Objectives To conduct a quantitative analysis of the scale and structure of clinical specialty education in China from 1998 to 2022, providing an empirical basis for the evaluation and improvement of relevant policies. Methods Based on nationwide data on medical enrollment by institution and major, descriptive methods and comparative research methods were used for data analysis. Results Between 1998 and 2022, the annual enrollment in clinical medical associate degree programs increased from11 thousand to 51 thousand, while the number of institutions offering such programs rose from 83 to 137. In 2022, among the three types of institutions admitting students for clinical medical associate degree programs (undergraduate universities, junior colleges, and vocational colleges), vocational colleges accounted for 51.8% of total enrollment. A total of 66 institutions had single-campus enrollment exceeding 300 students, and 4 institutions enrolled more than 1 000 students each. The regional distribution of enrollment was 21.3% in the eastern region, 49.4% in the central region, and 29.2% in the western region. Conclusions Significant structural changes have occurred in clinical medical education in China, with a notable expansion in the scale of clinical medical associate degree programs. It is recommended that the government further optimize medical education policies by appropriately reducing the scale of these programs and adopting region-specific enrollment strategies, particularly enhancing both the scale and quality of enrollment in western regions. Moreover, greater alignment between provincial medical education and societal demands should be pursued, alongside strengthening collaboration between the healthcare and education sectors. Efforts should also focus on developing clinical medical associate degree education models suited to China′s national context to continually improve the quality of talent cultivation.