From Kerala to Canada: India’s Nurses Are Healing the World

India’s nursing workforce is powering a quiet revolution in global healthcare, with professionals from Kerala at the forefront of international recruitment. As vacancies surge across North America, Europe, and Asia, trained Indian nurses are becoming indispensable to hospitals, elder care homes, and primary clinics worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, the global nurse deficit stood at 5.8 million in 2023 and is expected to decline only slightly to 4.1 million by 2030—a gap that high-income countries are struggling to fill amid ageing populations and insufficient domestic training.

Kerala remains the top contributor to this outflow, accounting for over 57 percent of India’s internationally migrating nurses. The state’s advanced nursing colleges and established emigration networks have entrenched its legacy as the nation’s “nursing capital,” consistently producing professionals who are widely recognized for their skill, empathy, and adaptability. Other states—Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Punjab—together contribute about 30 percent of outbound nurses, each with distinct migration preferences.

“As countries like Germany face mounting demand for nurses and caregivers due to demographic shifts and policy changes, it is the United States that stands out as the primary destination for qualified Indian nursing talent,” said Lalit Pattanaik, CEO of Global Nurse Force. “At Global Nurse Force, we are proud to hold exclusive partnerships with leading hospital networks across the U.S. that enable us to ethically connect highly trained Indian nurses with advanced clinical environments all over the world”.

Germany’s projected 50 percent increase in nurse deployments by 2030 is driven by ageing demographics and structured training partnerships. “Together, these trends reflect a global rebalancing—where countries in need of care and countries rich in talent are coming together to build sustainable healthcare futures,” Pattanaik added.

India is scaling its training infrastructure rapidly, producing over 300,000 new nursing graduates every year. This growth is supported by sweeping reforms in professional standards, curriculum, and an expanding network of training institutes. According to the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, India could supply up to a third of the world’s nursing workforce by 2030.

Despite this global success, India faces internal challenges. The nurse-to-population ratio remains below WHO thresholds, and rural areas continue to be underserved. Many nurses migrate due to low wages, limited leadership roles, and poor working conditions at home. Experts call for urgent reforms: expanding nursing colleges, appointing Chief Nursing Officers at state and national levels, improving retention through better pay and safety, and incentivizing rural deployment.

“Korn Ferry’s 2030 outlook presents an extraordinary opportunity for India. While the world is projected to face an 18 million shortfall in healthcare professionals—including doctors, nurses, caregivers, and allied specialists—India is uniquely positioned as the only country forecast to have a surplus of talent. This advantage is not coincidental; it is the result of a robust training ecosystem and the strategic harnessing of our demographic dividend, which is already being channelled into global healthcare through structured skilling and international mobility pathways. India is no longer just preparing to lead—we are already enabling the world’s care economy, fully aligned with our Prime Minister’s vision of making India the skill capital of the world,” said Paramananda Santra, International Healthcare Mobility Expert and Chief Business Officer at Global Nurse Force.

Destination countries are expanding rapidly and diversifying. The United Kingdom and Ireland remain top choices, buoyed by inclusive environments and fast-track licensing. The U.S. is climbing quickly, luring talent with advanced clinical roles and lucrative pay packages. GCC nations offer tax-free earnings and rapid hospital growth, while Japan and Germany—both facing demographic decline—are emerging as long-term destinations. OECD forecasts estimate a 50 percent growth in Indian nurse deployments to Canada and Germany by 2030.

“Regional migration patterns in India’s nursing community are becoming ever more distinct. Nurses from the Northeast increasingly look to Singapore and Japan for their advanced training frameworks and structured career pathways. Those from Kerala continue to serve predominantly in the UK, the GCC and the United States, drawn by long-established recruitment channels. Maharashtra’s workforce shows a strong preference for the US market, while Canada remains the favoured destination for Punjab’s nursing professionals, thanks to its transparent licensure processes and inclusive practice environments,” added Santra.

From Kochi to Calgary, Indian nurses are not just filling vacancies—they’re leading a transformation in how care is delivered and sustained. Kerala’s legacy, backed by national ambition, is helping India become the skill capital of the global care economy.