Germany Faces Critical Shortage of Skilled Foreign Care Workers Amid Rising Demographic Challenges
Germany's dependence on foreign care workers faces growing challenges as both Germany and source countries grapple with aging populations, risking a severe shortage of skilled care professionals by 2050.
- • Germany employs 1.7 million care workers, with 20% foreign-born, mainly from Eastern Europe.
- • Source countries like Bulgaria and Ukraine also face aging populations, intensifying care needs locally.
- • Migration of care workers has created shortages in the Balkans, traditionally supported by family care.
- • Germany may experience a shortage of 600,000 care workers by mid-century without increased immigration.
Key details
Germany relies heavily on foreign skilled workers in the care sector, with around 1.7 million people employed in care professions and approximately 20% being foreign workers mainly from Ukraine, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia, Romania, and Bulgaria. This dependency is increasingly problematic as these source countries face their own demographic challenges. According to Ulf Brunnbauer, a researcher at the Leibniz Institute for East and Southeast European Studies, the rapid aging in these countries creates a rising care need there as well, meaning that Germany's recruitment of care workers essentially shifts the care deficit elsewhere.
Brunnbauer’s research highlights that the strong outflow of care workers has led to shortages in the Balkans, where traditionally family members cared for elderly relatives, but many young people now migrate abroad. Bulgaria has seen its population decline from nine million to 6.8 million and is expected to fall below six million by 2050, leading to social anxieties. Furthermore, right-wing populists in these regions exploit fears surrounding aging and migration by promoting nationalist rhetoric and framing immigration as a threat.
Within Germany, the shortage of skilled care workers exacerbates social problems, especially in eastern regions where the proportion of foreign care workers is notably lower. This heightens citizens' frustrations as they perceive insufficient state support for dignified elderly care. Brunnbauer argues for a change in the migration discourse, which currently focuses on irregular migration, despite much care-related immigration occurring via regulated channels.
Without effective policy measures, Germany risks a shortfall of up to 600,000 care workers by mid-century. Addressing this gap will require making Germany more attractive to foreign care professionals amid intensifying global competition for these workers. This situation illustrates Germany’s demographic challenge and the interconnected care crises across Europe arising from population aging and migration dynamics.