How many nurses and midwives work in a country — usually three times as many as physicians.
The ranking uses the latest available value for each country — the year is shown in the row. The table spans 2014 to 2024.
Top-20 · people
The scale does not start at zero — the values lie in a narrow range, and starting from zero the bars would be indistinguishable. The axis ticks are labeled.
| # | Year | Subregion | World rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
China
|
5.64M | 2023 | 1 | |
| 2 |
United States
|
4.28M | 2024 | 2 | |
| 3 |
India
|
3.94M | 2024 | 3 | |
| 4 |
Japan
|
1.56M | 2022 | 4 | |
| 5 |
Brazil
|
1.24M | 2024 | 5 | |
| 6 |
Germany
|
1.05M | 2023 | 6 | |
| 7 |
Russia
|
1.02M | 2022 | 7 | |
| 8 |
Indonesia
|
935,412 | 2024 | 8 | |
| 9 |
United Kingdom
|
656,571 | 2023 | 9 | |
| 10 |
France
|
622,631 | 2021 | 10 | |
| 11 |
Philippines
|
612,422 | 2024 | 11 | |
| 12 |
South Korea
|
506,970 | 2024 | 12 | |
| 13 |
Canada
|
461,742 | 2024 | 13 | |
| 14 |
Italy
|
422,156 | 2023 | 14 | |
| 15 |
Mexico
|
395,422 | 2023 | 15 | |
| 16 |
Australia
|
385,504 | 2024 | 16 | |
| 17 |
Uzbekistan
|
381,562 | 2023 | 17 | |
| 18 |
Türkiye
|
308,037 | 2023 | 18 | |
| 19 |
Spain
|
298,065 | 2023 | 19 | |
| 20 |
Argentina
|
295,393 | 2023 | 20 | |
| 21 |
Nigeria
|
267,951 | 2024 | 21 | |
| 22 |
South Africa
|
265,877 | 2024 | 22 | |
| 23 |
Iran
|
260,567 | 2023 | 23 | |
| 24 |
Thailand
|
256,119 | 2023 | 24 | |
| 25 |
Poland
|
244,613 | 2023 | 25 | |
| 26 |
Ukraine
|
229,368 | 2023 | 26 | |
| 27 |
Saudi Arabia
|
218,107 | 2023 | 27 | |
| 28 |
Egypt
|
216,306 | 2021 | 28 | |
| 29 |
Netherlands
|
203,188 | 2023 | 29 | |
| 30 |
Switzerland
|
170,282 | 2023 | 30 | |
| 31 |
Romania
|
159,339 | 2023 | 31 | |
| 32 |
Ghana
|
143,646 | 2024 | 32 | |
| 33 |
Malaysia
|
143,307 | 2024 | 33 | |
| 34 |
Ethiopia
|
143,270 | 2024 | 34 | |
| 35 |
Belgium
|
143,101 | 2022 | 35 | |
| 36 |
Vietnam
|
136,902 | 2017 | 36 | |
| 37 |
Kazakhstan
|
136,011 | 2024 | 37 | |
| 38 |
Pakistan
|
131,448 | 2024 | 38 | |
| 39 |
Nepal
|
123,417 | 2024 | 39 | |
| 40 |
Sweden
|
123,127 | 2022 | 40 | |
| 41 |
Democratic Republic of the Congo
|
119,608 | 2022 | 41 | |
| 42 |
North Korea
|
117,830 | 2024 | 42 | |
| 43 |
Uganda
|
116,383 | 2024 | 43 | |
| 44 |
Iraq
|
115,891 | 2023 | 44 | |
| 45 |
Algeria
|
114,055 | 2022 | 45 | |
| 46 |
Bangladesh
|
113,814 | 2023 | 46 | |
| 47 |
Czechia
