Total visits to a general practitioner in Australia - Data and Analysis (1985-2033)

IBISWorld forecasts that total visits to general practitioners (GPs) in Australia will climb 3.9% in 2025–26 to 174.3 million. This growth is primarily driven by the nation's expanding and ageing population, which elevates demand for primary healthcare services. As the baby boomer generation reaches retirement age, there's a notable swelling in the rate of chronic health conditions, leading to more frequent GP consultations.Australians continued to consult with their GPs during the pandemic, driven mainly by the national vaccination rollout and the rapid expansion of telehealth services. Public health measures like lockdowns and social distancing had an understandable impact on the number of seasonal respiratory infections like influenza, reducing the number of related GP visits. In response to this habitual change, many clinics have adapted their billing structures, with some transitioning from bulk-billing to mixed billing models to maintain financial viability amid changing consultation patterns. Despite being introduced as a temporary measure to reduce virus transmission, telehealth quickly became a vital part of healthcare delivery, allowing patients nationwide to access GP, nursing, midwifery and allied health services via phone or video consultations. These changes have supported the growing number of GP consultations in the following years, with the government making telehealth a permanent feature of Medicare from 2021-22.The Department of Health and Aged Care set the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) indexation rate at 1.6% for most general medical services, considerably lower than CPI at the time in 2021-22. From July 2023, the Government applied an additional 3.6%, with a 0.5% boost from November 2023. With a slight decline from 1 July 2024, the Federal Government changed the indexation factor to 3.5% for most general medical services items, including standard GP consultations.As of June 2026, the bulk-billing rate has improved to 81.4% from November 2025. This is a direct result of expanding bulk-billing incentives to all Medicare cardholders starting 1 November 2025, as GP clinics that commit to bulk-billing all patients receive a 12.5% loading on Medicare rebates. The improvement in bulk billing rates was also due to the Government tripling the bulk-billing incentive for children under 16 and concession card holders. However, despite these measures, challenges persist, with the MBS indexation dropping to 2.4% from July 2025. The gap between GP fees, particularly those not bulk-billed, and Medicare rebates continues to widen, leading to rising out-of-pocket patient costs and a contraction in bulk-billing rates. In July 2026, the MBS indexation rate will rise to 2.6%, which is lagging inflation and so, practitioners will see their margins contract. Without legislative intervention, these factors will continue to influence GP service utilisation and accessibility in the near future. Overall, IBISWorld forecasts the total number of GP visits to swell at an annualised rate of 0.3% over the five years through 2025-26.