Nurses and midwives, total — all countries

Nurses and midwives, total — Southern Europe

Nurses and midwives, total in Southern Europe in 2023 — 956,480 people. Since 2002, the indicator has risen by 44%.

2023 956,480 people −3.06% vs 2022
World rank
Period maximum 986,700 people2022
Period minimum 664,449 people2002

Trend over time

2002–2023 · people

Nurses and midwives, total — Southern Europe, 2002–2023600,000700,000800,000900,0001M200220052008201120142017202020232002: 664,449 people2003: 705,494 people2004: 707,693 people2005: 712,373 people2006: 735,036 people2007: 760,886 people2008: 770,448 people2009: 797,169 people2010: 812,687 people2011: 821,438 people2012: 818,797 people2013: 812,690 people2014: 816,009 people2015: 832,794 people2016: 868,551 people2017: 886,929 people2018: 894,226 people2019: 891,512 people2020: 958,370 people2021: 978,204 people2022: 986,700 people2023: 956,480 people
Change over the period: +292,031 (+43.95%) Average annual rate: 1.75 %
Nurses and midwives, total — Southern Europe, by year Southern Europe All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2023 956,480 −30,220 −3.06%
2022 986,700 +8,496 +0.87%
2021 978,204 +19,834 +2.07%
2020 958,370 +66,858 +7.5%
2019 891,512 −2,714 −0.3%
2018 894,226 +7,297 +0.82%
2017 886,929 +18,378 +2.12%
2016 868,551 +35,757 +4.29%
2015 832,794 +16,785 +2.06%
2014 816,009 +3,319 +0.41%
2013 812,690 −6,107 −0.75%
2012 818,797 −2,641 −0.32%
2011 821,438 +8,751 +1.08%
2010 812,687 +15,518 +1.95%
2009 797,169 +26,721 +3.47%
2008 770,448 +9,562 +1.26%
2007 760,886 +25,850 +3.52%
2006 735,036 +22,663 +3.18%
2005 712,373 +4,680 +0.66%
2004 707,693 +2,199 +0.31%
2003 705,494 +41,045 +6.18%
2002 664,449

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.