How is the global health workforce changing? - Scorecard - MDSpire
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How is the global health workforce changing?

The global health workforce increased by 199% over 33 years, with women accounting for most of the growth, according to a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023 published in The Lancet Public Health.

  • By

  • Kathryn Wighton

  • August 26, 2026

  • 3 min

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Clinical Scorecard: How is the global health workforce changing?

At a Glance

CategoryDetail
ConditionGlobal Health Workforce
Key MechanismsEstimation of health worker densities and composition using various data sources and statistical methods.
Target PopulationHealth workers across 204 countries and territories.
Care SettingGlobal health systems

Key Highlights

  • 122 million health workers active in health systems in 2023.
  • Women represented 69% of health workers and 71% of net workforce growth from 1990 to 2023.
  • High-income countries had the highest health worker densities; sub-Saharan Africa had the lowest.
  • Estimated gaps of approximately 7 million physicians and 24 million nurses and midwives globally.
  • Study limitations include reliance on binary sex categorization and data concentration in high-income countries.

Guideline-Based Recommendations

Diagnosis

    Management

      Monitoring & Follow-up

        Risks

        • Shortage estimates are aspirational and not additive.

        Patient & Prescribing Data

        Not applicable as this study focuses on health workforce data.

        Not applicable.

        Clinical Best Practices

          Related Resources & Content

          Original Source(s)

          How is the global health workforce changing?

          • by Kathryn Wighton

          • August 26, 2026

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