Nearly half of all specialist doctors in England and Wales were born outside the UK, along with two in five GPs, census data shows.
Non-UK-born nationals also make up a quarter of care workers and one in five social workers.
The figures provide a fresh snapshot of the diversity of the health and care workforce, as well as highlighting how recruitment from across the world has shaped the modern-day NHS.
The census took place in England and Wales on March 21 2021 and the results are being published in stages by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The latest data focuses on nationality across the labour market and shows that almost half (47.5 per cent) of specialist doctors in England and Wales, such as an oncologist or cardiologist, were born outside the UK.
Middle East
People born in the Middle East and Asia accounted for the largest proportion of this group, at more than a quarter of all specialist doctors (26.3 per cent), followed by Africa (8.5 per cent) and the 14 countries who were members of the EU before its expansion in 2004 (6.3 per cent).
Some two in five (40.6 per cent) GPs in England and Wales were born outside the UK, with the Middle East and Asia again accounting for the largest proportion (21.8 per cent of the total), then Africa (9.0 per cent) and the EU14 (4.2 per cent).
Non-UK-born nationals make up one in four (26.9 per cent) mental health nurses and one in five (20.5 per cent) specialist nurses, with slightly lower proportions for midwifery nurses (13.7 per cent) and paramedics (9.1 per cent).
Around a quarter (25.3 per cent) of care workers and home carers were born outside the UK, along with nearly one in five (19.4 per cent) social workers.
In both groups, African countries were the most common non-UK country of birth, accounting for 10.1 per cent of the totals.
Health and social work
Across all those employed in human health and social work in England and Wales, nearly a quarter (22.9 per cent) were born outside the UK, with the Middle East and Asia (7.5 per cent) and Africa (6.4 per cent) making the largest contributions to the total, the ONS found.
The new figures cover all occupations in England and Wales and also show that people working as packers, bottlers, canners and fillers at the time of the 2021 census had the largest non-UK-born workforce, at 60.7 per cent.
This is followed by taxi drivers and chauffeurs (59.2 per cent); food, drink and tobacco process operatives (53.5 per cent); chefs (52.3 per cent) and tailors and dressmakers (50 per cent).
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