Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in Sweden
Sweden: Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people was 11.67 per 1,000 people in 2021. ▼ Falling
Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in Sweden, 1990–2021
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 Sweden is 11.67 per 1,000 people, measured in 2021.
The figure is up 2.1% on the previous year and up 0.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in Sweden peaked at 14.81 per 1,000 people in 1994 and was at its lowest, 9.92 per 1,000 people, in 1997.
Sweden ranks 15th of 188 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 32 years of available data.
Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in Sweden, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 13.32 per 1,000 people | — |
| 1991 | 13.67 per 1,000 people | +2.6% |
| 1992 | 14.08 per 1,000 people | +3.0% |
| 1993 | 14.45 per 1,000 people | +2.6% |
| 1994 | 14.81 per 1,000 people | +2.5% |
| 1995 | 10 per 1,000 people | -32.5% |
| 1996 | 9.98 per 1,000 people | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 9.92 per 1,000 people | -0.7% |
| 1998 | 10.13 per 1,000 people | +2.1% |
| 1999 | 10.25 per 1,000 people | +1.2% |
| 2000 | 10.32 per 1,000 people | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 10.48 per 1,000 people | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 10.7 per 1,000 people | +2.1% |
| 2003 | 10.81 per 1,000 people | +1.0% |
| 2004 | 11.01 per 1,000 people | +1.9% |
| 2005 | 11.21 per 1,000 people | +1.8% |
| 2006 | 11.37 per 1,000 people | +1.4% |
| 2007 | 11.48 per 1,000 people | +1.0% |
| 2008 | 11.52 per 1,000 people | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 11.54 per 1,000 people | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 11.61 per 1,000 people | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 11.64 per 1,000 people | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 11.69 per 1,000 people | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 11.72 per 1,000 people | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 11.71 per 1,000 people | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 11.73 per 1,000 people | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 11.71 per 1,000 people | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 11.68 per 1,000 people | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 11.66 per 1,000 people | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 11.63 per 1,000 people | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 11.43 per 1,000 people | -1.7% |
| 2021 | 11.67 per 1,000 people | +2.1% |
Sweden compared with similar countries
- Sweden's 11.67 per 1,000 people is above the median for high income countries, which is 7.39 per 1,000 people, 1.6× the median. (65 countries reporting)
- Sweden's 11.67 per 1,000 people is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 6.75 per 1,000 people, 1.7× the median. (51 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in Sweden 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | -32.5% | 14.81 per 1,000 people | 10 per 1,000 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 12.06 per 1,000 people | 9.92 per 1,000 people | 14.81 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.04 per 1,000 people | 10.32 per 1,000 people | 11.54 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.68 per 1,000 people | 11.61 per 1,000 people | 11.73 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.55 per 1,000 people | 11.43 per 1,000 people | 11.67 per 1,000 people | 2 |
Countries ranked near Sweden
More reference data data for Sweden
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.4328 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.2237 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.68 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.2063 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.68 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.45 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.9766 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.13 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 8.03 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.12 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in Sweden?
- Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in Sweden was 11.67 per 1,000 people in 2021, 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 Sweden?
- The highest recorded value was 14.81 per 1,000 people in 1994.
- What is the lowest nurses and midwives per 1,000 people recorded in Sweden?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.92 per 1,000 people in 1997.
- How does Sweden rank for nurses and midwives per 1,000 people?
- Sweden ranks 15th out of 188 countries with data for 2021.
- Is nurses and midwives per 1,000 people rising or falling in Sweden?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sweden 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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