Radiology pipeline expanding slower than medicine as a whole
Demand for medical imaging in the U.S. keeps rising, but the number of radiologists available to read those images has barely budged relative to the population, according to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Radiology.
Medical imaging demand is increasing in the United States, but the number of radiologists available to read those images has not kept pace with the growing population, according to a recent study in the Journal of the American College of Radiology. Researchers analyzed four national datasets spanning roughly the past 15 years, focusing on radiology residency positions, resident workforce, and practicing radiologists.
While radiology residency positions grew by 33% between 2010 and 2025, and the total number of radiology residents increased by 23% through 2024, the actual number of radiologists in practice only rose by 12% during the same period, from 11.1 to 11.5 per 100,000 people. This means radiology expanded more slowly than the overall medicine specialty, which grew by 66% from 2002 to 2025.
Despite more trainees entering the field, attrition and population growth are consuming much of the gains, with the aging population further exacerbating the situation by increasing per capita imaging demand. Radiologist Ajay Malhotra, from Yale School of Medicine, noted that although trainees are entering radiology, the number of practicing radiologists does not reflect this growth, as increasing population means demand per person has remained essentially unchanged for 15 years.
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