The global migration of healthcare workers: why English matters more than ever

The latest OECD International Migration Outlook 2025, published in November in collaboration with the WHO, paints a striking picture of just how dependent the world’s healthcare systems have become on migrant professionals. In 2020–21, more than 830,000 foreign-born doctors and 1.75 million foreign-born nurses were working across OECD countries — roughly one quarter and one sixth of each workforce respectively. Between 2000 and 2021, the number of foreign-born doctors in OECD countries rose by 86%, and the number of foreign-born nurses by 136%.

The US, Germany and the UK remain the primary destinations for foreign-born and foreign-trained doctors and nurses, together hosting the majority of migrant health professionals in the OECD. India, Germany and China are the main countries of origin for doctors, while the Philippines, India and Poland are the top three for nurses. English-speaking countries have among the highest shares of foreign-trained doctors, reflecting domestic shortages, particularly in hospitals.

For those of us working in English for Healthcare, these numbers tell a clear story: the demand for high-quality professional language and communication skills education for migrant medical professionals has never been greater. English is the lingua franca of international healthcare — it is the language of medical research, clinical guidelines, and professional journals worldwide. But for migrant nurses and doctors, English is also the language of daily clinical life.

Let’s take a few examples. A Spanish nurse joining a hospital in Ireland needs English to take a patient history, explain a diagnosis, and discuss medication with a confused or anxious patient. An Indian doctor entering a UK GP practice must navigate referral letters, discharge summaries, and multidisciplinary team meetings – all in English. A radiographer from the Philippines working in a Gulf hospital needs to reassure patients and communicate findings to clinical colleagues, often across multiple nationalities.

The OECD’s findings call explicitly for better diploma and skills recognition mechanisms, language training, and integration measures to boost immigrants’ social mobility – recognition that language is not a soft add-on, but a core component of professional integration. While migration cannot solve the challenges posed by ageing populations, it can play a vital role in mitigating their impact – but only if migrant professionals can communicate safely and effectively from day one.