Ranking · Updated October 2026
How many veterinarians does India have per lakh people, state by state?
India had 81,938 registered veterinary practitioners on 31 March 2023, according to the Veterinary Council of India. The register works out to about 5.9 vets per lakh people and one vet for every 6,558 livestock. Of 35,745 sanctioned government vet posts, 9,090 (25%) were vacant in January 2023, and most government vets serve livestock rather than pets.
Key findings
- India had 81,938 registered vets in March 2023, up 21% from 67,784 in March 2015.
- That works out to 5.9 registered vets per lakh people, using the official 2023 population projection of 138.6 crore.
- Kerala has 14.5 vets per lakh people and Uttar Pradesh 2.9; among large states only Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Delhi have fewer.
- Uttar Pradesh holds 17% of India's people but only 8% of its registered vets.
- Jharkhand has one registered vet for every 25,474 animals, the worst ratio in India; Kerala has one for every 562.
- States reported 9,090 of 35,745 sanctioned government vet posts vacant in January 2023, a 25% vacancy rate.
- Rajasthan had the most vacant posts at 1,367, and Gujarat the highest vacancy rate among states with 500 or more posts, at 53%.
- Five states, led by Maharashtra with 10,570, hold 42% of all registered vets.
- India had 69,202 government veterinary hospitals, dispensaries and aid centres in March 2023.
- A 2015 peer-reviewed study estimated only 34,500 vets in field services against a requirement of 67,000.
How many veterinarians are there in India?
India had 81,938 registered veterinary practitioners on 31 March 2023, the Veterinary Council of India told Parliament. A February 2024 reply cited 83,017 on the 2023 register. The register counts everyone entitled to practise, not only working vets.
The register has grown steadily. It stood at 67,784 in March 2015, 73,129 in March 2020 and 76,097 in March 2021. Over eight years the register grew 21%.
Working vets are fewer. A 2015 peer-reviewed study in the WOAH Scientific and Technical Review estimated about 43,000 working graduate vets, against a need for 72,000. It counted 34,500 vets in field services against a requirement of 67,000.
Indian Veterinary Practitioners' Register, as on 31 March each year. PIB (July 2016); Pashu Sandesh citing the IVPR (2020); Rajya Sabha USQ 276 (Feb 2023); Lok Sabha USQ 3136 (Aug 2023).
Show the numbers
| Label | registered vets |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 67,784 |
| 2020 | 73,129 |
| 2021 | 76,097 |
| 2023 | 81,938 |
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| Source | Year | Available | Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| PIB, Ministry of Agriculture | 2016 | 67,784 registered (2015) | 67,200 |
| Rao et al., WOAH Scientific and Technical Review | 2015 | About 43,000 working graduates | 72,000 |
| Rao et al., field services only | 2015 | 34,500 | 67,000 |
| Lok Sabha USQ 4570, sanctioned government posts | 2023 | 26,655 filled | 35,745 sanctioned |
The 2016 PIB release set registered vets against a requirement of 67,200 and found no shortfall. The research estimates count working vets instead, and find a gap of 40 to 49%.
How many vets per lakh people does each state have?
Nationally, India has 5.9 registered vets per lakh people. We divided the March 2023 register by the official population projection for 1 March 2023. Among the 21 states with over one crore people, Kerala leads at 14.5 and Delhi trails at 2.2.
The big northern and eastern states sit at the bottom. Uttar Pradesh has 2.9 vets per lakh people, Bihar 2.7, West Bengal 2.7 and Jharkhand 2.3.
For global context, the 2015 WOAH study noted that over half of 180 member countries have fewer than 135 vets per million people. India's register works out to about 59 per million, and its working vets to about 32.
dogeats.in calculation. Vets: VCI register, 31 March 2023 (Lok Sabha USQ 3136). Population: Technical Group on Population Projections, projected 1 March 2023.
