Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in Afghanistan

Afghanistan: Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people was 0.549 per 1,000 people in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
0.549 per 1,000 people
World rank
175th
of 188 countries
All-time high
0.628 per 1,000 people
in 2009
All-time low
0.132 per 1,000 people
in 2015
Years of data
12
2005–2023

Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in Afghanistan, 2005–2023

0.10.20.30.40.50.62005201420232005: 0.612 per 1,000 people2006: 0.458 per 1,000 people2007: 0.518 per 1,000 people2008: 0.52 per 1,000 people2009: 0.628 per 1,000 people2013: 0.255 per 1,000 people2014: 0.15 per 1,000 people2015: 0.132 per 1,000 people2016: 0.151 per 1,000 people2017: 0.179 per 1,000 people2018: 0.451 per 1,000 people2023: 0.549 per 1,000 people

Source: World Health Organization (Global Health Workforce Statistics), OECD, and country data, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in per 1,000 people.

Analysis

The most recent figure for nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in Afghanistan is 0.549 per 1,000 people, measured in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 115.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in Afghanistan peaked at 0.628 per 1,000 people in 2009 and was at its lowest, 0.132 per 1,000 people, in 2015.

That places Afghanistan 175th out of 188 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 12 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 0.5472 per 1,000 people 0.458 per 1,000 people 0.628 per 1,000 people 5
2010s 0.2197 per 1,000 people 0.132 per 1,000 people 0.451 per 1,000 people 6
2020s 0.549 per 1,000 people 0.549 per 1,000 people 0.549 per 1,000 people 1

Countries ranked near Afghanistan

  1. 172 Cameroon 0.659 per 1,000 people compare
  2. 173 Gambia 0.658 per 1,000 people compare
  3. 174 Benin 0.611 per 1,000 people compare
  4. 176 Yemen 0.541 per 1,000 people compare
  5. 177 Pakistan 0.52 per 1,000 people compare
  6. 178 Papua New Guinea 0.508 per 1,000 people compare

See the full ranking of 188 places →

More reference data data for Afghanistan

All data for Afghanistan →

Frequently asked questions

What is nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in Afghanistan?
Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in Afghanistan was 0.549 per 1,000 people in 2023, according to World Health Organization (Global Health Workforce Statistics), OECD, and country data, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest nurses and midwives per 1,000 people recorded in Afghanistan?
The highest recorded value was 0.628 per 1,000 people in 2009.
What is the lowest nurses and midwives per 1,000 people recorded in Afghanistan?
The lowest recorded value was 0.132 per 1,000 people in 2015.
How does Afghanistan rank for nurses and midwives per 1,000 people?
Afghanistan ranks 175th out of 188 countries with data for 2023.
Is nurses and midwives per 1,000 people rising or falling in Afghanistan?
Over the last ten years it is up 115.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
The figures come from World Health Organization (Global Health Workforce Statistics), OECD, and country data, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

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About this data

Indicator
Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people
Unit
per 1,000 people
Source
World Health Organization (Global Health Workforce Statistics), OECD, and country data, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
188 places, 3,381 data points, 1990–2023
Last refreshed