It’s not just Austria where health workers are lacking. In 2022 and 2023, fifteen EU countries reported a shortage of nursing staff, and even twenty countries reported a shortage of doctors – and that could worsen the situation in this country, as many nurses continue to come to us from abroad .
The OECD considers the situation of the healthcare professions in Europe to be in crisis, according to the report ‘Health at a Glance: Europe 2024’ published on Monday. Austria is also among the countries with a worrying shortage, even though it has the third highest doctor density in the EU.
Women are still in the majority
Overall, the health and social services sector is a huge employer, with a strong upward trend and 79 percent of the workforce being female. Across the EU, 11 percent of employees worked here in 2022, compared to 8.5 percent in 2002 (Austria: 11.2 percent in 2022, 8.6 percent in 2002). When it comes to doctors, the Union average in 2022 was 4.2 practicing doctors per 1,000 inhabitants (2012: 3.6; 2002: 3.1). Austria scores higher here, with 5.4 doctors per 1,000 in 2022 (2012: 4.9; 2022: 4.0).
Aging as a problem
According to the report, there is a shortage of 1.2 million people across the EU in the health and social sectors, spanning doctors, nurses and midwives. This is driven on the one hand by the aging population, but on the other hand also by the aging of the workforce. A third of doctors (Austria: 34 percent) and a quarter of nurses (Austria: 21 percent) are over 55 years old. According to the OECD report, interest in healthcare jobs has declined in recent years.
More and more healthcare professionals are being recruited from abroad. Between 2019 and 2022 alone, the share of doctors increased by 17 percent and the share of nursing staff increased by as much as 72 percent. In Norway, Ireland and Switzerland, 40 percent of doctors and 50 percent of nurses had completed their training abroad by 2023.
Many come from abroad
In Austria, 7.5 percent of doctors and 13.4 percent of nurses come from abroad. At the same time, Austria is the second strongest source country for foreign doctors in Germany (after Romania) and the fourth strongest country in Switzerland. To improve the labor market situation, the OECD recommends improving working conditions and pay in the short term, but especially a better training situation in the longer term.
When it comes to healthcare spending, Austria scores high in the EU comparison. With 4,745 euros per capita (as of 2022), the country ranks second in the Union, led only by Germany (5,317 euros). The non-EU countries Switzerland and Norway record even higher expenditure. The EU average is 3533 euros. Austria spent 11.2 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on this area, which is also high and third in the EU rankings (EU average: 10.4 percent).
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
