Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in India
India: Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people was 1.72 per 1,000 people in 2020. ▲ Rising
Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in India, 1991–2020
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 India is 1.72 per 1,000 people, measured in 2020.
The figure is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 99.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, nurses and midwives per 1,000 people 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.
Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in India, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 0.379 per 1,000 people | — |
| 1999 | 0.71 per 1,000 people | +87.3% |
| 2000 | 0.734 per 1,000 people | +3.4% |
| 2001 | 0.748 per 1,000 people | +1.9% |
| 2003 | 0.752 per 1,000 people | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 1.21 per 1,000 people | +60.6% |
| 2005 | 1.28 per 1,000 people | +6.2% |
| 2006 | 0.775 per 1,000 people | -39.6% |
| 2007 | 0.782 per 1,000 people | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 0.804 per 1,000 people | +2.8% |
| 2009 | 0.851 per 1,000 people | +5.8% |
| 2010 | 0.863 per 1,000 people | +1.4% |
| 2011 | 0.982 per 1,000 people | +13.8% |
| 2012 | 1.1 per 1,000 people | +12.0% |
| 2013 | 1.21 per 1,000 people | +9.6% |
| 2014 | 1.36 per 1,000 people | +12.4% |
| 2015 | 1.43 per 1,000 people | +5.5% |
| 2016 | 1.47 per 1,000 people | +3.0% |
| 2017 | 2.13 per 1,000 people | +44.2% |
| 2018 | 1.7 per 1,000 people | -20.0% |
| 2020 | 1.72 per 1,000 people | +1.2% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 1.72 per 1,000 people is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.63 per 1,000 people, 1.1× the median. (44 countries reporting)
- India's 1.72 per 1,000 people is below the median for South Asia, which is 2.16 per 1,000 people, 80% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in India changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | +87.3% | 0.379 per 1,000 people | 0.71 per 1,000 people |
| 2004 | +60.6% | 0.752 per 1,000 people | 1.21 per 1,000 people |
| 2006 | -39.6% | 1.28 per 1,000 people | 0.775 per 1,000 people |
| 2017 | +44.2% | 1.47 per 1,000 people | 2.13 per 1,000 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | 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
More reference data data for India
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 20.88 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 68.88 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 246.78 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 15.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 246.78 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 70.02 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 19.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 309.05 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1,063 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 85.03 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in India?
- Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in India was 1.72 per 1,000 people in 2020, 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 India?
- The highest recorded value was 2.13 per 1,000 people in 2017.
- What is the lowest nurses and midwives per 1,000 people recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.379 per 1,000 people in 1991.
- How does India rank for nurses and midwives per 1,000 people?
- India ranks 141st out of 188 countries with data for 2020.
- Is nurses and midwives per 1,000 people 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 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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