Australia's aged care workforce shortage, in numbers

Australia's population is ageing faster than its care workforce is growing. By 2031, nearly 20 per cent of Australians are expected to be aged over 65, up from around 16 per cent today. Behind that statistic sits one of the country's most persistent labour shortages — and one of the clearest opportunities for qualified care workers from overseas.

The scale of the shortage

The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety concluded in its 2021 Final Report, Care, Dignity and Respect, that Australia's aged care workforce was severely understaffed, with widespread vacancies in direct care roles and traditional supply channels — local recruitment and domestic training — unable to meet demand.

The Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) has since put numbers on the gap:

• A shortfall of at least 110,000 direct aged-care workers by 2030 unless urgent action is taken;
• Growing to more than 400,000 workers by 2050 on current trends;
• Australia needs at least 17,000 additional direct care workers every year this decade just to meet basic standards of care.

The fastest-growing job in the country

Jobs and Skills Australia lists Aged and Disabled Carers on the national Occupation Shortage List and projects the role to be Australia's fastest-growing occupation over the coming decade. The National Skills Commission's Care Workforce Labour Market Study projects a gap of 211,430 full-time-equivalent positions across the broader care and support workforce by 2049–50.

Government response

The Australian Government's response includes the Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement (ACILA), introduced in May 2023, which gives aged care employers a dedicated pathway to sponsor overseas workers for direct care roles. We cover how ACILA works — and what it means for you — in this article.