Show the numbers
| Label | vets per lakh people |
|---|---|
| Kerala | 14.5 |
| Punjab | 13.9 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 10.0 |
| Uttarakhand | 9.9 |
| Assam | 8.8 |
| Maharashtra | 8.4 |
| Tamil Nadu | 8.1 |
| Haryana | 7.9 |
| Jammu & Kashmir | 7.8 |
| Karnataka | 7.1 |
| Odisha | 6.3 |
| Gujarat | 6.2 |
| Rajasthan | 6.0 |
| Telangana | 5.6 |
| Chhattisgarh | 4.0 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 3.5 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 2.9 |
| Bihar | 2.7 |
| West Bengal | 2.7 |
| Jharkhand | 2.3 |
| Delhi | 2.2 |
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Animals per vet
Nationally, there is one registered vet for every 6,558 livestock. The government's own ratio, given to the Lok Sabha in February 2024, sets each state's animal population against its registered vets.
Jharkhand is the outlier at 25,474 animals per vet. Telangana, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh all exceed 13,000. Kerala, with a small livestock population and many vets, has one vet for every 562 animals.
Lok Sabha USQ 535 (6 Feb 2024), Annexure II: animal population against registered vets, as gathered by States, VCI and the Animal Husbandry Statistics division.
Show the numbers
| Label | animals per vet |
|---|---|
| Jharkhand | 25,474 |
| Telangana | 15,368 |
| West Bengal | 14,086 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 13,372 |
| Chhattisgarh | 13,064 |
| Rajasthan | 11,704 |
| Bihar | 10,549 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 9,847 |
| Jammu & Kashmir | 7,876 |
| Odisha | 6,510 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 6,399 |
| Karnataka | 6,062 |
| Gujarat | 6,048 |
| Assam | 5,736 |
| Tamil Nadu | 3,923 |
| Uttarakhand | 3,830 |
| Maharashtra | 3,130 |
| Haryana | 2,971 |
| Punjab | 1,645 |
| Delhi | 773 |
| Kerala | 562 |
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| State or UT | Registered vets | Population (lakh) | Vets per lakh people | Livestock | Livestock per vet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakshadweep | 34 | 0.7 | 49.3 | 45,697 | 1,344 |
| Puducherry | 535 | 16.5 | 32.5 | 1,51,368 | 283 |
| Sikkim | 199 | 6.9 | 28.9 | 2,74,332 | 1,379 |
| Mizoram | 351 | 12.4 | 28.4 | 3,59,704 | 1,025 |
| Ladakh | 76 | 3.0 | 25.3 | 6,03,588 | 7,942 |
| Himachal Pradesh | 1,402 | 74.7 | 18.8 | 44,12,846 | 3,148 |
| Manipur | 561 | 32.2 | 17.4 | 5,50,719 | 982 |
| Nagaland | 350 | 22.3 | 15.7 | 5,53,803 | 1,582 |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 232 | 15.6 | 14.9 | 11,61,428 | 5,006 |
| Andaman & Nicobar | 59 | 4.0 | 14.6 | 1,45,394 | 2,464 |
| Kerala | 5,172 | 357.8 | 14.5 | 29,08,657 | 562 |
| Goa | 222 | 15.8 | 14.1 | 1,32,406 | 596 |
| Punjab | 4,285 | 307.3 | 13.9 | 70,50,355 | 1,645 |
| Meghalaya | 433 | 33.5 | 12.9 | 20,39,103 | 4,709 |
| Tripura | 451 | 41.5 | 10.9 | 13,17,892 | 2,922 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 5,324 | 531.6 | 10.0 | 3,40,67,617 | 6,399 |
| Uttarakhand | 1,156 | 116.4 | 9.9 | 44,27,089 | 3,830 |
| Assam | 3,154 | 357.1 | 8.8 | 1,80,92,201 | 5,736 |
| Maharashtra | 10,570 | 1263.8 | 8.4 | 3,30,79,818 | 3,130 |
| Tamil Nadu | 6,245 | 768.6 | 8.1 | 2,45,00,621 | 3,923 |
| Haryana | 2,372 | 302.1 | 7.9 | 70,46,091 | 2,971 |
| Jammu & Kashmir | 1,057 | 136.0 | 7.8 | 83,25,324 | 7,876 |
| Karnataka | 4,786 | 676.9 | 7.1 | 2,90,13,412 | 6,062 |
| Odisha | 2,791 | 442.9 | 6.3 | 1,81,70,309 | 6,510 |
| Gujarat | 4,447 | 715.1 | 6.2 | 2,68,93,274 | 6,048 |
| Rajasthan | 4,853 | 810.2 | 6.0 | 5,68,00,945 | 11,704 |
| Telangana | 2,124 | 380.9 | 5.6 | 3,26,40,639 | 15,368 |
| Chhattisgarh | 1,215 | 301.8 | 4.0 | 1,58,72,302 | 13,064 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 3,039 | 865.8 | 3.5 | 4,06,37,375 | 13,372 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 6,907 | 2356.9 | 2.9 | 6,80,12,945 | 9,847 |
| Bihar | 3,464 | 1267.6 | 2.7 | 3,65,40,820 | 10,549 |
| West Bengal | 2,661 | 990.8 | 2.7 | 3,74,83,238 | 14,086 |
| Jharkhand | 927 | 394.7 | 2.3 | 2,36,14,545 | 25,474 |
| Delhi | 466 | 213.6 | 2.2 | 3,60,397 | 773 |
| Chandigarh | 13 | 12.3 | 1.1 | 26,990 | 2,076 |
| Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu | 5 | 12.6 | 0.4 | 51,688 | 10,338 |
The ratios use registered vets, so they flatter states with many retired or non-practising registrants. The livestock totals add up to 53.7 crore animals, close to the 20th Livestock Census.
