The global health workforce could face a shortage of 11.1 million workers by 2030, as doctors and populations continue to age.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says nearly one in four doctors is already over 55 and could retire within the next decade. The finding is based on the latest available data from 122 countries.
The warning comes as health systems face growing pressure to maintain enough workers to meet the needs of ageing populations.
67 countries could face health worker gaps
WHO projects that 67 countries will not have enough health workers to meet population health needs by 2030.
The report estimates that 832,000 additional health workers would be needed simply to maintain current age-adjusted workforce levels in these countries.
The global picture also remains uneven.
WHO says there are now more than 70 million health and care workers worldwide. Health worker density has increased by 52% since 2006, reaching 67.9 workers per 10,000 people in 2025.
However, large differences remain between regions. Medical doctor density is 13 times higher in the WHO European Region than in the African Region, while the density of nurses and midwives is six times higher.
Higher-income countries face an ageing workforce
The ageing of health workers is especially visible in higher-income countries.
In these countries, nearly one in three doctors is expected to retire within the next ten years. Many countries in Europe are among those facing this pressure because they have a larger share of older health workers.
At the same time, population ageing is increasing demand for healthcare services.
This creates a double pressure on health systems. Countries must replace retiring workers while also preparing for higher demand from older populations.
WHO said the combined effect could intensify the projected global shortage of 11.1 million health workers by 2030.
The new findings come from WHO’s National Health Workforce Accounts: Health Workforce Levels and Trends 2026, which uses official workforce data reported by countries. The report is the first in an annual series examining global health workforce levels, trends and challenges.
The figures point to a growing need for countries to plan health workforce training, employment and retention around the changing age of both health workers and the populations they serve.
Numbers & Indexes Workforce & layoffs World Health Organization (WHO)
Last modified: September 18, 2026
