Number of doctors posts rise in 2016, despite brain drain

The number of registered doctors in Greece rose in 2016 after the brain drain of the preceding five years, according to data published on Wednesday by the Greek Statistical Authority (ELSTAT).

The number of registered doctors in 2016 was 70,964, the highest in the last decade and 3.6 percent more than 2015.

The largest rise (7.4 percent) in the number of registered doctors compared to 2015 was recorded in western Macedonia, while there was a 3.4 percent dip on the islands of the southern Aegean.

Attica had 34,759 registered doctors in 2016, 1,900 more than 2015.

The rise is seen as a result of the slight decrease in the number of doctors leaving Greece for foreign shores.

Moreover, fewer doctors retired in 2016. According to ELSTAT, there had been a slight, albeit steady, decline in the number of registered doctors from 2011 to 2016.