A quarter of government vet posts are vacant
States reported 35,745 sanctioned posts of veterinary doctors and 9,090 vacancies to the Lok Sabha in March 2023, as of January that year. That leaves 26,655 filled posts.
Rajasthan had the most vacancies at 1,367 of 3,691 posts, and Karnataka 1,136 of 3,317. Among states with at least 500 posts, Gujarat had the highest vacancy rate at 53%, then Punjab at 47% and Bihar at 42%.
Kerala, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh had almost no vacancies. Animal husbandry is a State subject, so each state sets its own posts, the ministry said.
Lok Sabha USQ 4570 (28 March 2023), Annexure I, position till January 2023. Rates calculated by dogeats.in.
Show the numbers
| Label | % of sanctioned posts vacant |
|---|---|
| Gujarat | 53% (432 of 810) |
| Punjab | 47% (707 of 1,508) |
| Bihar | 42% (860 of 2,067) |
| Rajasthan | 37% (1,367 of 3,691) |
| Karnataka | 34% (1,136 of 3,317) |
| Jharkhand | 31% (237 of 774) |
| Maharashtra | 26% (681 of 2,581) |
| Uttar Pradesh | 26% (598 of 2,286) |
| Odisha | 26% (382 of 1,480) |
| Jammu & Kashmir | 24% (317 of 1,295) |
| Assam | 24% (171 of 703) |
| Telangana | 24% (297 of 1,223) |
| Haryana | 19% (216 of 1,126) |
| Madhya Pradesh | 17% (289 of 1,671) |
| Andhra Pradesh | 15% (275 of 1,781) |
| Himachal Pradesh | 15% (81 of 535) |
| Tamil Nadu | 10% (299 of 3,030) |
| West Bengal | 9% (119 of 1,333) |
| Chhattisgarh | 5% (41 of 754) |
| Kerala | 3% (46 of 1,637) |
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| State or UT | Sanctioned posts | Vacant posts | Vacancy (%) | Hospitals and polyclinics | Dispensaries | Aid centres | Total institutions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rajasthan | 3,691 | 1,367 | 37.0 | 2,975 | 0 | 6,434 | 9,409 |
| Karnataka | 3,317 | 1,136 | 34.2 | 697 | 2,156 | 1,381 | 4,234 |
| Tamil Nadu | 3,030 | 299 | 9.9 | 189 | 2,741 | 3,446 | 6,376 |
| Maharashtra | 2,581 | 681 | 26.4 | 39 | 1,976 | 2,841 | 4,856 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 2,286 | 598 | 26.2 | 2,208 | 267 | 2,575 | 5,050 |
| Bihar | 2,067 | 860 | 41.6 | 1,098 | 39 | 1,595 | 2,732 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 1,781 | 275 | 15.4 | 337 | 1,577 | 1,558 | 3,472 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 1,671 | 289 | 17.3 | 1,064 | 1,583 | 65 | 2,712 |
| Kerala | 1,637 | 46 | 2.8 | 279 | 870 | 15 | 1,164 |
| Punjab | 1,508 | 707 | 46.9 | 1,389 | 1,489 | 20 | 2,898 |
| Odisha | 1,480 | 382 | 25.8 | 30 | 511 | 3,553 | 4,094 |
| West Bengal | 1,333 | 119 | 8.9 | 113 | 613 | 2,609 | 3,335 |
| Jammu & Kashmir | 1,295 | 317 | 24.5 | 19 | 1,256 | 225 | 1,500 |
| Telangana | 1,223 | 297 | 24.3 | 107 | 909 | 1,201 | 2,217 |
| Haryana | 1,126 | 216 | 19.2 | 1,048 | 1,815 | 22 | 2,885 |
| Gujarat | 810 | 432 | 53.3 | 34 | 741 | 1,057 | 1,832 |
| Jharkhand | 774 | 237 | 30.6 | 35 | 424 | 433 | 892 |
| Chhattisgarh | 754 | 41 | 5.4 | 350 | 835 | 72 | 1,257 |
| Assam | 703 | 171 | 24.3 | 21 | 421 | 767 | 1,209 |
