Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in South Africa
South Africa: Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people was 6.39 per 1,000 people in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in South Africa, 1998–2022
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 South Africa is 6.39 per 1,000 people, measured in 2022. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 534.2% on the previous year and up 485.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in South Africa peaked at 6.39 per 1,000 people in 2022 and was at its lowest, 0.675 per 1,000 people, in 2001.
South Africa ranks 54th of 188 countries on this measure, 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 South Africa, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 0.708 per 1,000 people | — |
| 1999 | 0.705 per 1,000 people | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 0.687 per 1,000 people | -2.6% |
| 2001 | 0.675 per 1,000 people | -1.7% |
| 2002 | 0.677 per 1,000 people | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 0.692 per 1,000 people | +2.2% |
| 2004 | 0.72 per 1,000 people | +4.0% |
| 2005 | 0.749 per 1,000 people | +4.0% |
| 2006 | 0.786 per 1,000 people | +4.9% |
| 2007 | 0.803 per 1,000 people | +2.2% |
| 2008 | 0.855 per 1,000 people | +6.5% |
| 2009 | 0.929 per 1,000 people | +8.7% |
| 2010 | 1 per 1,000 people | +7.8% |
| 2011 | 1.05 per 1,000 people | +4.5% |
| 2012 | 1.09 per 1,000 people | +4.4% |
| 2013 | 1.17 per 1,000 people | +6.9% |
| 2014 | 1.2 per 1,000 people | +3.1% |
| 2015 | 1.24 per 1,000 people | +3.0% |
| 2016 | 1.31 per 1,000 people | +5.5% |
| 2017 | 1.29 per 1,000 people | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 1.2 per 1,000 people | -7.0% |
| 2019 | 1.08 per 1,000 people | -9.9% |
| 2020 | 1.01 per 1,000 people | -7.1% |
| 2022 | 6.39 per 1,000 people | +534.2% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 6.39 per 1,000 people is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4.05 per 1,000 people, 1.6× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 6.39 per 1,000 people is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.14 per 1,000 people, 5.6× the median. (44 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in South Africa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +534.2% | 1.01 per 1,000 people | 6.39 per 1,000 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.7065 per 1,000 people | 0.705 per 1,000 people | 0.708 per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 2000s | 0.7573 per 1,000 people | 0.675 per 1,000 people | 0.929 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.16 per 1,000 people | 1 per 1,000 people | 1.31 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.7 per 1,000 people | 1.01 per 1,000 people | 6.39 per 1,000 people | 2 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More reference data data for South Africa
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.5111 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 8.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 13.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.7468 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 13.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.49 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 41.1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 63.65 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 4.07 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in South Africa?
- Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in South Africa was 6.39 per 1,000 people in 2022, 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 South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 6.39 per 1,000 people in 2022.
- What is the lowest nurses and midwives per 1,000 people recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.675 per 1,000 people in 2001.
- How does South Africa rank for nurses and midwives per 1,000 people?
- South Africa ranks 54th out of 188 countries with data for 2022.
- Is nurses and midwives per 1,000 people rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 485.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa 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
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).