The worldwide nursing forces has grown from 27.9 million in 2018 to 29.eight million in 2023, however the broad disparities within the availability of nurses stay in all areas and international locations, based on the state of the state of nursing 2025 of the State., printed by the World Well being Group (WHO), Worldwide Council of Nurses (ICN) and companions. The inequalities within the world nursing workforce depart lots of the world inhabitants with out entry to important well being companies, which may threaten progress in direction of common well being protection (UHC), world well being security and well being -related improvement aims.
The brand new report printed on Worldwide Nurses Day supplies a complete and up to date evaluation of the Nursing workforce on the world, regional and nation degree. Consolidating info from the 194 Member States of the WHO, the proof signifies the worldwide progress within the discount of the scarcity of the nursing workforce of 6.2 million in 2020 to five.eight million in 2023, with a projection to the lower of four.1 million by 2030. However, the final progress nonetheless amends the deep regional disparities: roughly 78% of world nurses are concentrated in international locations that signify solely 49% of the worldwide inhabitants.
Low and medium earnings international locations face challenges within the commencement, employment and retention of nurses within the well being system and should increase nationwide investments to create and preserve jobs. On the identical time, excessive -income international locations have to be ready to manage excessive ranges of retired nurses and evaluation their dependence on nurses skilled overseas, strengthening bilateral agreements with the international locations they recruit.
“This report comprises encouraging information, for which we congratulate the international locations which might be progressing,” stated WHO Common Director, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Nevertheless, we can not ignore the inequalities that mark the world nursing panorama. On Worldwide Nurses, I urge international locations and companions to make use of this report as an indication, displaying us the place we come from, the place we are actually and the place we must always go, as shortly as attainable.”
Key findings
The world nursing state report 2025 (sown)Based mostly on the information reported by 194 international locations via the accounts of the Nationwide Work Drive of Well being, it reveals a 33% enhance within the variety of international locations in international locations because the final version in 2020. It consists of detailed nation profiles now out there for on-line public entry.
The report reveals advanced disparities between international locations, areas and socio -economic contexts. Knowledge and proof are destined to assist the dialogue directed by the nation to contextualize the findings in insurance policies and actions.
“We welcome the Saws 2025 report as an necessary milestone to observe progress in strengthening and assist for the nursing forces in direction of world well being aims,” stated Pam Cipriano, president of the Worldwide Council of Nurses. “The report clearly exposes the inequalities which might be braking the nursing career and performing as a barrier to realize common well being protection (UHC). The supply of UHC actually depends upon recognizing the worth of nurses and profiting from the facility and affect of nurses to behave as constructive change catalysts in our well being techniques.”
Gender and fairness are nonetheless central considerations within the nursing workforce. Ladies proceed to dominate the career, representing 85% of the worldwide nursing workforce.
The outcomes counsel that 1 in 7 nurses worldwide, and 23% in excessive -income international locations, are born overseas, which highlights the dependence on worldwide migration. In distinction, the proportion is considerably decrease in excessive -income international locations (eight%), decrease common earnings international locations (1%) and low -income international locations (three%).
Low earnings international locations are rising the variety of nursing graduates at a quicker price than excessive -income international locations. In lots of international locations, income earned with a lot effort within the nursing commencement price will not be leading to improved densities as a result of quickest price of inhabitants development and decrease employment alternatives. To handle this, international locations should create jobs to make sure that graduates are employed and built-in into the well being system and enhance working situations.
The demography of age and retirement developments reveal a combined picture. The worldwide nursing forces is comparatively younger: 33% of nurses are underneath 35 years previous, in comparison with the 19% that they’re anticipated to retire within the subsequent 10 years. Nevertheless, in 20 international locations, largely excessive earnings, retirement is anticipated to exceed new members, they increase considerations in regards to the nursing deficit and having much less skilled nurses to information early profession nurses.
Round two thirds (62%) of the international locations reported the existence of superior follow nursing roles, marking vital progress since 2020 (the place solely 53% reported superior follow nursing roles). It has been proven that these kinds of nurses broaden entry and high quality of care in many alternative environments.
The report additionally highlights the enhancements in nursing management: 82% of the international locations reported that a superior authorities nursing officer to manage the nursing workforce. Nevertheless, management improvement alternatives stay unequal. Whereas 66% of nations report that they’ve such established initiatives, solely 25% of low -income international locations supply structured management improvement.
Psychological well being and properly -being of the workforce stay areas of concern. Solely 42% of the international locations that responded have provisions for the psychological well being assist of nurses, regardless of the best workloads and the trauma skilled throughout and from the COVID-19 pandemic. Addressing that is important to retain certified professionals and assure the standard of care.
Coverage priorities for 2026–2030
The report introduces potential coverage priorities, asking international locations that:
- broaden and distribute equitably nursing works, particularly in unattended areas;
- strengthen nationwide schooling techniques and align with outlined roles;
- enhance working situations, wage capital and assist for psychological properly -being;
- develop extra regulation of nursing and superior nursing roles;
- Promote gender fairness and defend nurses who work in fragile environments affected by conflicts;
- Benefit from digital applied sciences and put together nurses for local weather care that it responds; and
- Advance nursing management and make sure that management improvement alternatives are equitable.
The proof within the report supplies an impulse for the continual alignment to the coverage priorities within the GMO International Strategic Directions for Nursing and Partería 2021–2025, and the really useful actions within the decision introduced to 78th World Well being Meeting: Acceleration motion on the well being and care pressure for 2030.
Word for editors:
He World nursing state 2025 The report presents probably the most modern proof on the worldwide nursing workforce, together with schooling, employment, migration, regulation, working situations, management and extra. The report consists of up to date indicators and stable estimates on the worldwide and regional degree nursing inventory, shortage and projections at 2030. On-line county profiles present nationwide information in a downloadable format (PDF).