| Himachal Pradesh | 535 | 81 | 15.1 | 466 | 1,762 | 1,228 | 3,456 |
| Uttarakhand | 461 | 90 | 19.5 | 330 | 10 | 779 | 1,119 |
| Tripura | 348 | 196 | 56.3 | 16 | 65 | 459 | 540 |
| Meghalaya | 262 | 3 | 1.1 | 4 | 126 | 121 | 251 |
| Sikkim | 185 | 71 | 38.4 | 23 | 68 | 63 | 154 |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 176 | 0 | 0.0 | 16 | 183 | 311 | 510 |
| Nagaland | 165 | 14 | 8.5 | 11 | 55 | 100 | 166 |
| Manipur | 163 | 42 | 25.8 | 59 | 151 | 23 | 233 |
| Mizoram | 115 | 28 | 24.3 | 11 | 67 | 69 | 147 |
| Delhi | 64 | 12 | 18.8 | 49 | 29 | 0 | 78 |
| Goa | 56 | 23 | 41.1 | 5 | 25 | 50 | 80 |
| Ladakh | 48 | 7 | 14.6 | 4 | 9 | 127 | 140 |
| Andaman & Nicobar | 45 | 14 | 31.1 | 10 | 13 | 49 | 72 |
| Puducherry | 33 | 23 | 69.7 | 0 | 17 | 75 | 92 |
| Lakshadweep | 13 | 12 | 92.3 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Chandigarh | 5 | 1 | 20.0 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 14 |
| Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu | 4 | 3 | 75.0 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 17 |
India had 69,202 government veterinary institutions in March 2023: 13,042 hospitals and polyclinics, 22,823 dispensaries and 33,337 aid centres. Many aid centres are run by para-vets, not graduate vets.
Built for livestock, not pets
Government vets work in state animal husbandry departments, whose staffing follows disease patterns and the animal profile, the ministry told the Lok Sabha. Field vet requirements are calculated on cattle units, the 2015 WOAH study notes.
No official count of companion animal vets exists. The 2021 Mars State of Pet Homelessness Index flagged India's low number of small animal vets per person. Pet care in cities leans on private clinics and a handful of university hospitals.
Delhi shows the gap. It had 466 registered vets, 64 sanctioned government posts and 78 government vet institutions in 2023, for over 2 crore people. Our vet and vaccination costs report compares government and private prices.
| Measure | Delhi | Kerala | India |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered vets | 466 | 5,172 | 81,938 |
| Vets per lakh people | 2.2 | 14.5 | 5.9 |
| Livestock per vet | 773 | 562 | 6,558 |
| Sanctioned government posts | 64 | 1,637 | 35,745 |
| Government vet institutions | 78 | 1,164 | 69,202 |
Rabies control depends on these vets too, through pet and street dog vaccination. See our reports on rabies vaccine access by state and the street dog population.
Veterinary colleges
There were 70 veterinary colleges in August 2023: 57 recognised and 13 awaiting recognition, the ministry told the Lok Sabha. Each admits about 100 students a year on average. A February 2024 list showed 58 recognised colleges.
The number has risen fast. Recognised colleges went from 36 to 46 by July 2016, the government said then, and 55 by February 2023.
Graduate supply is the bottleneck the 2015 WOAH study pointed to. It recommended raising yearly output from about 1,700 graduates to about 2,500.