|
101,866 | 2023 | 47 | |
| 48 |
Austria
|
99,860 | 2023 | 48 | |
| 49 |
Belarus
|
97,407 | 2024 | 49 | |
| 50 |
Chile
|
93,214 | 2024 | 50 | |
| 51 |
Peru
|
92,651 | 2023 | 51 | |
| 52 |
Norway
|
88,530 | 2023 | 52 | |
| 53 |
Portugal
|
83,538 | 2023 | 53 | |
| 54 |
Colombia
|
83,171 | 2024 | 54 | |
| 55 |
Ireland
|
80,947 | 2024 | 55 | |
| 56 |
Cuba
|
79,569 | 2022 | 56 | |
| 57 |
Finland
|
72,926 | 2023 | 57 | |
| 58 |
New Zealand
|
68,428 | 2024 | 58 | |
| 59 |
Kenya
|
68,386 | 2024 | 59 | |
| 60 |
Tajikistan
|
67,040 | 2023 | 60 | |
| 61 |
United Arab Emirates
|
65,510 | 2023 | 61 | |
| 62 |
Denmark
|
65,011 | 2023 | 62 | |
| 63 |
Paraguay
|
63,607 | 2022 | 63 | |
| 64 |
Venezuela
|
59,690 | 2018 | 64 | |
| 65 |
Israel
|
58,335 | 2024 | 65 | |
| 66 |
Azerbaijan
|
57,425 | 2022 | 66 | |
| 67 |
Hungary
|
55,428 | 2023 | 67 | |
| 68 |
Angola
|
52,651 | 2024 | 68 | |
| 69 |
Sri Lanka
|
51,861 | 2023 | 69 | |
| 70 |
Sudan
|
47,882 | 2018 | 70 | |
| 71 |
Serbia
|
47,516 | 2023 | 71 | |
| 72 |
Ecuador
|
46,138 | 2020 | 72 | |
| 73 |
Libya
|
42,975 | 2017 | 73 | |
| 74 |
Greece
|
42,278 | 2023 | 74 | |
| 75 |
Guatemala
|
41,201 | 2023 | 75 | |
| 76 |
Singapore
|
41,045 | 2023 | 76 | |
| 77 |
Jordan
|
38,609 | 2024 | 77 | |
| 78 |
Zambia
|
35,645 | 2024 | 78 | |
| 79 |
Slovakia
|
32,956 | 2023 | 79 | |
| 80 |
Syria
|
32,221 | 2022 | 80 | |
| 81 |
Bulgaria
|
31,823 | 2023 | 81 | |
| 82 |
Côte d'Ivoire
|
31,723 | 2024 | 82 | |
| 83 |
Croatia
|
31,345 | 2023 | 83 | |
| 84 |
Kuwait
|
30,795 | 2022 | 84 | |
| 85 |
Kyrgyzstan
|
28,933 | 2024 | 85 | |
| 86 |
Morocco
|
27,406 | 2024 | 86 | |
| 87 |
Mozambique
|
26,398 | 2024 | 87 | |
| 88 |
Qatar
|
26,238 | 2024 | 88 | |
| 89 |
Turkmenistan
|
26,022 | 2024 | 89 | |
| 90 |
Uruguay
|
25,835 | 2023 | 90 | |
| 91 |
Zimbabwe
|
24,362 | 2024 | 91 | |
| 92 |
Oman
|
24,231 | 2024 | 92 | |
| 93 |
Tunisia
|
23,371 | 2023 | 93 | |
| 94 |
Afghanistan
|
22,771 | 2023 | 94 | |
| 95 |
Slovenia
|
22,629 | 2023 | 95 | |
| 96 |
Lithuania
|
22,233 | 2023 | 96 | |
| 97 |
Georgia
|
21,656 | 2024 | 97 | |
| 98 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina
|
21,560 | 2022 | 98 | |
| 99 |
Yemen
|
21,310 | 2023 | 99 | |
| 100 |
Dominican Republic
|
20,084 | 2024 | 100 | |
| 101 |
Burkina Faso
|
19,395 | 2024 | 101 | |
| 102 |
Bolivia
|
19,391 | 2021 | 102 | |
| 103 |
Moldova
|
19,374 | 2023 | 103 | |
| 104 |
Rwanda
|
