicians

General internal medicine

Family practitioners

Registered nurses

Nurse practitioners

Physicians assistants

1975

1980

1985

1990

1995

2000

2005

2008

2009

2010/2011

2016

 

Average annual growth rate

1975-1990

1990-2016

393,742

467,679

552,716

615,421

720,325

813,770

902,053

954,224

-

987,000

1,045,910

 

 

 

3.8%

5.6%

366,425

435,545

511,090

559,988

646,022

737,504

801,742

834,546

-

834,769 (a)

854,698

 

 

 

10%

4.6%

47,761

58,462

70,691

76,295

88,240

101,353

112,934

115,314

-

164,187 (a)

178,497

 

 

 

10.5%

9.0%

12,183

27,530

40,021

47,639

59,109

71,102

80,809

84,197

-

116,933 (a)

127,662

 

 

 

26%

10.2%

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

2,737,400

3,129,452

 

 

 

-

-

-

-

-

24,000

50,000

68,000

109,000

125,000

-

180,233 (a)

175,021

 

 

 

-

28.0%

-

-

-

20,448

26,895

39,420

58,665

68,124

72,433

83,540

91,994 (5)

 

 

 

-

17.7%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sources [11,65,71-74], (1) 1989, (2) 1991, (3) 1996, (4) 1999, (a) kff.org, there are some inconsistencies due to the different statistical sources but the numbers show overall trends.