A new report by the Project Management Institute (PMI) has warned that a global shortage of project management professionals could threaten long-term economic growth unless nearly 30 million new project professionals are developed by 2035.
The Global Project Management Talent Gap report highlights the increasing importance of skilled project talent in an era marked by economic uncertainty, disruption, and digital transformation. In a statement released to the media, the report emphasized that project professionals are more essential than ever in helping organizations adapt and thrive.
According to the report, “There are almost 40 million project professionals in the global workforce today. To put this in perspective, the global workforce includes approximately 25 million software developers and around 30 million nurses, underscoring the scale and significance of the project management profession.”
The demand for project talent is especially high in rapidly developing regions such as South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and China. These regions are undergoing significant infrastructure growth, industrial development, and digital transformation—trends that are sharply increasing the need for qualified professionals who can manage and deliver complex initiatives.
Pierre Le Manh, President and CEO of PMI, said, “Our world is in flux: economically, politically, and environmentally. The need for change is everywhere. And change only happens through successful projects. That makes this a defining moment for project professionals.”
According to him, “We don’t just need millions more of them, we need them ready to lead, to deliver, to turn bold ideas into real and sustainable outcomes. The talent gap in our profession isn’t just a workforce issue. It’s a barrier to progress for business and for the future of the world.”
PMI’s projections align with the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025, which lists project management as one of the most important drivers of net employment growth through 2030. Project managers are ranked as the 12th fastest-growing job role globally and are viewed as central to business transformation across regions and industries.
The PMI report estimates that up to 29.8 million additional project professionals will be needed globally by 2035. Key sectors fueling this demand include construction, manufacturing, IT services, and healthcare—industries experiencing demand spikes of up to 66%.
Mature economies like North America and Europe face a different challenge: stagnating supply of project professionals, driven by aging populations and shifting labor force patterns. Meanwhile, the opportunity to close the talent gap globally lies in strategies such as reskilling, upskilling, and expanding career pathways into the profession.
George Asamani, Managing Director, PMI Sub-Saharan Africa, noted the region’s rapidly growing need for project professionals. “Sub-Saharan Africa will require as many as 4.6 million project professionals by 2035, up from 2.6 million today, a nearly 75% increase that translates into a talent shortfall of roughly 2 million. Addressing the gap will demand scaled investment in professional training and deeper collaboration with universities and governments. Expanding access to globally recognised certifications will be essential to ensuring workforce readiness and building execution capacity on the continent.”
In high-growth markets, the report finds, transformation is driven by urgent development needs from new infrastructure to rapid digitalisation. Project professionals are critical to converting these ambitions into real-world outcomes.
In contrast, mature economies must contend with the retirement of experienced project managers and delivery models that lag behind evolving business needs. PMI stresses that organisations investing in future-ready project talent today will be better positioned for competitive advantage tomorrow.
As the report concludes, the future will be built on projects. But with a growing global talent shortfall, those project professionals who go beyond execution to connect projects with strategic value will become indispensable allies to business leaders. These trends and proposed solutions will take center stage at the PMI Global Summit Series Africa, taking place in Kigali, Rwanda, from 19–21 August 2025.
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