18,218 | 2024 | 104 | |
| 105 |
Cameroon
|
18,208 | 2022 | 105 | |
| 106 |
Tanzania
|
17,820 | 2024 | 106 | |
| 107 |
Albania
|
16,717 | 2020 | 107 | |
| 108 |
Cambodia
|
16,611 | 2019 | 108 | |
| 109 |
Mongolia
|
16,321 | 2024 | 109 | |
| 110 |
Costa Rica
|
15,606 | 2022 | 110 | |
| 111 |
Panama
|
14,722 | 2022 | 111 | |
| 112 |
El Salvador
|
13,686 | 2022 | 112 | |
| 113 |
Armenia
|
13,675 | 2022 | 113 | |
| 114 |
Malawi
|
12,526 | 2024 | 114 | |
| 115 |
Namibia
|
11,510 | 2024 | 115 | |
| 116 |
Lebanon
|
11,477 | 2018 | 116 | |
| 117 |
Nicaragua
|
11,424 | 2022 | 117 | |
| 118 |
Myanmar
|
11,000 | 2022 | 118 | |
| 119 |
Niger
|
11,000 | 2023 | 118 | |
| 120 |
Burundi
|
10,873 | 2023 | 120 | |
| 121 |
Laos
|
10,601 | 2024 | 121 | |
| 122 |
North Macedonia
|
10,149 | 2022 | 122 | |
| 123 |
Sierra Leone
|
9,627 | 2022 | 123 | |
| 124 |
Estonia
|
9,626 | 2023 | 124 | |
| 125 |
Luxembourg
|
9,126 | 2023 | 125 | |
| 126 |
Benin
|
8,848 | 2024 | 126 | |
| 127 |
Papua New Guinea
|
8,584 | 2024 | 127 | |
| 128 |
Madagascar
|
8,574 | 2024 | 128 | |
| 129 |
Republic of the Congo
|
8,456 | 2024 | 129 | |
| 130 |
Mali
|
8,436 | 2024 | 130 | |
| 131 |
South Sudan
|
8,435 | 2024 | 131 | |
| 132 |
Haiti
|
8,421 | 2022 | 132 | |
| 133 |
Latvia
|
8,211 | 2023 | 133 | |
| 134 |
Senegal
|
7,988 | 2024 | 134 | |
| 135 |
Lesotho
|
7,944 | 2024 | 135 | |
| 136 |
Mauritania
|
7,844 | 2022 | 136 | |
| 137 |
Honduras
|
7,825 | 2023 | 137 | |
| 138 |
Botswana
|
7,620 | 2024 | 138 | |
| 139 |
Chad
|
7,346 | 2024 | 139 | |
| 140 |
Iceland
|
6,327 | 2024 | 140 | |
| 141 |
Trinidad and Tobago
|
6,174 | 2023 | 141 | |
| 142 |
Somalia
|
5,997 | 2024 | 142 | |
| 143 |
Jamaica
|
5,948 | 2024 | 143 | |
| 144 |
Gabon
|
5,760 | 2022 | 144 | |
| 145 |
Cyprus
|
5,359 | 2023 | 145 | |
| 146 |
Eritrea
|
5,261 | 2023 | 146 | |
| 147 |
Eswatini
|
5,242 | 2023 | 147 | |
| 148 |
Liberia
|
4,685 | 2024 | 148 | |
| 149 |
Mauritius
|
4,459 | 2023 | 149 | |
| 150 |
Malta
|
4,401 | 2023 | 150 | |
| 151 |
Guyana
|
4,025 | 2024 | 151 | |
| 152 |
Bahrain
|
3,927 | 2020 | 152 | |
| 153 |
Togo
|
3,885 | 2024 | 153 | |
| 154 |
Montenegro
|
3,810 | 2024 | 154 | |
| 155 |
Maldives
|
3,078 | 2021 | 155 | |
| 156 |
Brunei Darussalam
|
3,005 | 2024 | 156 | |
| 157 |
Guinea
|
2,933 | 2024 | 157 | |
| 158 |
Equatorial Guinea
|
2,479 | 2022 | 158 | |
| 159 |
Central African Republic
|
2,331 | 2024 | 159 | |
| 160 |
