New Mexico Physician Shortage Facts
THE PROBLEM
Physician supply lags behind patient demand nationally and across New Mexico. As supply falls, patients wait longer to see a doctor, and doctors burn out.
By 2030
![](https://ciceroinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/healthcare-icon-1.png)
The U.S. is projected to have 120,000 too few doctors nationally.1,2,3
- Nearly 40% of American physicians will reach retirement age.
- The United States will face a shortage of over 120,000 physicians.
![](https://ciceroinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/healthcare-icon-2.png)
New Mexico is projected to be short 2,118 doctors.4,5
- Primary care alone is projected to be short 326 providers.
- There are only 95 residency slots in New Mexico for primary care each year.
- 45.2% of those residents will practice out of state.
![](https://ciceroinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/NM-state-rank.png)
New Mexico ranks in the bottom half of states for primary care and physician availability.6
32 of New Mexico’s 33 counties are health professional shortage areas (HPSAs).7,8,9
![](https://ciceroinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/NM-HPSAs.png)
- Low-income citizens are disproportionately affected by these shortages.
- HPSA designations indicate areas where there are 3,500 or more patients for every one provider.
- 1,027,943 New Mexico residents live in an HPSA.
New Mexico’s physician-to-patient ratio is 16% worse than the national average:
![](https://ciceroinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/NM-state-comparison.png)
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