Global Nursing Numbers
Did you ever wonder how many nurses there are in the world? Well, there are 19.3 million nurses and midwives according to the World Health Organization's World Health Statistics Report, 2011. Global numbers and nurses in English speaking countries are presented in the tables below. [The numbers in ( ) show percent changes from 2009, and actual N per population in the 2009 report].
|
Region |
Number of Nurses |
N per 10,000 Population |
| Africa |
805,000 (+1.6%) |
11 (11) |
| Americas |
5,259,000 (+28.4%) |
61 (49) |
| South-East Asia |
2,224,000 (+13.7%) |
13 (12) |
| Europe |
6,620,000 (-0.6%) |
75 (79) |
| Eastern Mediterranean |
870,000 (+18.4%) |
15 (15) |
| Western Pacific |
3,600,000 (+5.4%) |
20 (20) |
| Total |
19,380,000 (+9.8%) |
30 (28) |
Numbers of nurses in English speaking countries:
|
Country |
Number of Nurses |
N per 10,000 Population |
| Australia |
201,000 (+6.9%) |
96 (97) |
| Canada |
350,000 (-1.8%) |
101 (101) |
| India |
1,431,000 (+4.3%) |
13 (13) |
| New Zealand |
44,000 (+33.3%) |
108 (89) |
| Philippines |
488,000 (+1.4%) |
60 (61) |
| South Africa |
184,000 (0%) |
41 (41) |
| United Kingdom |
621,000 (-16.1%) |
103 (128) |
| United States of America |
2,927,000 (+9.6%) |
98 (94) |
| Total |
6,223,000 (+13.7%) |
The number of nurses in each country can vary somewhat due to different dates and definitions used. Here are some more recent statistics on nurses in Canada and the United States:
Canada (2013, Canadian Institute for Health Information)
- 296,000 RNs (Registered Nurses)
- 106,400 LPNs (Licensed Practical Nurses)
- 5,600 RPNs (Registered Psychiatric Nurses)
United States (2012, US Bureau of Labour Statistics)
- 2.71 million RNs
- 738,400 LPNs / LVNs
- 1.53 million nursing assistants and orderlies
For more information on the numbers of nurses in various countries, view the World Health Organization's World Health Statistics, 2013.