Abu dhabi: The number of nursing staff in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries recorded an average annual growth rate of 4.6% during the period from 2014 to 2024. The latest data released by the GCC Statistical Centre indicated that the total number of nursing personnel reached about 413,200 nurses by the end of 2024, reflecting the continued expansion of the healthcare system and the strengthening of its human capacities across the region.
According to Emirates News Agency, the data also showed that the number of nursing staff increased by about 150,000 nurses over the past decade, reflecting the accelerated investment in healthcare human resources to keep pace with the growing demand for healthcare services and to improve the quality of care provided to the community. Nursing personnel constituted about 30.3% of the total healthcare workforce in GCC countries, underscoring the pivotal role played by this group in supporting healthcare systems and enhancing the sustainability of medical care services.
The data further indicated that 62.4% of nursing staff work in government healthcare facilities, reflecting the strong reliance of GCC healthcare systems on the public sector in providing therapeutic and preventive services. The share of GCC national nurses reached 30.3% in 2024, compared to 29.6% in 2023, reflecting the increasing efforts by GCC countries to empower national talent, encourage engagement in the nursing profession, and strengthen its role in developing the healthcare sector.
Statistics also showed that females represent 73.6% of the total workforce in the nursing profession across GCC countries, which aligns with the global nature of the profession where women constitute the majority. In terms of the density of nursing staff relative to population size, the average number of nurses in GCC countries reached 67.5 nurses per 10,000 people in 2024, a rate that exceeds the global average of 37.7 nurses per 10,000 people.
Globally, data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) indicated that the number of nurses worldwide reached about 29.8 million nurses in 2023, while women represent about 67% of the workforce in the fields of nursing and midwifery globally. These indicators highlight the vital role played by nursing staff in supporting healthcare systems, as they form the backbone of health services through their contribution to providing direct patient care and strengthening prevention and health awareness programs, thereby supporting GCC countries' efforts to develop their healthcare systems and achieve higher levels of medical care quality.
