WHO Warns Africa and Eastern Mediterranean to Bear 70% of Nursing Shortage by 2030

A newly released World Health Organization (WHO) report, "State of the World’s Nursing 2025," projects a worsening global nursing shortage, with nearly 70% of the deficit expected to be concentrated in Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean by 2030. 

Nursing Shortage in Africa and Eastern Mediterranean

While the global nursing workforce is anticipated to grow to 36 million by 2030, this expansion is unevenly distributed. Africa is projected to see only a 7% increase in its nursing workforce between 2023 and 2030. Consequently, the combined share of the global nursing shortage in Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean is expected to rise from 58% in 2020 to nearly 70% by 2030. 

As of 2023, the African region had approximately 1.7 million nurses, the second-lowest globally after the Eastern Mediterranean's 1.3 million. In stark contrast, the Western Pacific region leads with 8.5 million nurses.

Disparities in Nurse-to-Population Ratios and Wages

The report highlights significant disparities in nurse-to-population ratios. In 2023, the WHO African Region had 14.1 nurses per 10,000 people, compared to 76.9 per 10,000 in the European Region. 

Median entry-level wages for nurses also vary widely. The European and Eastern Mediterranean regions report the highest median wages, while the African and South-East Asian regions report the lowest. These wage disparities contribute to challenges in nurse retention and recruitment in lower-income regions.

Gender Disparities and Leadership Gaps

Despite nursing being a predominantly female profession globally, the report notes that 15 out of 150 reporting countries have more male than female nurses, with 10 of these countries located in Africa. 

Leadership development programs for nurses are less prevalent in Africa, with only 43% of countries reporting such initiatives, compared to 78% in Europe and 76% in the Eastern Mediterranean.

WHO Call to Action

The WHO report emphasizes that investing in nursing is not only essential for improving health outcomes but also for economic growth. Enhancing nursing education, employment opportunities, and leadership development can generate decent jobs and increase women's participation in the workforce.

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