Nurses and midwives (per 1,000 people) in India
India: Nurses and midwives (per 1,000 people) was 1.72 per 1,000 people in 2020. ▲ Rising
Nurses and midwives in India, 1991–2020
Source: Global Health Workforce Statistics, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in per 1,000 people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for nurses and midwives in India is 1.72 per 1,000 people, measured in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 99.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, nurses and midwives in India peaked at 2.13 per 1,000 people in 2017 and was at its lowest, 0.379 per 1,000 people, in 1991.
That places India 141st out of 188 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.
Nurses and midwives (per 1,000 people) in India, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 0.379 per 1,000 people | — |
| 1999 | 0.71 per 1,000 people | +87.3% |
| 2000 | 0.734 per 1,000 people | +3.4% |
| 2001 | 0.748 per 1,000 people | +1.9% |
| 2003 | 0.752 per 1,000 people | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 1.21 per 1,000 people | +60.6% |
| 2005 | 1.28 per 1,000 people | +6.2% |
| 2006 | 0.775 per 1,000 people | -39.6% |
| 2007 | 0.782 per 1,000 people | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 0.804 per 1,000 people | +2.8% |
| 2009 | 0.851 per 1,000 people | +5.8% |
| 2010 | 0.863 per 1,000 people | +1.4% |
| 2011 | 0.982 per 1,000 people | +13.8% |
| 2012 | 1.1 per 1,000 people | +12.0% |
| 2013 | 1.21 per 1,000 people | +9.6% |
| 2014 | 1.36 per 1,000 people | +12.4% |
| 2015 | 1.43 per 1,000 people | +5.5% |
| 2016 | 1.47 per 1,000 people | +3.0% |
| 2017 | 2.13 per 1,000 people | +44.2% |
| 2018 | 1.7 per 1,000 people | -20.0% |
| 2020 | 1.72 per 1,000 people | +1.2% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 1.72 per 1,000 people is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.63 per 1,000 people, 1.1× the median. (44 countries reporting)
- India's 1.72 per 1,000 people is below the median for South Asia, which is 2.16 per 1,000 people, 80% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Nurses and midwives (per 1,000 people) in India 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | +87.3% | 0.379 per 1,000 people | 0.71 per 1,000 people |
| 2004 | +60.6% | 0.752 per 1,000 people | 1.21 per 1,000 people |
| 2006 | -39.6% | 1.28 per 1,000 people | 0.775 per 1,000 people |
| 2017 | +44.2% | 1.47 per 1,000 people | 2.13 per 1,000 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.5445 per 1,000 people | 0.379 per 1,000 people | 0.71 per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 2000s | 0.8819 per 1,000 people | 0.734 per 1,000 people | 1.28 per 1,000 people | 9 |
| 2010s | 1.36 per 1,000 people | 0.863 per 1,000 people | 2.13 per 1,000 people | 9 |
| 2020s | 1.72 per 1,000 people | 1.72 per 1,000 people | 1.72 per 1,000 people | 1 |
Countries ranked near India
More health data for India
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.12 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.4372 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 44,822 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 38 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.3809 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0372 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.5922 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.04 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is nurses and midwives in India?
- Nurses and midwives in India was 1.72 per 1,000 people in 2020, according to Global Health Workforce Statistics, World Health Organization (WHO).
- What is the highest nurses and midwives recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 2.13 per 1,000 people in 2017.
- What is the lowest nurses and midwives recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.379 per 1,000 people in 1991.
- How does India rank for nurses and midwives?
- India ranks 141st out of 188 countries with data for 2020.
- Is nurses and midwives rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 99.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this India data come from?
- The figures come from Global Health Workforce Statistics, World Health Organization (WHO), 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
Nurses and midwives include professional nurses, professional midwives, auxiliary nurses, auxiliary midwives, enrolled nurses, enrolled midwives and other associated personnel, such as dental nurses and primary care nurses.