Understanding China’s Healthcare Framework: Roles and Structural Statistics in 2025

As of late 2025, China’s healthcare system is characterized by a “tiered” delivery model designed to standardize care for its 1.4 billion residents. Driven by the “Healthy China 2030” blueprint, the system focuses on shifting the medical burden away from overcrowded urban hospitals toward a robust primary care network.

The Tiered Hospital Structure

China operates a three-tiered medical system that dictates the roles and resources available to physicians:

• Tertiary (Level 3) Hospitals: These are elite, multi-city medical centers with over 500 beds. They handle 92% of hospital admissions and house the majority herring teeth of specialists and high-caliber research professionals.
• Secondary (Level 2) Hospitals: Regional facilities providing comprehensive health services to medium-sized cities or districts.
• Primary Healthcare (PHC) Institutions: The base of the pyramid, consisting of community health centers and village clinics. By the end of 2025, over 80% of village clinics are targeted to provide Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) services.

The Physician Workforce: 2025 Statistics

The workforce has seen steady expansion in quantity and specialization:

• Total Workforce: China’s medical and health technicians totaled approximately 11.55 million at the start of the decade, with an active physician workforce that has grown to approximately 3.1 to 3.15 per 1,000 people as of 2025.
• Specialization Trends: In 2025, the number of General Practitioners (GPs) is projected to reach roughly 720,000, aiming for a ratio of nearly 5 GPs per 10,000 people by 2026.
• Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM): China expects the number of TCM personnel to exceed 1 million by the close of 2025, reflecting a national push for integrated care.

Physician Roles and Hierarchies

Within these institutions, doctors follow a state-regulated professional title system that determines their clinical authority and salary:

1. Resident Doctor: Entry-level practitioners, often still in standardized training.
2. Attending Physician: Fully licensed doctors managing standard outpatient and inpatient care.
3. Associate Chief and Chief Physician: Senior roles responsible for complex surgeries, teaching, and departmental leadership.

Digital Transformation and 2025 Reforms

A defining feature of 2025 is the integration of “Smart Healthcare”.

• Value-Based Payments: New 2025 regulations for DRG/DIP (Case-Based Payment) systems aim to improve the accuracy of medical insurance payments and discourage unnecessary procedures.
• Online Consultations: Senior doctors from tertiary hospitals now provide a significant portion of care via internet healthcare platforms, bridging the gap for rural patients.
• Universal Coverage: Basic medical insurance continues to cover over 95% of the population, with 2025 seeing more “one-stop” settlement systems for both public and private hospital claims.