Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in Portugal

Portugal: Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people was 8.01 per 1,000 people in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
8.01 per 1,000 people
Change on year
up 2.0%
World rank
33rd
of 188 countries
All-time high
8.01 per 1,000 people
in 2023
All-time low
4.01 per 1,000 people
in 2002
Years of data
22
2002–2023

Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in Portugal, 2002–2023

024682002201220232002: 4 per 1,000 people2003: 4.2 per 1,000 people2004: 4.4 per 1,000 people2005: 4.6 per 1,000 people2006: 4.8 per 1,000 people2007: 5.1 per 1,000 people2008: 5.4 per 1,000 people2009: 5.6 per 1,000 people2010: 5.9 per 1,000 people2011: 6.1 per 1,000 people2012: 6.2 per 1,000 people2013: 6.3 per 1,000 people2014: 6.4 per 1,000 people2015: 6.5 per 1,000 people2016: 6.7 per 1,000 people2017: 6.9 per 1,000 people2018: 7.1 per 1,000 people2019: 7.3 per 1,000 people2020: 7.5 per 1,000 people2021: 7.7 per 1,000 people2022: 7.9 per 1,000 people2023: 8 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

Portugal recorded 8.01 per 1,000 people for nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in 2023. That is the highest value across all 22 years on record.

The figure is up 2.0% on the previous year and up 27.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in Portugal peaked at 8.01 per 1,000 people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 4.01 per 1,000 people, in 2002.

That places Portugal 33rd out of 188 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 4.77 per 1,000 people 4.01 per 1,000 people 5.63 per 1,000 people 8
2010s 6.55 per 1,000 people 5.9 per 1,000 people 7.31 per 1,000 people 10
2020s 7.77 per 1,000 people 7.5 per 1,000 people 8.01 per 1,000 people 4

Countries ranked near Portugal

  1. 30 Romania 8.25 per 1,000 people compare
  2. 31 Malta 8.24 per 1,000 people compare
  3. 34 Croatia 8 per 1,000 people compare
  4. 35 Lithuania 7.84 per 1,000 people compare
  5. 36 Cuba 7.6 per 1,000 people compare

See the full ranking of 188 places →

More reference data data for Portugal

All data for Portugal →

Frequently asked questions

What is nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in Portugal?
Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in Portugal was 8.01 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 Portugal?
The highest recorded value was 8.01 per 1,000 people in 2023.
What is the lowest nurses and midwives per 1,000 people recorded in Portugal?
The lowest recorded value was 4.01 per 1,000 people in 2002.
How does Portugal rank for nurses and midwives per 1,000 people?
Portugal ranks 33rd out of 188 countries with data for 2023.
Is nurses and midwives per 1,000 people rising or falling in Portugal?
Over the last ten years it is up 27.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Portugal 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