Nurses and midwives, total — all countries

Nurses and midwives, total — Southern Africa

Nurses and midwives, total in Southern Africa in 2024 — 292,951 people. Since 2000, the indicator has risen by 631.2%.

2024 292,951 people −0.1% vs 2023
World rank
Period maximum 310,233 people2018
Period minimum 39,148 people2003

Trend over time

2000–2024 · people

Nurses and midwives, total — Southern Africa, 2000–20240100,000200,000300,000400,0002000200320062009201220152018202120242000: 40,063 people2003: 39,148 people2004: 52,992 people2007: 52,097 people2010: 59,514 people2013: 71,633 people2014: 74,950 people2015: 286,958 people2016: 306,646 people2017: 296,363 people2018: 310,233 people2019: 298,508 people2020: 294,447 people2021: 291,473 people2022: 301,503 people2023: 293,248 people2024: 292,951 people
Change over the period: +252,888 (+631.23%) Average annual rate: 8.64 %
Nurses and midwives, total — Southern Africa, by year Southern Africa All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2024 292,951 −297 −0.1%
2023 293,248 −8,255 −2.74%
2022 301,503 +10,030 +3.44%
2021 291,473 −2,974 −1.01%
2020 294,447 −4,061 −1.36%
2019 298,508 −11,725 −3.78%
2018 310,233 +13,870 +4.68%
2017 296,363 −10,283 −3.35%
2016 306,646 +19,688 +6.86%
2015 286,958 +212,008 +282.87%
2014 74,950 +3,317 +4.63%
2013 71,633
2010 59,514
2007 52,097
2004 52,992 +13,844 +35.36%
2003 39,148
2000 40,063

About the indicator

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.

Source: Global Health Observatory (WHO), license CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.