Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in Zambia

Zambia: Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people was 2.94 per 1,000 people in 2022. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2022)
2.94 per 1,000 people
Change on year
up 58.6%
World rank
114th
of 188 countries
All-time high
2.94 per 1,000 people
in 2022
All-time low
0.69 per 1,000 people
in 2006
Years of data
11
2005–2022

Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in Zambia, 2005–2022

0.511.522.532005201320222005: 0.714 per 1,000 people2006: 0.69 per 1,000 people2008: 0.698 per 1,000 people2009: 0.704 per 1,000 people2010: 0.711 per 1,000 people2017: 0.9 per 1,000 people2018: 1.3 per 1,000 people2019: 1.4 per 1,000 people2020: 1.6 per 1,000 people2021: 1.9 per 1,000 people2022: 2.9 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 Zambia is 2.94 per 1,000 people, measured in 2022. That is the highest value across all 11 years on record.

The figure is up 58.6% on the previous year and up 312.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in Zambia peaked at 2.94 per 1,000 people in 2022 and was at its lowest, 0.69 per 1,000 people, in 2006.

Zambia ranks 114th 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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 0.7015 per 1,000 people 0.69 per 1,000 people 0.714 per 1,000 people 4
2010s 1.08 per 1,000 people 0.711 per 1,000 people 1.42 per 1,000 people 4
2020s 2.14 per 1,000 people 1.63 per 1,000 people 2.94 per 1,000 people 3

Countries ranked near Zambia

  1. 111 Samoa 3.06 per 1,000 people compare
  2. 112 Mexico 3.03 per 1,000 people compare
  3. 113 Botswana 3.02 per 1,000 people compare
  4. 115 Iran 2.88 per 1,000 people compare
  5. 116 Peru 2.74 per 1,000 people compare
  6. 117 Bahrain 2.65 per 1,000 people compare
  7. 117 Iraq 2.65 per 1,000 people compare

See the full ranking of 188 places →

More reference data data for Zambia

All data for Zambia →

Frequently asked questions

What is nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in Zambia?
Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people in Zambia was 2.94 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 Zambia?
The highest recorded value was 2.94 per 1,000 people in 2022.
What is the lowest nurses and midwives per 1,000 people recorded in Zambia?
The lowest recorded value was 0.69 per 1,000 people in 2006.
How does Zambia rank for nurses and midwives per 1,000 people?
Zambia ranks 114th out of 188 countries with data for 2022.
Is nurses and midwives per 1,000 people rising or falling in Zambia?
Over the last ten years it is up 312.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Zambia 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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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