The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that an ageing healthcare workforce and unequal distribution of medical professionals could intensify global staffing shortages, with the number of health and care workers needed worldwide projected to reach a shortfall of 11.1 million by 2030.
In its report, National Health Workforce Accounts: Health Workforce Levels and Trends 2026, WHO states that global health workforce density increased by 52% between 2006 and 2025, rising from 44.8 to 67.9 health workers per 10,000 people. The global workforce now exceeds 70 million health and care workers.
Despite this progress, significant regional disparities remain. The density of medical doctors is 13 times higher in the WHO European Region than in the African Region, while nursing and midwifery personnel density is six times higher.
The report also highlights the impact of workforce ageing. Based on the latest available data from 122 countries, nearly one in four doctors is aged over 55 and could retire within the next decade. In high-income countries, the proportion rises to nearly one in three.
Meanwhile, 67 countries are projected to lack sufficient health workers to meet population health needs by 2030, raising concerns about access to essential healthcare services as populations age and demand increases.
Click here to join our WhatsApp channel here
WHO noted that more than 90% of its Member States actively reported health workforce data in 2025, reflecting progress in monitoring workforce trends. The organisation called for stronger planning, education, recruitment and retention strategies to address shortages and build resilient health systems.
The report forms part of a new annual series intended to provide countries with evidence to guide health workforce policies and long-term planning.
“Despite gains in workforce production and data reporting, uneven and severe shortages of health and care workers remain, and health worker density remains strongly correlated with national income,” explained Dr Khassoum Diallo, Acting Unit Head of Health Workforce Policies and Data, WHO Academy. “Addressing these inequities is essential to achieving Health for All.”
Also read: UAE’s First Robotic Thyroid Surgery Performed in Abu Dhabi
