Table 1.
Overview of the number, training, and regulation of genetic counselors globally
| Country | 2022 Population Estimate | Estimated Number of GCs |
No. of GC Training Programs |
Training of Genetic Counselors |
Regulation of Genetic Counselorsa |
|||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year First Training Program Started | No. Under Dev’p | No. Closed (Past 5 y) | Degrees Awarded | Length of Training (y) | No. in Training Per Year | Nat’l Regulation | State or Province Regulation | Professional Body Regulation | ||||||
| 2017 | 2022 | 2017b | 2022 | |||||||||||
| North America | ||||||||||||||
| Canada | 40 million | ∼350 | ∼600 | 5 | 5 | 1984 | 2 | 0 | MSc | 2 | 54 | No | No | Yes |
| United States of America | 333.354 million | ∼4000 | >6500 | 39 | 56 | 1969 | 6 | 1 | MS, MGC, PhD | 2 | 591 | No | Yes (35/50 states) | Yes |
| Central and South America | ||||||||||||||
| Brazil | 203 million | nd | nd | 1 | 1 | 2015 | - | - | MGC | - | - | nd | nd | nd |
| Chile | 19.6 million | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | 2022 | - | - | PGDip | - | - | nd | nd | nd |
| Cuba | 11.086 million | ∼900 | 474 | 1 | nd | 1999 | nd | nd | MS | nd | 50 every other y | No | No | No |
| Guatemala | 17.358 million | nd | 1 | nd | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | No | No | No |
| Mexico | 126 million | nd | >2 | nd | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | No | No | No |
| Europe | ||||||||||||||
| Austria | 9 million | nd | 2 | nd | 1 | 2019 | 0 | 0 | MSc | 2.5 | 7 | No | No | Yes |
| Belgium | 11.548 million | nd | 25 | nd | 1 | 2020 | 0 | 0 | PGDip | 2 | 5 | No | No | No |
| Cyprus | 1 million | nd | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | No | No | Yes |
| Denmark | 5.9 million | 24 | 43 | 0 | 0 | - | 1c | 0 | - | - | - | No | No | No |
| France | 68 million | >175 | 227 | 1 | 3 | 2004 | 0 | 0 | MSc | 2 | 40 | No | No | Yes |
| Germany | 83 million | nd | 7 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | No | No | Yes |
| Greece | 10.640 million | nd | 5 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | No | No | No |
| Iceland | 387,800 | nd | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | No | No | Yes |
| Ireland | 5.15 million | 9 | 17 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | No | No | Yes |
| Italy | 59 million | nd | <10 | nd | 1 | 2018 | 0 | 0 | MSc | 2 | 20 | No | No | Yes |
| Malta | 618,000 | nd | 5 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | No | No | Yes |
| Netherlands | 17 million | 55 | 44 | 4 | nd | - | - | - | MAN, MPA | 2 (for MAN) to 2.5 (MPA) | Yes | No | No | |
| Norway | 5.49 million | 40 | 47 | 1 | 1 | 2001 | 0 | 0 | MGC | 2 | 5 | No | No | No |
| Portugal | 10.3 million | 6 trained (3 working as GCs) | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2009 | 0 | 0 | MSc | 2 | 5 | No | No | Yes |
| Romania | 20 million | 76 trained | 76 | 1 | 1 (inactive) | 2009 | 0 | 0 | MSc | 2 | 25 | No | No | Yes |
| Spain | 47.6 million | 70 | 53 | 1 | 1 | 2008 | 0 | 0 | MSc | 2 | 6 | No | No | Yes |
| Sweden | 10 million | 30 | 40-50 | 0 | 1 | 2021 | 0 | 0 | MSc, PhD | 2 | 20 | No | No | Yes |
| Switzerland | 8.7 million | 10 | 16 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | No | No | No |
