HEALTH WORKFORCE MOBILITY IN POST-2004 EU ACCESSION COUNTRIES: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF PHYSICIANS AND NURSES WORKING ABROAD
Author(s)
Attila Dénes Orbán, MSc1, Zsuzsanna Kívés, MSc, PhD2, Árpád Antal, MSc1, Gyula Jozsef Nagy, MSc1, Kinga Szentendrey, MD1, András Attila Mezei, MSc1, István Ágoston, JD, PhD2, Imre Boncz, MSc, PhD, MD2.
1Doctoral School of Health Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary, 2Institute for Health Insurance, University of Pécs, Faculty of Health Sciences, Pécs, Hungary.
1Doctoral School of Health Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary, 2Institute for Health Insurance, University of Pécs, Faculty of Health Sciences, Pécs, Hungary.
OBJECTIVES: This study examined how the stock of physicians and nurses trained in post-2004 EU Member States but working abroad changed between 2004 and 2023, and how patterns differed by sending country, destination country, professional group and relative weight within the domestic workforce.
METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study and performed descriptive statistical analysis using OECD Health Statistics data, including Health Workforce Migration dataset (HEALTH_WFMI) for foreign-trained doctors and nurses, and OECD Annual National Accounts data, covering 11 countries for 2004-2023. We analyzed physician and nurse stocks relative to the workforces of sending and receiving countries, the largest sending countries and destination corridors, the effective number of destination countries, defined as the inverse of the sum of squared destination shares (1/∑s²), the foreign stock relative to the domestic practicing workforce, and the estimated training expenditure attached to workers abroad.
RESULTS: Between 2004 and 2023, the health workforce employed abroad rose from 17,542 to 113,237, while physicians increased by 436.9% and nurses by 723.0%; Romania recorded the largest absolute growth (+19,310 physicians; +20,691 nurses). In 2023, the largest physician corridor was Romania-France (5,283), and the main nurse corridors were Poland-Germany (12,000) and Romania-Italy (11,724). Physician destination structures became broader: in 2023 Estonia had the highest effective diversification value (7.66), whereas nurse mobility remained more concentrated in several countries. In Romania, physicians abroad corresponded to 33.0% of the domestic physician workforce and nurses to 15.3%, with estimated training expenditure of USD 4,049.2 million.
CONCLUSIONS: Health workforce emigration from post-2004 EU Member States varies by country, professional group and destination structure. Romania is especially affected, but differing country profiles indicate that policies on retention, training and international recruitment cannot be framed as one uniform response.
METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study and performed descriptive statistical analysis using OECD Health Statistics data, including Health Workforce Migration dataset (HEALTH_WFMI) for foreign-trained doctors and nurses, and OECD Annual National Accounts data, covering 11 countries for 2004-2023. We analyzed physician and nurse stocks relative to the workforces of sending and receiving countries, the largest sending countries and destination corridors, the effective number of destination countries, defined as the inverse of the sum of squared destination shares (1/∑s²), the foreign stock relative to the domestic practicing workforce, and the estimated training expenditure attached to workers abroad.
RESULTS: Between 2004 and 2023, the health workforce employed abroad rose from 17,542 to 113,237, while physicians increased by 436.9% and nurses by 723.0%; Romania recorded the largest absolute growth (+19,310 physicians; +20,691 nurses). In 2023, the largest physician corridor was Romania-France (5,283), and the main nurse corridors were Poland-Germany (12,000) and Romania-Italy (11,724). Physician destination structures became broader: in 2023 Estonia had the highest effective diversification value (7.66), whereas nurse mobility remained more concentrated in several countries. In Romania, physicians abroad corresponded to 33.0% of the domestic physician workforce and nurses to 15.3%, with estimated training expenditure of USD 4,049.2 million.
CONCLUSIONS: Health workforce emigration from post-2004 EU Member States varies by country, professional group and destination structure. Romania is especially affected, but differing country profiles indicate that policies on retention, training and international recruitment cannot be framed as one uniform response.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2026-11, ISPOR Europe 2026, Vienna, Austria
Value in Health, Volume 29, Issue 12S
Code
EPH107
Topic
Epidemiology & Public Health, Health Policy & Regulatory
Topic Subcategory
Public Health
Disease
No Additional Disease & Conditions/Specialized Treatment Areas