In total, the health systems of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) employ more than 830,000 doctors and 1.75 million nurses born abroad, says the annual report "International Migration Outlook 2025".

The figures reflect the situation in 2020-2021, the last time health sector figures were compiled, but OECD analysts – who worked with the World Health Organization (WHO) on this aspect of the report – assure that the integration of migrant doctors and nurses has grown significantly in the last two decades, exceeding the overall growth in employment in these professions. “The total number of foreign-born doctors increased by 86% and the number of nurses by 136%,” they state.

The situation is due to a shortage of healthcare professionals in countries with aging populations and an increasing need for medical care, analysts point out in the document on migration.

“In response, many OECD countries have strengthened their capacity to train healthcare personnel, but the international recruitment of doctors and nurses has also continued to increase,” they say.

Largest increases

The largest increases in absolute numbers of migrant healthcare professionals were recorded in the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom, analysts found.

The number of foreign-born doctors has more than tripled in the last two decades in several countries, including Finland, Germany, Luxembourg, Norway, Spain, and Switzerland.

In the case of foreign-born nurses, Finland recorded the largest increase, with an almost eightfold rise, while Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, and Norway also saw the number more than triple.

The report also points out that the majority of migrant healthcare professionals originate from Asia, accounting for approximately 40% of foreign doctors and 37% of foreign nurses working in the OECD.

India, Germany, and China are the main countries of origin for doctors, while the Philippines, India, and Poland are the three main countries of origin for nurses.

“Seven countries of origin have more doctors working in the OECD than in their own countries, and this number rises to 15 countries in the case of nurses,” the document states, explaining that most come from small island states and less developed countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Migration policies

Although migration policies are evolving, mainly due to the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, policy responses still need to be improved, according to OECD analysts.

"Recognition and licensing," which "continue to be major obstacles to the integration of migrant healthcare professionals into the labor market," should be improved, they argue.

The OECD also proposes that the main recipient countries strengthen “the training and improve the retention of health professionals, in order to reduce shortages and poor distribution at the domestic level”.

Created in 1961 to manage Marshall Plan aid after World War II, the OECD currently aims to promote democracy and the market economy and its members include, in addition to Portugal, Germany, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Colombia, South Korea, Costa Rica, Denmark, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, United States, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, Norway, New Zealand, Netherlands, Poland, United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey.