[Demographic and educational characteristics of physicians in the health care system in Croatia: overview] ].

The structure of 10,146 physicians working in Croatia's health system in 1990 and that of 11,103 working in 1999 are compared in terms of age, sex and level of training (intern, unspecialized doctor, resident, and specialist). Comparison of the same 5-year groups with reference to 1990 uncovered a reduction in the share of the two youngest 5-year physician groups (ages 25-29 and 30-34 years) in the total physician population working in 1999. Between 1990 and 1999, the average age of working physicians increased from 44.2 to 46.5 years and from 39.2 to 42.4 years in male and female doctors, respectively. In the same period the lady doctors' share of the physician total increased from 50.8 to 55.6%. By the criterion of the number of physicians per 100,000 population in 1980-99, Croatia was below selected group averages of the European countries. From 1991 to 1995 the generally rising trend of the number of physicians was interrupted due to the war in Croatia. Because of unequal numbers of physicians at individual years of age, we emphasized the need for demographic approach both in the planning of physician employment and advanced medical training. This necessity was reinforced by the fact that in 1999, at 35-44 years of age 1,147 (29%) physicians neither possessed a specialty degree nor started on any such course.