Number of veterinarians

IBISWorld forecasts the number of veterinarians to push up by 2.7% in 2025-26, to 16,167. Trends in working from home and hybrid workplaces, coupled with the desire to make life more joyful post-pandemic, have increased the number of households with pets. A 2023 report by the Australian Institute of Family Studies concluded that 52% of survey participants consider their pets as part of the family. This sentimental shift has meant that pet owners have become more likely to pay medical expenses for pets they previously would have foregone.

Australia reports one of the world's highest rates of pet ownership, with nearly 70% of households owning a pet. For this reason, growth in the number of households over the past five years has strengthened pet ownership. Subsequently, demand for veterinary services has climbed due to the growing number of pets. Even so, despite the steady growth in veterinarian numbers, there has been a national shortage in recent years as demand for the services they provide has outstriped supply, putting additional strain on those still working in the industry. A limited number of universities that provide relevant student courses has contributed to this trend, constraining the number of graduates entering the profession. This lack of avenues to qualification has contributed to the observed supply demand imbalance.

The share of female workers in this profession has grown strongly since the 1970s and now represents over 65% of all veterinarians. Driving this shift has been the changing fundamental composition of the veterinary sector. The focus has shifted from working with cattle, traditionally undertaken by male employees working in rural locations, to servicing the urban household market and working mainly with cats and dogs. These practices have grown to account for nearly half of the services in the Veterinary Services industry.

Veterinarians require significant university training to perform the various specialised tasks required, including administering and prescribing drugs, performing surgery and advising clients on animal health, nutrition and care. The issue of veterinary shortages has forced the Veterinary Services industry to turn to imported vets who bring their accreditation challenges to fill gaps in demand. According to the Veterinary Schools of Australia and New Zealand, only seven Australian institutions offer pathways allowing a student to practice as a veterinarian. Therefore, the number of graduates eligible for accreditation and registration remains limited, preventing strong growth in new veterinarians. Additionally, the degrees are costly due to the requirement for farms to have a plethora of animals to examine and a vast array of specialist equipment to train on. Overall, IBISWorld forecasts the number of veterinarians to expand at a compound annual rate of 2.9% over the five years through 2025-26.