Nurses and midwives in India

India: Nurses and midwives was 1.72 per 1,000 people in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
1.72 per 1,000 people
Change on year
up 1.2%
World rank
141st
of 188 countries
All-time high
2.13 per 1,000 people
in 2017
All-time low
0.379 per 1,000 people
in 1991
Years of data
21
1991–2020

Nurses and midwives in India, 1991–2020

0.511.521991200520201991: 0.379 per 1,000 people1999: 0.71 per 1,000 people2000: 0.734 per 1,000 people2001: 0.748 per 1,000 people2003: 0.752 per 1,000 people2004: 1.2 per 1,000 people2005: 1.3 per 1,000 people2006: 0.775 per 1,000 people2007: 0.782 per 1,000 people2008: 0.804 per 1,000 people2009: 0.851 per 1,000 people2010: 0.863 per 1,000 people2011: 0.982 per 1,000 people2012: 1.1 per 1,000 people2013: 1.2 per 1,000 people2014: 1.4 per 1,000 people2015: 1.4 per 1,000 people2016: 1.5 per 1,000 people2017: 2.1 per 1,000 people2018: 1.7 per 1,000 people2020: 1.7 per 1,000 people

Source: Global Health Workforce Statistics, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in per 1,000 people.

Analysis

The most recent figure for nurses and midwives in India is 1.72 per 1,000 people, measured in 2020.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 99.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, nurses and midwives in India peaked at 2.13 per 1,000 people in 2017 and was at its lowest, 0.379 per 1,000 people, in 1991.

That places India 141st out of 188 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 0.5445 per 1,000 people 0.379 per 1,000 people 0.71 per 1,000 people 2
2000s 0.8819 per 1,000 people 0.734 per 1,000 people 1.28 per 1,000 people 9
2010s 1.36 per 1,000 people 0.863 per 1,000 people 2.13 per 1,000 people 9
2020s 1.72 per 1,000 people 1.72 per 1,000 people 1.72 per 1,000 people 1

Countries ranked near India

  1. 138 Syria 1.76 per 1,000 people compare
  2. 139 East Timor 1.74 per 1,000 people compare
  3. 140 Suriname 1.73 per 1,000 people compare
  4. 142 Nigeria 1.65 per 1,000 people compare
  5. 143 Comoros 1.64 per 1,000 people compare
  6. 144 Bolivia 1.62 per 1,000 people compare

See the full ranking of 188 places →

More health data for India

All data for India →

Frequently asked questions

What is nurses and midwives in India?
Nurses and midwives in India was 1.72 per 1,000 people in 2020, according to Global Health Workforce Statistics, World Health Organization (WHO).
What is the highest nurses and midwives recorded in India?
The highest recorded value was 2.13 per 1,000 people in 2017.
What is the lowest nurses and midwives recorded in India?
The lowest recorded value was 0.379 per 1,000 people in 1991.
How does India rank for nurses and midwives?
India ranks 141st out of 188 countries with data for 2020.
Is nurses and midwives rising or falling in India?
Over the last ten years it is up 99.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this India data come from?
The figures come from Global Health Workforce Statistics, World Health Organization (WHO), published as part of Nurses and midwives (per 1,000 people). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 21 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

About this data

Indicator
Nurses and midwives (per 1,000 people)
Unit
per 1,000 people
Source
Global Health Workforce Statistics, World Health Organization (WHO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
188 places, 3,381 data points, 1990–2023
Last refreshed

Nurses and midwives include professional nurses, professional midwives, auxiliary nurses, auxiliary midwives, enrolled nurses, enrolled midwives and other associated personnel, such as dental nurses and primary care nurses.