The number of people in need of care in Germany has risen much more sharply in recent years than the number of people employed in the care sector. It is also taking longer and longer for vacancies in hospitals and nursing homes to be filled, while at the same time unemployment among nurses and care workers is on the rise.

The Federal Ministry of Labour has provided the relevant figures. In 2015, there were a total of almost 2.9 million people in need of care in Germany. By the end of 2023, this figure had almost doubled to 5.6 million. During the same period, the number of employees in nursing and geriatric care rose from around 1.5 million to just 1.85 million.

In October 2024, there were around 34,000 reported vacancies in the care sector. On average, it now takes nine months (269 days) to fill a vacancy in nursing care. Foreign nursing staff can play a crucial role here in counteracting the staff shortage and providing relief for teams.