12 May 2025 – Abridged and contextualised from WHO, ICN & Partners’ State of the World’s Nursing Report
Despite modest global gains in the nursing workforce, critical disparities in distribution and access are threatening progress towards universal health coverage and sustainable development goals, according to the newly released State of the World’s Nursing 2025 report. Published by the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Council of Nurses (ICN), and partners, the report offers the most comprehensive snapshot of the nursing profession worldwide.
Key Findings: Progress Mixed with Persistent Inequities
The global nursing workforce grew from 27.9 million in 2018 to 29.8 million in 2023. However, the report highlights that 78% of the world’s nurses are concentrated in countries that represent only 49% of the global population, leaving large regions underserved. While the global shortage of nurses has decreased from 6.2 million in 2020 to 5.8 million in 2023, it remains significant—particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where challenges in nurse education, employment, and retention persist.
“While this report contains encouraging news, we cannot ignore the inequalities that mark the global nursing landscape,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a statement. “We must act swiftly to close these gaps.”
Structural Issues and Workforce Dynamics
- Gender & Migration: Women make up 85% of the nursing workforce. Roughly 1 in 7 nurses worldwide—and nearly a quarter in high-income countries—are foreign-born, underlining a global dependence on nurse migration.
- Training & Employment Gaps: Despite higher graduation rates in low-income countries, job creation has not kept pace with population growth, undermining workforce density.
- Ageing Workforce: Although 33% of nurses are under 35, in 20 mostly high-income countries, retirements are projected to outpace new entrants, threatening experience gaps and mentorship.
- Advanced Practice & Leadership: 62% of countries now report having advanced practice nursing roles, up from 53% in 2020. Still, only 25% of low-income countries offer structured leadership development for nurses.
Pam Cipriano, President of the ICN, called the report “a critical milestone” but cautioned that “inequalities are holding back the profession and acting as a barrier to achieving universal health coverage.”
Mental Health and Working Conditions
Only 42% of countries surveyed reported having mental health support systems in place for nurses, despite increased burnout and trauma from the COVID-19 pandemic. The report flags mental wellbeing, pay equity, and improved work conditions as urgent policy areas.
Policy Priorities for 2026–2030
The report calls on governments to:
- Expand and better distribute nursing jobs;
- Align education and skills with defined roles;
- Invest in leadership training and regulation;
- Promote gender equity and support in crisis zones;
- Equip nurses to respond to climate-driven health challenges.
It also supports alignment with WHO’s Global Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery 2021–2025, and the resolution on accelerating health workforce action up for discussion at the 78th World Health Assembly.
The full State of the World’s Nursing 2025 report and national profiles are publicly available on the WHO website.
