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EDMONTON — Alberta has added a record number of physicians over the past year, with more than 14,000 doctors now fully registered to practise in the province.
New statistics from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta show 14,156 fully registered physicians as of June 30.
The province says this represents an increase of 1,226 physicians, or nearly 10 per cent, compared with the same time last year. It is the largest year-over-year increase on record and brings the total number of physicians to an all-time high.
Growth was recorded in every health zone, including increases in both family physicians and specialists.
Alberta added approximately 510 family physicians over the past year.
Calgary recorded the largest increase, adding 446 physicians, while Edmonton added 356. The North, Central and South zones also recorded growth.
“More physicians than ever are choosing Alberta,” said Adriana LaGrange, minister of hospital and surgical health services. “These numbers show that our investments to attract and retain health professionals are delivering results and helping improve access to care for Albertans across the province.”
The province says more than 1,000 primary care providers and nurse practitioners are currently accepting new patients, while more than 88 per cent of Albertans report having access to a primary care provider.
“More physicians are choosing Alberta, helping improve access to care in communities across the province,” said Justin Wright, minister of primary and preventative health services. “We’ll continue working with our partners to train, recruit and retain more physicians.”
The Alberta government has increased spending on physician recruitment, training and compensation as it works to expand the health-care workforce.
Budget 2026 allocated $7.7 billion for physician recruitment, training, compensation and development in 2026-27, an increase of $1.4 billion from the previous budget.
In June, the province also announced a $172.3-million increase in physician compensation under its 2022-26 master agreement with the Alberta Medical Association.
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