OECD – What Do We Know about Young People’s Interest in Health Careers?

Health workforce shortages are a global concern, especially with the aging population. Increasing the training of new health professionals is necessary to address the growing demand for health services. However, the effectiveness of expanding educational capacity relies on the availability of qualified and motivated candidates to fill these positions. Concerns have been raised about the challenging working conditions and low pay in the health sector potentially deterring young people from pursuing careers in healthcare. This technical report examines data on students' interest in health sector jobs from the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment survey and national administrative data on student applications and admissions to health education programs. Findings suggest a decrease in 15-year-old students' interest in health careers in about half of OECD countries and several non-OECD countries between 2018 and 2022.