India has around 73 health workers per 10,000 population, according to a global study published in The Lancet Public Health, which estimates that the world needs an additional 34.4 million health workers to achieve moderate levels of universal health coverage. The study found that India has about 10.5 doctors, 10.8 nurses, 8.1 pharmacists and pharmaceutical assistants, and 1.2 midwifery personnel per 10,000 people.

The study found that health workforce shortages are particularly severe in South Asia, which would require an additional 2.6 million doctors and 10 million nurses and midwives to reach the benchmark for moderate universal health coverage. China, by comparison, has an estimated health worker density of around 130 per 10,000 population, including more than 30 doctors and about 45 nurses per 10,000 people.

Despite the shortages, the global health workforce has expanded substantially over the past three decades. According to the study, the number of health workers worldwide nearly tripled from 40.9 million in 1990 to 122.1 million in 2023. Women accounted for 71.4 per cent of the increase and represented 68.9 per cent of the global health workforce in 2023, although they remain underrepresented in several higher-paid professions and leadership positions.

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The study, based on Global Burden of Disease 2023 estimates, provides sex-disaggregated estimates covering 20 categories of health workers across 204 countries and territories between 1990 and 2023. The global workforce in 2023 included 33.2 million nurses, 15.1 million doctors, 7.6 million community health workers, 6.8 million pharmacists and pharmaceutical assistants, and 6.1 million dentists and dental assistants. Women accounted for 80.7 per cent of nurses, 96 per cent of midwives and 89.5 per cent of community health workers.

Researchers estimated that the world needs 23.9 million additional nurses and midwives, 7.1 million doctors, 1.8 million dentists and 1.6 million pharmacists to reach a universal health coverage effective-coverage score of 80 out of 100. The benchmark corresponds to minimum workforce densities of 23.8 doctors and 64.5 nurses and midwives per 10,000 population, along with 5.2 dentists and 5.6 pharmacists.

Sub-Saharan Africa also faces major workforce shortages, with nursing density estimated at 14.5 per 10,000 population compared with 121.8 per 10,000 in high-income countries. Researchers stressed that addressing global gaps will require sustained investment in health worker education, recruitment, retention and working conditions. They also emphasised the need for more equitable opportunities for women in career advancement and leadership as countries strengthen their health systems and work towards universal access to essential healthcare.

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