Despite radiology residency positions increasing 33% between 2010 and 2025, the number of practicing radiologists grew only 12%, leaving the radiologist-to-population ratio essentially unchanged and creating a significant workforce shortage that threatens patient access to imaging services.
- Radiology residency positions rose 33% from 2010 to 2025, while practicing radiologists increased only 12% over the same period.
- The radiologist-to-population ratio remained nearly flat at 11.1 to 11.5 per 100,000 people, failing to keep pace with population growth and aging demographics.
- The U.S. faces a projected physician shortage of 86,000 by 2036, with radiologist shortages already widespread and expected to worsen.
- Rising imaging demand, workforce attrition, and limited growth in residency positions are driving the ongoing healthcare workforce strain.
- Experts recommend addressing imaging utilization appropriateness alongside training expansion to solve the radiologist shortage crisis.
The number of practicing radiologists in the U.S. rose by just 12% between 2010 and 2022, even as radiology residency positions expanded by 33% over the same period, researchers have reported.
A group from Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, CT, analyzed national trends in radiology training and workforce data, with the findings highlighting an ongoing workforce strain.
"The radiologist pipeline has grown, but almost none of that growth has reached patients," said study lead Ajay Malhotra, MD, in a news release from the American College of Radiology. "After accounting for population growth, the number of radiologists per person is essentially where it was fifteen years ago, and that is before you factor in an aging population that uses more imaging per capita. For anyone waiting on a scan result, that is the number that matters."
Rising imaging demand, high workforce attrition, and limited growth in residency positions have raised concerns about radiology workforce adequacy, the group wrote. The U.S. faces a projected physician shortage of 86,000 by 2036, and radiologist shortages are already widespread and expected to worsen if training positions do not keep pace with demand, they added.
To assess changes in radiology residency positions nationwide and trends in practicing radiologists relative to U.S. population growth, the researchers conducted a retrospective descriptive analysis using data from the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) (2007–2025), the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) (2008–2024), the Robert Graham Center graduate medical education tables (2000–2023), and the Area Health Resource File (2010–2022).
According to the findings, radiology residency positions rose 33% between 2010 and 2025, from 1,090 to 1,449, while total radiology residents increased 23% from 2010 to 2024, climbing from 4,584 to 5,630. The number of practicing radiologists grew by only 12% from 2010 to 2022, from 34,328 to 38,306, a marginal increase from 11.1 to 11.5 radiologists per 100,000 population, the researchers reported.
Ultimately, increasing the number of trainees and the supply of radiologists cannot be the sole solution to address workforce challenges, the group suggested. Factors driving increasing imaging utilization and their appropriateness also need to be addressed, they noted.
"Given the current and projected increase in nationwide imaging volumes, and relative workforce shortage, action is needed to ensure physician workforce of the future and patient access to care," Malhotra and colleagues concluded.
The full study was published in the August issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology and is available here.
