How many nurses and midwives are available for every 1,000 people? The answer varies dramatically around the world, revealing major differences in the size of national healthcare workforces.
According to the latest available World Bank data, Monaco leads with 20.83 nurses and midwives per 1,000 people, followed by Switzerland at 18.76 and Norway at 16.51. However, these figures come from different reporting years, including 2014 for Monaco.
At the other end of the ranking, some countries report fewer than one nurse or midwife per 1,000 residents. Our analysis covers 193 countries and economies, highlighting the uneven distribution of nursing and midwifery personnel worldwide.
Key Takeaways
- Monaco leads the ranking: Its latest recorded density is 20.83 nurses and midwives per 1,000 people (2014), followed by Switzerland at 18.76 (2022) and Norway at 16.51 (2023).
- A wide workforce gap: Only 21 of the 193 countries and economies report at least 10 nurses and midwives per 1,000 people, while 60 report fewer than two.
- India ranks 143rd: Its latest observation is 1.72 nurses and midwives per 1,000 people (2020), considerably below the densities reported by many higher-ranked countries.
Visualization: The Data Visual. Source: WHO Global Health Workforce Statistics, OECD and country data, via World Bank. Latest available reporting years vary.
Nurses and Midwives per 1,000 People: Global Rankings
European countries feature prominently near the top of the ranking. Monaco, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Ireland occupy the first five positions, with reported densities ranging from 14.78 to 20.83 per 1,000 people.
Finland, Luxembourg, Australia, the United States and Japan complete the top ten. Japan's 12.98 places it just behind the United States at 13.38.
But the differences extend far beyond the leading countries. Across the dataset, 29 countries and economies report fewer than one nurse or midwife per 1,000 people, illustrating how widely workforce availability varies.
Explore the complete ranking below. The searchable table includes each country's reported density and the year of its latest available observation.
Note: Rankings use the latest available observation for each country or economy. Reporting years range from 2014 to 2023, so these figures should not be interpreted as a single-year global comparison.
What the Nursing and Midwifery Data Reveals
1. European Countries Dominate the Upper Rankings
One of the clearest patterns is the strong representation of European countries among those with the highest nursing and midwifery personnel densities.
Switzerland reports 18.76 nurses and midwives per 1,000 people, followed by Norway at 16.51 and Iceland at 15.86. Ireland and Finland also report more than 14 per 1,000.
These figures indicate relatively large recorded nursing and midwifery workforces in relation to population size. They do not, however, establish which country has the best healthcare system or the most accessible care.
The distinction matters because workforce numbers alone cannot tell us how personnel are distributed between hospitals, community services, rural areas and major cities.
2. The Gap Between Countries Is Substantial
The distribution reveals a sharp contrast between countries with relatively high workforce density and those with very limited recorded personnel.
Among the 193 countries and economies included:
- 21 report at least 10 nurses and midwives per 1,000 people.
- 60 report fewer than 2 per 1,000 people.
- 29 report fewer than 1 per 1,000 people.
At the bottom of the compiled ranking, Chad records 0.17 nurses and midwives per 1,000 people (2023), compared with 18.76 in Switzerland (2022).
Such differences illustrate the scale of global workforce disparities, although differences in reporting coverage and definitions can also influence country comparisons.
3. Where Does India Stand?
India ranks 143rd out of 193 countries and economies, with 1.72 nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in its latest available World Bank observation from 2020.
For context, the figure is equivalent to approximately 17.2 nurses and midwives per 10,000 residents. The United States reports 13.38 per 1,000 (2022), while Japan reports 12.98 (2022).
The comparison points to a substantial difference in recorded healthcare workforce density. However, India's 2020 observation should not be presented as its current 2026 staffing level.
It is also important to distinguish national workforce density from actual staffing conditions in individual hospitals or communities. Rural access, workforce distribution and the mix of healthcare professionals can substantially affect patient care.
What Does Nurses and Midwives per 1,000 People Mean?
This indicator measures the number of nursing and midwifery personnel relative to a country's population.
For example, a density of 10 means that a country has approximately 10 nurses and midwives for every 1,000 residents, based on the personnel counted in the source statistics.
According to World Bank metadata, the indicator can include:
- Professional nurses and midwives
- Auxiliary nurses and midwives
- Enrolled nursing and midwifery personnel
- Other related nursing personnel covered by national reporting systems
The measure helps describe healthcare workforce availability, but it does not directly capture care quality, staff workloads, hospital capacity or whether personnel are evenly distributed across the population.
Worth noting: A higher number of nurses and midwives per 1,000 people does not automatically mean better healthcare outcomes. Workforce distribution, training, working conditions and access to services all matter, while national reporting definitions may differ.
Methodology & Data Source
This ranking uses the World Bank's Nurses and midwives (per 1,000 people) indicator (SH.MED.NUMW.P3), based on WHO Global Health Workforce Statistics, OECD and country-level data.
- Source: World Health Organization (WHO), OECD and country data, via World Bank World Development Indicators.
- Coverage: 193 countries and economies with available observations in the compiled dataset.
- Reporting years: 2014–2023, using the latest available observation for each country or economy.
- Recent observations: 148 entries have data from 2022 or 2023; the remaining 45 have earlier observations.
- Ranking method: Countries and economies sorted from highest to lowest reported nursing and midwifery density.
- Unit: Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people, displayed to two decimal places.
The year 2026 refers to the publication edition of this article, not the year in which every country's workforce was measured.
Because countries may differ in which personnel they include and how they collect workforce statistics, comparisons should be interpreted with caution. The indicator describes workforce density, not the overall quality or performance of national healthcare systems.
Official Data: World Bank — Nurses and Midwives (per 1,000 People)
Indicator Definition: World Bank — Indicator Metadata
Data License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0). Attribution required.
Data compiled, ranked and visualized by The Data Visual.
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