The number of MBBS seats in India increased from 1,09,115 in the 2023-24 academic year to 1,28,976 in 2025-26, while postgraduate (PG) medical seats rose from 31,185 to 86,360 during the same period, the Centre informed the Lok Sabha.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Union Health Minister J P Nadda said India's doctor-population ratio is estimated at 1:778, based on the availability of registered allopathic and AYUSH practitioners.
According to the Indian Medical Register (IMR), the country has 15,35,155 registered allopathic doctors. In addition, 7,51,768 practitioners are registered under the AYUSH system of medicine, taking the total number of registered medical practitioners to 22,86,923.
Assuming that 80 per cent of registered practitioners in both systems are available for service, the doctor-population ratio is estimated at 1:778, the minister said.
Meanwhile, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has released the state-wise MBBS seat matrix for the 2026-27 academic session, indicating a further expansion in undergraduate medical education. According to the latest data, 9,911 new MBBS seats have been added to 1,27,028 renewed seats, taking the total number of MBBS seats to 1,36,939 across 823 medical colleges, excluding the Institutes of National Importance (INIs).
While the figures shared by the Centre in Parliament pertain to the 2025-26 academic year, the latest NMC seat matrix reflects the expansion in medical education capacity for 2026-27.