Nairobi — The world will need nearly 30 million new project professionals by 2035 to meet rising global demand, according to the latest Global Project Management Talent Gap Report by the Project Management Institute (PMI).

The report warns that without a robust pipeline of skilled talent, economic growth and major infrastructure, digital, and industrial projects could stall -- especially in fast-growing regions like South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and China.

"There is no progress without projects -- and no projects without project professionals," said PMI President and CEO Pierre Le Manh.

"This is not just a talent gap; it's a barrier to global progress."

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Today, there are nearly 40 million project professionals worldwide -- a workforce that rivals the number of nurses and software developers -- yet demand is surging. Sub-Saharan Africa alone will need up to 4.6 million project professionals by 2035, up from 2.6 million today.

"This represents a nearly 75% increase, creating a shortfall of 2 million professionals," said George Asamani, PMI's Managing Director for Sub-Saharan Africa. "Investing in training, certifications, and academic partnerships is critical for meeting this demand."

Key findings include global demand for project professionals to rise by 29.8 million by 2035, among others.

The PMI report echoes the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report, which ranks project management as the 12th fastest-growing job globally.

These challenges and strategies will be central to discussions at the PMI Global Summit Series Africa in Kigali, Rwanda, from August 19-21, 2025.