The World Health Organisation has said one in four doctors is nearing retirement age, warning of a global health workforce gap.

WHO disclosed this in a publication, ‘The National Health Workforce Accounts: Health Workforce levels and Trends 2026’, released on Monday.

The report is the first in an annual series offering the most comprehensive global picture of health workforce levels, trends and challenges, based on official country data shared through the National Health Workforce Accounts.

Over the past two decades, health workforce density (medical doctors, nursing and midwifery personnel, dentists and pharmacists) has increased by 52 per cent globally, from 44.8 per 10 000 population in 2006 to 67.9 in 2025.

There are now more than 70 million health and care workers worldwide. However, it said this global improvement masks deep inequities that persist across countries and regions.

For instance, it said the density of medical doctors was 13 times higher, and the density of nurses and midwifery personnel is six times higher, in the WHO European Region than in the WHO African Region.

The report underscores that workforce shortages and unequal distribution continue to limit access to essential health services for many people.

“In spite of 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,” said Khassoum Diallo, acting unit head of Health Workforce Policies and Data, WHO Academy. “Addressing these inequities is essential to achieving Health for All.”

Each report, in addition to reporting on annual health workforce levels and trends, will include a thematic focus. The first report examines the implications of both population and health worker ageing for future workforce needs.

In some countries, health worker ageing is intensifying the health workforce shortage, projected to reach 11.1 million health workers globally by 2030, while population ageing is increasing service demand. The report also finds that nearly one in four doctors, on average , is older than 55 and will retire in the next decade (based on the latest available data from 122 countries).

In high-income countries, this increases to nearly one in three. Sixty-seven countries will not have enough health workers to meet population health needs by 2030.

“Ageing is the hidden health workforce crisis that requires urgent attention. It is creating a double pressure on health systems, primarily in high-income countries,” Mr Diallo said. “We know that better data drives better policy, and these findings reinforce the importance of future-focused action to strengthen health workforce planning, education, employment and retention.”

More than 90 per cent of WHO Member States actively reported health workforce data in 2025. Overall, health workforce data availability has increased nearly 20-fold since the NHWA was launched in 2017.

This highlights the progress made in strengthening health workforce information systems.

“Investing in the health and care workforce is essential to strengthening health systems, safeguarding health security and advancing sustainable development,” Mr Diallo said.

(NAN)