Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in Kenya

Kenya: Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people was 2.27 per 1,000 people in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
2.27 per 1,000 people
Change on year
up 12.3%
World rank
122nd
of 188 countries
All-time high
2.27 per 1,000 people
in 2023
All-time low
0.359 per 1,000 people
in 2008
Years of data
16
2004–2023

Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in Kenya, 2004–2023

0.511.522.52004201320232004: 0.465 per 1,000 people2008: 0.359 per 1,000 people2009: 0.395 per 1,000 people2010: 0.713 per 1,000 people2011: 1.4 per 1,000 people2012: 1.4 per 1,000 people2013: 0.896 per 1,000 people2014: 0.941 per 1,000 people2015: 0.88 per 1,000 people2016: 1.1 per 1,000 people2017: 1.1 per 1,000 people2018: 1.2 per 1,000 people2020: 0.59 per 1,000 people2021: 0.65 per 1,000 people2022: 2 per 1,000 people2023: 2.3 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 Kenya is 2.27 per 1,000 people, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 16 years on record.

That represents a change of up 12.3% on the previous year and up 153.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in Kenya peaked at 2.27 per 1,000 people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.359 per 1,000 people, in 2008.

That places Kenya 122nd out of 188 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in Kenya, year by year

Annual values for Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in Kenya, 2004 to 2023.
Year per 1,000 people Change
2004 0.465 per 1,000 people
2008 0.359 per 1,000 people -22.8%
2009 0.395 per 1,000 people +10.0%
2010 0.713 per 1,000 people +80.5%
2011 1.41 per 1,000 people +97.2%
2012 1.41 per 1,000 people +0.1%
2013 0.896 per 1,000 people -36.3%
2014 0.941 per 1,000 people +5.0%
2015 0.88 per 1,000 people -6.5%
2016 1.06 per 1,000 people +20.0%
2017 1.08 per 1,000 people +2.4%
2018 1.19 per 1,000 people +10.4%
2020 0.59 per 1,000 people -50.5%
2021 0.65 per 1,000 people +10.2%
2022 2.02 per 1,000 people +211.4%
2023 2.27 per 1,000 people +12.3%

Kenya compared with similar countries

  • Kenya's 2.27 per 1,000 people is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.63 per 1,000 people, 1.4× the median. (44 countries reporting)
  • Kenya's 2.27 per 1,000 people is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.14 per 1,000 people, 2.0× the median. (44 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in Kenya 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.

YearChange FromTo
2022 +211.4% 0.65 per 1,000 people 2.02 per 1,000 people

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 0.4063 per 1,000 people 0.359 per 1,000 people 0.465 per 1,000 people 3
2010s 1.06 per 1,000 people 0.713 per 1,000 people 1.41 per 1,000 people 9
2020s 1.38 per 1,000 people 0.59 per 1,000 people 2.27 per 1,000 people 4

Countries ranked near Kenya

  1. 119 Ecuador 2.51 per 1,000 people compare
  2. 120 Algeria 2.51 per 1,000 people compare
  3. 121 Gabon 2.37 per 1,000 people compare
  4. 122 Guatemala 2.27 per 1,000 people compare
  5. 124 Uganda 2.27 per 1,000 people compare
  6. 125 Sri Lanka 2.26 per 1,000 people compare

See the full ranking of 188 places →

More reference data data for Kenya

All data for Kenya →

Frequently asked questions

What is nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in Kenya?
Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in Kenya was 2.27 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 Kenya?
The highest recorded value was 2.27 per 1,000 people in 2023.
What is the lowest nurses and midwives per 1,000 people recorded in Kenya?
The lowest recorded value was 0.359 per 1,000 people in 2008.
How does Kenya rank for nurses and midwives per 1,000 people?
Kenya ranks 122nd out of 188 countries with data for 2023.
Is nurses and midwives per 1,000 people rising or falling in Kenya?
Over the last ten years it is up 153.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Kenya 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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Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in Kenya. Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organization (Global Health Workforce Statistics), OECD, and country data, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/nurses-and-midwives-per-1000-people/kenya/

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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