Timor-Leste
|
2,100 | 2023 | 160 | |
| 161 |
Guinea-Bissau
|
2,038 | 2024 | 161 | |
| 162 |
Fiji
|
1,968 | 2023 | 162 | |
| 163 |
Gambia
|
1,774 | 2023 | 163 | |
| 164 |
Solomon Islands
|
1,745 | 2024 | 164 | |
| 165 |
Bahamas
|
1,687 | 2023 | 165 | |
| 166 |
Bhutan
|
1,602 | 2022 | 166 | |
| 167 |
Comoros
|
1,371 | 2022 | 167 | |
| 168 |
Barbados
|
1,168 | 2023 | 168 | |
| 169 |
Suriname
|
1,167 | 2024 | 169 | |
| 170 |
Saint Lucia
|
958 | 2023 | 170 | |
| 171 |
Cabo Verde
|
939 | 2023 | 171 | |
| 172 |
Belize
|
847 | 2023 | 172 | |
| 173 |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
|
812 | 2023 | 173 | |
| 174 |
Seychelles
|
808 | 2024 | 174 | |
| 175 |
Monaco
|
752 | 2014 | 175 | |
| 176 |
Samoa
|
648 | 2020 | 176 | |
| 177 |
Grenada
|
536 | 2023 | 177 | |
| 178 |
Kiribati
|
517 | 2023 | 178 | |
| 179 |
Sao Tome and Principe
|
490 | 2022 | 179 | |
| 180 |
Antigua and Barbuda
|
476 | 2024 | 180 | |
| 181 |
Dominica
|
461 | 2018 | 181 | |
| 182 |
Tonga
|
443 | 2021 | 182 | |
| 183 |
Vanuatu
|
426 | 2019 | 183 | |
| 184 |
Andorra
|
405 | 2024 | 184 | |
| 185 |
San Marino
|
326 | 2024 | 185 | |
| 186 |
Saint Kitts and Nevis
|
308 | 2023 | 186 | |
| 187 |
Micronesia
|
245 | 2019 | 187 | |
| 188 |
Djibouti
|
221 | 2022 | 188 | |
| 189 |
Marshall Islands
|
199 | 2021 | 189 | |
| 190 |
Cook Islands
|
134 | 2024 | 190 | |
| 191 |
Palau
|
117 | 2023 | 191 | |
| 192 |
Nauru
|
84 | 2018 | 192 | |
| 193 |
Tuvalu
|
40 | 2024 | 193 | |
| 194 |
Niue
|
15 | 2024 | 194 |
The number of nursing and midwifery personnel, from WHO. This category is almost always the largest in a health system — worldwide there are on average about three times as many nurses as physicians, and in countries with developed primary care the gap is wider still.
Important: The ratio of nurses to physicians speaks of the structure of a system: a low value usually means that physicians are doing the work of nursing care, and that is a sign of a staffing shortage rather than of an abundance of doctors.
How many nurses and midwives there are per 1,000 people.
Healthcare 1971–2024 Physicians, totalHow many physicians work in a country — in absolute numbers, from 1971 onward.
Healthcare 1960–2023 Physicians per 1,000 peopleThe number of physicians per 1,000 people.
Healthcare 1960–2023 Hospital beds per 1,000 peopleThe number of hospital beds per 1,000 people — the capacity of inpatient care.