PIB (July 2016) for 36 and 46; Rajya Sabha USQ 276 (Feb 2023); Lok Sabha USQ 3018 (Aug 2023); Lok Sabha USQ 535 (Feb 2024) annexure list.
Show the numbers
| Label | colleges |
|---|---|
| Before 2016 | 36 |
| Jul 2016 | 46 |
| Feb 2023 | 55 |
| Aug 2023 | 57 |
| Feb 2024 | 58 |
Embed this chart
Uttar Pradesh had five recognised colleges and West Bengal one in February 2024, the ministry said. Several of the newer colleges are private, including in Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab.
Frequently asked questions
How many veterinarians are there in India?
India had 81,938 registered veterinary practitioners on 31 March 2023, according to the Veterinary Council of India. A February 2024 parliamentary reply cited 83,017 on the 2023 register. Working vets are fewer, as the register includes non-practising members.
How many vets per lakh population does India have?
About 5.9 registered vets per lakh people in 2023, by our calculation from the VCI register and the official population projection. Among large states it ranges from 14.5 in Kerala to 2.2 in Delhi.
Which state has the most veterinarians?
Maharashtra, with 10,570 registered vets in March 2023. Uttar Pradesh had 6,907 and Tamil Nadu 6,245. Per head of population, Kerala leads among large states.
Which state has the fewest vets for its livestock?
Jharkhand, with one registered vet for every 25,474 animals, according to a February 2024 Lok Sabha reply. Telangana, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh also exceed 13,000 animals per vet.
Is there a shortage of vets in India?
For government jobs, yes. States reported 9,090 of 35,745 sanctioned vet posts vacant in January 2023. A 2015 study estimated 34,500 field vets against a need of 67,000, though a 2016 government statement found no overall shortfall.
How many veterinary colleges are there in India?
There were 70 in August 2023, of which 57 were recognised by the government. Each admits about 100 students a year on average. A February 2024 list showed 58 recognised colleges.
Do Indian government vets treat pet dogs?
Yes, at government hospitals and dispensaries, but the service is planned around livestock. Staffing follows the animal profile and cattle units. City pet owners mostly use private clinics or veterinary college hospitals.
How many government veterinary hospitals are there in India?
India had 69,202 government veterinary institutions in March 2023. They comprised 13,042 hospitals and polyclinics, 22,823 dispensaries and 33,337 aid centres.
Methodology and limitations
Registered vet counts by state come from the Veterinary Council of India's register as on 31 March 2023. They were tabled in Lok Sabha unstarred question 3136 on 8 August 2023. Livestock per vet figures come from Annexure II of Lok Sabha unstarred question 535 of 6 February 2024.
Population is the projected total on 1 March 2023 from the Report of the Technical Group on Population Projections, 2011 to 2036, Table 8. We combined Dadra and Nagar Haveli with Daman and Diu. Vets per lakh people is our calculation.
Sanctioned and vacant posts come from Lok Sabha unstarred question 4570 of 28 March 2023. Institution counts come from Lok Sabha unstarred question 405 of 5 December 2023. College counts come from PIB and the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha replies named in each chart.
Sources
- Lok Sabha unstarred question 3136 (8 August 2023), DAHD, 81,938 registered vets and state-wise counts as on 31 March 2023
- Lok Sabha unstarred question 535 (6 February 2024), DAHD, State-wise animal population and animals per vet; 83,017 on IVPR 2023; college list
- Lok Sabha unstarred question 4570 (28 March 2023), DAHD, Sanctioned and vacant vet posts by state
- Also consulted: Lok Sabha unstarred question 405 (5 December 2023), DAHD, Lok Sabha unstarred question 3018 (8 August 2023), DAHD, Rajya Sabha unstarred question 276 (3 February 2023), DAHD, Press Information Bureau (26 July 2016), Rao et al., Improvement of veterinary services delivery in India, WOAH Scientific and Technical Review (2015), Report of the Technical Group on Population Projections 2011 to 2036, National Commission on Population, MoHFW (copy), Pashu Sandesh (August 2022), citing the IVPR, Business Today (November 2021), Lok Sabha starred question 262 and Rajya Sabha unstarred question 1053 (2023), DAHD, Lok Sabha unstarred question 2817 (March 2023), district vet to livestock ratios.
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