How many employees work at WHO?

World Health Organization has approximately 35,702 total employees worldwide as of March 2026, according to Revelio Labs workforce intelligence data. WHO’s total headcount has declined 5.5% from 37,774 employees in 2023 to 35,702 in 2026.

Data source: Revelio LabsCoverage: Global workforce, 20232026Published August 2026

Is WHO hiring right now?

Yes, WHO is actively hiring. WHO had 83 active job postings in 2026, a 42.3% increase from 2025 see job openings & hiring trends.

About WHO’s Workforce

World Health Organization is a Healthcare and Wellness Services company that employs 35,702 people worldwide as of March 2026. It is the largest by headcount among its peers. Founded in 1948, the company is headquartered in Geneve, Switzerland.

WHO's workforce has declined 5.5% from 2023 to 2026, down 2.8% year over year in 2026. It fell to a low of 35,702 in 2026 Q1 before recovering. Its workforce is concentrated most in Sub-Saharan Africa (30.1%), followed by South Asia (28.2%) and Western Europe (11.2%).

WHO's functional groups are Finance and Operations (42.6%), Engineering (35.3%), and Sales and Marketing (22.1%). The average salary is $28,645, ranging from a median of $87,000 in North America to $5,000 in South Asia, down 2.2% year over year in 2026.

WHO's active job postings rose 42.3% in 2026 to 83, with new postings per month cooling from 378 in 2023 to 116 in 2026. Overall employee sentiment is neutral but declining.

Sourced from Revelio Labs workforce data.

Headquarters
Geneve, Switzerland
Founded
1948
Industry
Healthcare and Wellness Services
Employees
35,702
YoY
-2.8% (-1,823)

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WHO Annual Employee Count (2023-2026)

Interactive chart of WHO annual worldwide employee count from 2023 to 2026.
  • WHO had 35,702 employees in 2026, a 2.8% decline (-1,823) from 2025.
  • WHO had 35,897 employees in 2025, a 2.8% decline (-1,922) from 2024.
  • WHO had 37,819 employees in 2024, a 1.3% decline (-229) from 2023.
  • WHO had 38,048 employees in 2023, a 0.4% increase (+937) from 2022.

WHO's total workforce has declined from 37,774 employees in 2023 to 35,702 in 2026.

World Health Organization quarterly employee count

YearQtrEmployeesYoY ChangeYoY %
2026Q135,702-1,823-2.8%
2025Q435,897-1,922-2.8%
2025Q336,535-1,728-2.7%
2025Q236,962-1,149-2.2%
2025Q137,525-687-1.8%
2024Q437,819-229-1.3%
2024Q338,263-86-0.8%
2024Q238,111+337-0.2%
2024Q138,212+752+0.4%
2023Q438,048+937+0.4%
2023Q338,349+1,368+1.2%
2023Q237,774+1,310+1.0%

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WHO Employee Count by Region (2026)

Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for the largest share of WHO's global workforce with approximately 30% of total employees, followed by South Asia and Western Europe.

WHO employees by region

RegionEmployees% of Total
Sub-Saharan Africa10,62930.1%
South Asia9,96428.2%
Western Europe3,95811.2%
Southeast Asia2,4186.8%
North America1,7404.9%
North Africa1,6644.7%
Arab States1,3453.8%
Northern Europe9372.7%
Central and Western Asia5751.6%
Eastern Europe4721.3%

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WHO Employee Count by Department (2026)

WHO's employee groups are Finance and Operations (42.6%), Engineering (35.3%), and Sales and Marketing (22.1%).

WHO employees by department

DepartmentEmployees% of Total
Finance and Operations14,81342.6%
Engineering12,28935.3%
Sales and Marketing7,68722.1%

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WHO Employee Salary by Region (2026)

WHO's average employee salary is $28,645 globally. Employees in North America receive the highest compensation, with median pay approximately 3.0x the global average. Pay is lowest in South Asia, at a median of $5,000.

WHO median employee salary by region (USD)

RegionMedian Salary
North America$87,000
Western Europe$85,000
Northern Europe$69,000
East Asia$38,000
Southern Europe$37,000
Pacific Islands$29,000
Eastern Europe$23,000
Arab States$17,000
Central and Western Asia$17,000
Central America and the Caribbean$15,000
South America$14,000
Southeast Asia$11,000
Sub-Saharan Africa$9,000
North Africa$8,000
South Asia$5,000

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WHO Job Openings and Hiring Trends (2023-2026)

Interactive chart of WHO annual active job postings from 2023 to 2026.
  • WHO had 83 active job postings in 2026, a 42.3% increase (+42) from 2025.
  • WHO had 41 active job postings in 2025, a 179.5% decline (-719) from 2024.
  • WHO had 760 active job postings in 2024, a 25.5% decline (-222) from 2023.
  • WHO had 982 active job postings in 2023, a 142.2% increase from 2022.
  • Hiring velocity in 2026: 116 new roles/month, down from 146 in 2025 and 313 in 2024.

WHO's active job postings rose 42.3% in 2026 to 83, with new postings per month cooling from 378 in 2023 to 116 in 2026.

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WHO Employee Sentiment (2026)

Revelio Labs tracks employee sentiment across WHO's workforce based on public professional data. Overall sentiment is neutral and has declined year over year in 2026.

Overall

NegativePositive

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Frequently Asked Questions About WHO

How fast is WHO growing?
In 2026, WHO's headcount shrank 2.8% to 35,702 employees, down from 37,525 in 2025.
See the full headcount history
Where are WHO employees located?
Most WHO employees are based in Sub-Saharan Africa (30.1% of headcount), followed by South Asia and Western Europe.
Explore where the workforce is based
What is the average salary at WHO?
The average employee salary at WHO is approximately $28.6k per year.
Analyze the salary distribution
How many new job postings does WHO open per year?
In Q1 2026, WHO opened 348 new job postings. In 2025, WHO opened 1,747 new job postings — about 146 per month.
Track hiring trends by role
When was WHO founded and where is it headquartered?
WHO was founded in 1948 and is headquartered in Geneve, Switzerland.
Compare WHO to industry peers

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