From the Hg‐ and Cd‐concentration profiles recorded by an electron microprobe the metal interdiffusion coefficient for the semiconductor alloys HgwCd1–wTe is determined as a function of the mass fraction w and the temperature. To evaluate a defect model for this system undoped Te saturated samples, undoped metal saturated samples, and samples with an intermediate composition within the stability region of the compounds are studied. In adition metal saturated Ag‐ and In‐doped samples are investigated. The interdiffusion coefficient for Hg and Cd in undoped diffusion couples is nearly independent of the deviation from stoichiometry. For the HgTe‐rich side of the alloy system this can be explained by a relatively high thermal Frenkel disorder which exceeds the defect concentration attainable by varying the mercury pressure. Doping the crystals with In or Ag obviously increases the interdiffusion coefficient over the whole range of the alloy composition. In the case of In‐doped HgTe and CdTe and Ag‐doped HgTe this is due to prevailing metal vacancies, whereas in the case of Ag‐doped CdTe the metal interstitials predominate.