European nations reported a shortage of approximately 1.2 million doctors, nurses, and midwives in 2022, despite having record-high numbers of medical staff in that same year, according to an OECD report. This paradox highlights the EU’s ongoing struggle with its healthcare sector, which is projected to face even greater challenges in the coming years.
By 2030, the World Health Organization estimates that Europe will need an additional four million healthcare professionals. Yet, despite a substantial increase in the number of doctors and nurses per capita over the past two decades—exceeding 10% of total jobs in the EU by 2022, up from 8.5% in 2002—the continent is still grappling with critical shortages.
“More people with higher needs, fewer people of working age,” said Gaetan Lafortune, OECD’s Senior Economist and coordinator of Health at a Glance: Europe 2024, explaining the demographic pressures facing Europe. The population is ageing rapidly, with an expected increase of 38 million people aged over 65 and a decrease of 26 million in the working-age group by 2050, according to OECD projections.
Declining interest in health careers among young people, combined with healthcare professionals across the EU protesting for better pay and conditions, has further complicated the staffing issue. In response, European countries are increasingly depending on foreign-trained healthcare workers, which can worsen shortages in their home countries.
The ageing health workforce is another concern, as over a third of doctors in the EU were over 55 years old by 2022, with almost half of EU countries seeing this proportion exceed 40%. While many doctors have opted to work past retirement age, alleviating the staffing problem in recent years, the OECD report warns that this may not be sustainable long-term.
