The Pharmacy Board of Australia regularly shares detailed statistics about registered pharmacists across the country. In early 2025, the data revealed interesting insights regarding the geographical distribution, age demographics, and gender balance within Australia’s pharmacist workforce.
- Total pharmacists registered: 40,516
- New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria (VIC) recorded the highest numbers of registrations.
- Most pharmacists were in the 30-39 year age bracket.
- A majority of registered pharmacists were female.
Principal Place of Practice
Pharmacist registrations were distributed significantly across Australia’s states and territories in early 2025:
- NSW: Highest registration with 11,402 pharmacists.
- Victoria: Second highest with 10,648 pharmacists.
- Queensland: Third with 7,891 pharmacists.
- Other states had significantly fewer: Western Australia (4,380), South Australia (2,717), Tasmania (925), ACT (816), and Northern Territory (284).
- Pharmacists without a principal place of practice (No PPP) totalled 1,453.
Additionally, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pharmacists totalled 125, representing 0.3% of all pharmacists, with Tasmania having the highest proportion (1.0%).
Age Group Analysis
Age demographics revealed interesting workforce trends among Australian pharmacists:
- The largest groups were pharmacists aged between 30-34 (7,609 pharmacists) and 35-39 (7,401 pharmacists).
- The 25-29 age bracket also showed strong numbers with 6,531 pharmacists.
- Significant presence also observed in the 40-44 age range (5,758 pharmacists).
- Pharmacists aged 60 and above comprised 3,271 individuals, highlighting the presence of highly experienced professionals still actively involved.
These age-based statistics can help inform strategies for future pharmacist workforce planning.
Gender Distribution
The gender analysis from early 2025 highlighted trends in the Australian pharmacist workforce:
- Women dominated with 26,182 registrations, making up approximately 64.6%.
- Men accounted for 14,330 registrations or about 35.4%.
- Registrations where gender was not stated or indicated as indeterminate were minimal, fewer than 0.1%.
Across all states and territories, female pharmacists consistently outnumbered their male counterparts, notably highest in ACT (68.8%) and lowest in Tasmania (61.6%).
Conclusion
This detailed demographic breakdown by the Pharmacy Board of Australia for early 2025 presents a clear picture of the current Australian pharmacist workforce. NSW and Victoria lead pharmacist numbers, the workforce is predominantly female, and there is a significant representation of mid-career professionals. These insights can guide policy makers and industry leaders in workforce planning and addressing future healthcare needs.
Disclaimer: This blog is intended as a general overview of the topic and should not be construed as professional legal or medical advice.
FAQs
- Which Australian state has the most pharmacists?
New South Wales, with 11,402 pharmacists. - What age group comprises the majority of pharmacists?
Pharmacists aged 30-39 form the largest demographic. - How is gender represented among Australian pharmacists?
Female pharmacists represent approximately 64.6%, males 35.4%.
