Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people was 2.26 per 1,000 people in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
2.26 per 1,000 people
Change on year
down 3.5%
World rank
125th
of 188 countries
All-time high
2.37 per 1,000 people
in 2020
All-time low
0.742 per 1,000 people
in 1999
Years of data
32
1990–2023
Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in Sri Lanka, 1990–2023
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 Sri Lanka is 2.26 per 1,000 people, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 3.5% on the previous year and up 26.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in Sri Lanka peaked at 2.37 per 1,000 people in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0.742 per 1,000 people, in 1999.
Sri Lanka ranks 125th of 188 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 32 years of available data.
Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 0.781 per 1,000 people | — |
| 1991 | 0.853 per 1,000 people | +9.2% |
| 1992 | 0.92 per 1,000 people | +7.9% |
| 1993 | 1.08 per 1,000 people | +17.8% |
| 1994 | 1.01 per 1,000 people | -6.7% |
| 1995 | 1.13 per 1,000 people | +11.5% |
| 1996 | 0.778 per 1,000 people | -31.0% |
| 1997 | 0.757 per 1,000 people | -2.7% |
| 1998 | 0.786 per 1,000 people | +3.8% |
| 1999 | 0.742 per 1,000 people | -5.6% |
| 2000 | 1.16 per 1,000 people | +56.3% |
| 2001 | 0.806 per 1,000 people | -30.5% |
| 2002 | 1.02 per 1,000 people | +26.8% |
| 2004 | 1.65 per 1,000 people | +61.8% |
| 2005 | 1.36 per 1,000 people | -17.7% |
| 2006 | 1.62 per 1,000 people | +18.9% |
| 2007 | 1.99 per 1,000 people | +22.7% |
| 2008 | 1.46 per 1,000 people | -26.6% |
| 2009 | 1.51 per 1,000 people | +3.5% |
| 2010 | 1.69 per 1,000 people | +12.3% |
| 2011 | 1.77 per 1,000 people | +4.5% |
| 2012 | 1.78 per 1,000 people | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 1.78 per 1,000 people | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 1.85 per 1,000 people | +3.7% |
| 2015 | 1.89 per 1,000 people | +2.2% |
| 2016 | 1.87 per 1,000 people | -1.0% |
| 2017 | 1.91 per 1,000 people | +2.2% |
| 2018 | 2.08 per 1,000 people | +8.9% |
| 2019 | 2.15 per 1,000 people | +3.4% |
| 2020 | 2.37 per 1,000 people | +10.1% |
| 2021 | 2.34 per 1,000 people | -1.2% |
| 2023 | 2.26 per 1,000 people | -3.5% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 2.26 per 1,000 people is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4.05 per 1,000 people, 56% of the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 2.26 per 1,000 people is above the median for South Asia, which is 2.16 per 1,000 people, 1.0× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.8839 per 1,000 people | 0.742 per 1,000 people | 1.13 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.4 per 1,000 people | 0.806 per 1,000 people | 1.99 per 1,000 people | 9 |
| 2010s | 1.88 per 1,000 people | 1.69 per 1,000 people | 2.15 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.32 per 1,000 people | 2.26 per 1,000 people | 2.37 per 1,000 people | 3 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 122 Guatemala 2.27 per 1,000 people compare
- 122 Kenya 2.27 per 1,000 people compare
- 124 Uganda 2.27 per 1,000 people compare
- 126 Micronesia (country) 2.22 per 1,000 people compare
- 127 El Salvador 2.18 per 1,000 people compare
- 128 Sao Tome and Principe 2.17 per 1,000 people compare
More reference data data for Sri Lanka
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.1608 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.316 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.33 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1784 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 2.33 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.539 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.1604 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 10.15 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.9713 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in Sri Lanka?
- Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in Sri Lanka was 2.26 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 Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 2.37 per 1,000 people in 2020.
- What is the lowest nurses and midwives per 1,000 people recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.742 per 1,000 people in 1999.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for nurses and midwives per 1,000 people?
- Sri Lanka ranks 125th out of 188 countries with data for 2023.
- Is nurses and midwives per 1,000 people rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 26.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sri Lanka 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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