Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in Canada

Canada: Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people was 11.26 per 1,000 people in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
11.26 per 1,000 people
Change on year
up 10.3%
World rank
18th
of 188 countries
All-time high
11.26 per 1,000 people
in 2023
All-time low
8.47 per 1,000 people
in 2003
Years of data
34
1990–2023

Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in Canada, 1990–2023

02.557.51012.51990200620231990: 11.1 per 1,000 people1991: 11.2 per 1,000 people1992: 11.2 per 1,000 people1993: 11.1 per 1,000 people1994: 10.9 per 1,000 people1995: 10.6 per 1,000 people1996: 10.3 per 1,000 people1997: 10.2 per 1,000 people1998: 10 per 1,000 people1999: 9.9 per 1,000 people2000: 9.9 per 1,000 people2001: 9.8 per 1,000 people2002: 9.4 per 1,000 people2003: 8.5 per 1,000 people2004: 8.5 per 1,000 people2005: 8.7 per 1,000 people2006: 8.8 per 1,000 people2007: 9 per 1,000 people2008: 9.1 per 1,000 people2009: 9.3 per 1,000 people2010: 9.3 per 1,000 people2011: 9.3 per 1,000 people2012: 9.4 per 1,000 people2013: 9.5 per 1,000 people2014: 9.8 per 1,000 people2015: 9.9 per 1,000 people2016: 9.9 per 1,000 people2017: 10 per 1,000 people2018: 9.9 per 1,000 people2019: 10 per 1,000 people2020: 10.1 per 1,000 people2021: 10.2 per 1,000 people2022: 10.2 per 1,000 people2023: 11.3 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 Canada is 11.26 per 1,000 people, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 10.3% on the previous year and up 18.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in Canada peaked at 11.26 per 1,000 people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 8.47 per 1,000 people, in 2003.

That places Canada 18th out of 188 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 10.63 per 1,000 people 9.86 per 1,000 people 11.19 per 1,000 people 10
2000s 9.09 per 1,000 people 8.47 per 1,000 people 9.9 per 1,000 people 10
2010s 9.7 per 1,000 people 9.26 per 1,000 people 9.98 per 1,000 people 10
2020s 10.44 per 1,000 people 10.08 per 1,000 people 11.26 per 1,000 people 4

Countries ranked near Canada

  1. 15 Netherlands 11.67 per 1,000 people compare
  2. 15 Sweden 11.67 per 1,000 people compare
  3. 17 Austria 11.28 per 1,000 people compare
  4. 19 Uzbekistan 11.08 per 1,000 people compare
  5. 20 Belarus 10.82 per 1,000 people compare
  6. 21 Slovenia 10.56 per 1,000 people compare

See the full ranking of 188 places →

More reference data data for Canada

All data for Canada →

Frequently asked questions

What is nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in Canada?
Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in Canada was 11.26 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 Canada?
The highest recorded value was 11.26 per 1,000 people in 2023.
What is the lowest nurses and midwives per 1,000 people recorded in Canada?
The lowest recorded value was 8.47 per 1,000 people in 2003.
How does Canada rank for nurses and midwives per 1,000 people?
Canada ranks 18th out of 188 countries with data for 2023.
Is nurses and midwives per 1,000 people rising or falling in Canada?
Over the last ten years it is up 18.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Canada 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.

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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