| United Kingdom | 67.5 million | ∼310 | 322 | 3 | 2 | 1992 | 0 | 1 | MSc | 3 | 50 | Yes | No | Yes |
| Asia | ||||||||||||||
| China | 1.41175 billion | Unknown | ∼6000 | nd | ∼3 to 5 | 2015 | ∼1 | Unknown | PGDip | Unknown | Unknown | No | No | Yes |
| Hong Kong SAR | 7.472 million | nd | <15 | nd | 3 | 2010s | 0 | 0 | MS, PGDip | 1.5 to 2 | Unknown | No | No | No |
| India | 1.4 billion | ∼76 | 250 | 1 MS, 1 GradDip, 2 Cert | 4 | 2007 | 2 | 3 | MS, MGC | 1 to 2 | 10 to 15 | No | No | Yes |
| Indonesia | 270 million | nd | 140 | nd | 2 | 2006 | 0 | 0 | MS | 1.5 to 2 | 5 to 20 | No | No | Yes |
| Japan | 124.947 million | ∼230 | 356 | 14 | 28 | 2003 | 0 | 0 | MS, MGC, MPH, PhD | 2 | 80 | No | No | Yes |
| Malaysia | 32.7 million | 5 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 2015 | 0 | 0 | MS | 2 | md | No | No | No |
| Philippines | 110.343 million | 11 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 2011 | 0 | 0 | MSc | 2 | 5 | No | No | No |
| Singapore | 5.64 million | 10 | 17 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | No | No | No |
| South Korea | 51.63 million | 12 | 63 | Unknown | 3 | 2015 | 0 | 0 | MGC | 2 | md | No | No | Yes |
| Taiwan | 23.4 million | 120 | 198 | 1 | 1 | 2003 | 0 | 0 | MS | 2 | 13 | No | No | Yes |
| Thailand | 71 million | nd | 0 | nd | 2 | 2022 | 2 | 0 | Pbacc | 4 months | 80 | No | No | No |
| Middle East | ||||||||||||||
| Egypt | 111 million | nd | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | No | No | No |
| Israel | 9 million | 80 | 150 | 3 | 3 | 1997 | 0 | 0 | MS | 2 | 6 to 12 | Yes | No | No |
| Jordan | 11.508 million | nd | 6 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | No | No | No |
| Oman | 4.450 million | nd | 4 | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | No | No | No |
| Qatar | 2.985 million | nd | 9 | nd | 1 | 2018 | 0 | 0 | MS | 2 | 4 | Yes | No | No |
| Saudi Arabia | 35.015 million | 20 | 41 | 2 | 2 | 2014 | 0 | 0 | MS | 2 | 10 | Yes | No | No |
| Turkiye | 85 million | nd | 0 | nd | 1 | 2020 | 0 | 0 | MGC | 2 | 2 | No | No | No |
| United Arab Emirates | 9.5 million | nd | 10 | nd | 0 | - | 1 (start 2024) | 0 | MGC | 2 | 4 to 5 | No | Yes | No |
| Africa | ||||||||||||||
| Ghana | 30.8 million | nd | 0 | nd | 1 | 2022 | 0 | 0 | MS | 2 | 8 | Yes | No | No |
| South Africa | 60.756 million | 20 | 30 | 2 | 2 | 1989 | 0 | 0 | MS | 2 (Wits 1y) | 2-6 | Yes | NA | No |
| Oceania | ||||||||||||||
| Australia | 26 million | 220 | 350-440 | 2 | 2 | 1995 | 1d | MS, MGC | 2 | 51 | Yes | No | Yes | |
| New Zealand | 5.180 million | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | No | No | Yes | ||
MAN, Master of Advanced Nursing; MGC, Master of Genetic Counseling; md, missing data; MPA, Master of Physician Assistant; MS/MSc, Master of Science with specialization in Genetic Counseling; nd, no data; Pbacc, Postbaccalaureate certificate; PGDip, Postgraduate diploma; PhD, Doctor of Philosophy; Wits, University of Witwatersrand.
a
Refer to Table 2 for more information about regulation of genetic counselors.
b
Data adapted from Abacan et al1 2019.
c
This refers to the planned Joint Nordic Master’s Program in Genetic Counseling by Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland, and Denmark.
d
This refers to the Graduate Certificate in Genetic Counseling Skills to be offered by the University of Technology Sydney in 2024.