Global Health Workforce Faces Shortfall of 23.9 Million Nurses and Midwives, New Study Finds 

The world has more healthcare workers today than it did 30 years ago. Yet many countries are still struggling to find enough doctors, nurses and other health professionals to meet the needs of their populations. New research has now highlighted the scale of that gap, with nursing and midwifery at the centre of the findings. 

Published in The Lancet Public Health, the study looked at health workforce data from 204 countries and territories between 1990 and 2023. Researchers examined how the number of health workers has changed over time and compared current workforce levels with the number needed to provide better access to healthcare. 

The global health workforce has grown considerably. The study estimates that the number of health workers increased from 40.9 million in 1990 to 122.1 million in 2023. Nurses were the largest professional group, with around 33.2 million nurses worldwide in 2023. But this growth has not been equal everywhere. 

South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa are among the regions facing some of the biggest gaps in health-worker numbers. This means that while the world has gained millions of healthcare professionals, many countries still do not have enough staff to provide the level of care their populations need. 

The researchers then looked at what the workforce would need to look like for countries to reach an 80 out of 100 score on the Universal Health Coverage effective coverage index. Their estimate puts the overall gap at 34.4 million additional health workers. 

Nursing and midwifery make up the largest part of that gap. The study estimates that the world would need 23.9 million more nurses and midwives to reach the healthcare coverage level used in the research. The study also points to shortages among doctors, dentists and pharmacists. 

The new estimate is much higher than the 5.8 million global nursing shortage reported in earlier research. However, the two figures were calculated differently. The International Council of Nurses has pointed out that the latest study looks at how many health workers would be needed to reach a specific level of healthcare coverage, rather than simply counting vacant nursing jobs. 

For nurses and midwives, the findings highlight the need to look beyond training numbers. Countries also need to keep experienced nurses in the profession. Working conditions, career opportunities, fair treatment and the ability to provide safe care can all affect whether nurses stay in their jobs and in the profession. 

The 23.9 million figures does not mean that 23.9 million nursing jobs are currently available overseas. It is an estimate of the additional nurses and midwives that researchers say would be needed worldwide to reach the healthcare coverage level used in the study. 

The findings however show how important nursing remains to health systems around the world. As countries work to improve access to healthcare, having enough nurses and midwives will continue to be a major part of the challenge.

Sources: 

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(26)00145-3/fulltext

https://www.nursingtimes.net/workforce/huge-shortfall-in-global-nursing-workforce-risks-widening-health-inequalities-14-09-2026