One In Four Doctors Nearing Retirement Age As WHO Warns Of Global Health Workforce Gap

The global healthcare workforce is getting older at a time when health systems are already struggling to find enough doctors and other health professionals. Nearly one in four doctors globally is aged 55 or older and could reach retirement age within the next decade, raising concerns about how countries will replace experienced doctors while meeting growing demand for care.

The finding comes from the World Health Organization’s National Health Workforce Accounts: Health Workforce Levels and Trends 2026, the first in an annual series tracking global health workforce levels, trends and gaps. The report draws on the latest available data from 122 countries.

The ageing of doctors is particularly pronounced in high-income countries, where nearly one in three doctors is aged 55 or older. At the same time, populations in many countries are ageing, increasing the need for healthcare and putting additional pressure on health systems.

“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,” said Dr Khassoum Diallo, Acting Unit Head of Health Workforce Policies and Data, WHO Academy.

“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,” Dr Diallo added.

The ageing of doctors is not simply a question of numbers. It raises a more immediate question for health systems: who will replace experienced clinicians as they leave the workforce?

Doctors who have spent decades in practice carry clinical experience that is difficult to replace overnight. Their departure can affect not only the number of doctors available but also the capacity of health systems to train younger professionals, supervise complex cases and provide specialised care, said the WHO.

The WHO report does not suggest that every doctor aged 55 or above will retire within the next decade. Rather, it identifies this age group as being at or approaching typical retirement age and highlights the need for countries to plan for the resulting workforce gap.

The challenge comes against a backdrop of an estimated global shortage of 11.1 million health workers by 2030. The earlier estimate had put the 2030 shortage at about 10 million. The upward revision reflects newer data and analysis.

WHO estimates that 67 countries will not have enough health workers to maintain population health needs by 2030.

The problem, therefore, is not simply about producing more medical graduates. Countries also need to retain doctors, plan for retirement, address uneven distribution and ensure that experienced professionals are not lost from the health system without adequate succession planning.

Globally, the health and care workforce has grown considerably. There are now more than 70 million health and care workers, while health workforce density increased by 52%, from 44.8 per 10,000 people in 2006 to 67.9 in 2025, according to WHO.

But the increase has not been evenly distributed.

The density of medical doctors is 13 times higher in the WHO European Region than in the WHO African Region, while the density of nurses and midwifery personnel is six times higher. Health worker availability also remains closely linked to national income.

“Despite 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,” explained Dr Diallo. “Addressing these inequities is essential to achieving Health for All.”

For countries already facing shortages, the retirement of large numbers of experienced doctors could make the situation more difficult unless replacements are trained and retained in time.

The ageing doctor workforce is unfolding alongside another demographic shift. The number of older people is increasing globally, creating greater demand for healthcare services.

About one in 10 people worldwide was aged 65 or older in 2024. In high-income countries, the proportion was nearly one in five. Globally, the share is projected to reach about one in eight by 2030.

This creates a double challenge. Health systems have to prepare for more older patients while also planning for the retirement of a sizeable section of their medical workforce.

An ageing population is also likely to increase demand for long-term care, management of chronic diseases and multiple health conditions. This means simply maintaining the current doctor-to-population ratio may not be enough.

The WHO findings underline the need for workforce planning that looks beyond the number of doctors being trained each year.

Countries will need to anticipate how many doctors are likely to retire, where they work and which specialities may be most affected. This becomes particularly important in areas where there are already shortages or where specialist services depend on a small number of senior doctors.

Retaining experienced doctors for longer, where they wish and are able to continue working, could also form part of the response. Flexible working arrangements, mentoring roles, teaching positions and part-time clinical work could allow health systems to retain experience even as doctors reduce their clinical workload.

At the same time, younger doctors need opportunities to enter the workforce and progress into senior roles.

This transition will require better workforce data, training capacity and policies that address recruitment, employment and retention rather than treating retirement as an isolated event.

The WHO report notes that more than 90% of member states actively reported health workforce data in 2025. Overall, health workforce data availability has increased nearly 20-fold since the National Health Workforce Accounts initiative was launched in 2017.

For patients, the consequences could be felt through longer waits, reduced access to specialists and greater pressure on existing doctors if vacancies are not filled.

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