Muscat, April 25 (QNA) - The number of nursing staff in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries recorded an average annual growth rate of 4.6 percent between 2014 and 2024.

Data released by the GCC Statistical Center showed that the total number of nurses reached 413,200 by the end of 2024, reflecting continued expansion in the region's healthcare systems and strengthening of human resource capacities.

The data indicated that the nursing workforce increased by approximately 150,000 over the past decade, underscoring accelerated investment in healthcare human capital to meet rising demand for medical services and improve the quality of care.

Nursing staff accounted for around 30.3 percent of the total healthcare workforce across GCC countries, highlighting their central role in supporting health systems and ensuring the sustainability of medical services.

According to the statistics, 62.4 percent of nurses are employed in government healthcare facilities, reflecting the heavy reliance of GCC health systems on the public sector in delivering both curative and preventive services.

The proportion of GCC nationals in the nursing workforce reached 30.3 percent in 2024, compared to 29.6 percent in 2023, indicating increasing efforts by member states to empower national talent and encourage participation in the nursing profession.

Female nurses accounted for 73.6 percent of the total nursing workforce in GCC countries, in line with global trends where the profession remains predominantly female.

In terms of workforce density, the average number of nurses in GCC countries stood at 67.5 per 10,000 population in 2024, significantly higher than the global average of 37.7 per 10,000.

Globally, data from the World Health Organization shows that the number of nurses reached approximately 29.8 million in 2023, with women representing about 67 percent of the global nursing and midwifery workforce. (QNA)