Nurses and midwives in New Zealand

New Zealand: Nurses and midwives was 12.3 per 1,000 people in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
12.3 per 1,000 people
Change on year
up 3.7%
World rank
12th
of 188 countries
All-time high
12.3 per 1,000 people
in 2023
All-time low
8.79 per 1,000 people
in 1992
Years of data
34
1990–2023

Nurses and midwives in New Zealand, 1990–2023

02.557.51012.51990200620231990: 9.2 per 1,000 people1991: 9.3 per 1,000 people1992: 8.8 per 1,000 people1993: 9.4 per 1,000 people1994: 9.6 per 1,000 people1995: 9.7 per 1,000 people1996: 9.7 per 1,000 people1997: 9 per 1,000 people1998: 9.6 per 1,000 people1999: 9.6 per 1,000 people2000: 9.6 per 1,000 people2001: 10.1 per 1,000 people2002: 9.4 per 1,000 people2003: 9.1 per 1,000 people2004: 9.4 per 1,000 people2005: 9.7 per 1,000 people2006: 9.4 per 1,000 people2007: 9.8 per 1,000 people2008: 10.3 per 1,000 people2009: 10.3 per 1,000 people2010: 10.6 per 1,000 people2011: 10.7 per 1,000 people2012: 10.6 per 1,000 people2013: 10.6 per 1,000 people2014: 10.6 per 1,000 people2015: 10.8 per 1,000 people2016: 10.8 per 1,000 people2017: 10.7 per 1,000 people2018: 10.8 per 1,000 people2019: 10.8 per 1,000 people2020: 11.2 per 1,000 people2021: 11.5 per 1,000 people2022: 11.9 per 1,000 people2023: 12.3 per 1,000 people

Source: Global Health Workforce Statistics, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in per 1,000 people.

Analysis

In 2023, nurses and midwives in New Zealand stood at 12.3 per 1,000 people. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.

The figure is up 3.7% on the previous year and up 16.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, nurses and midwives in New Zealand peaked at 12.3 per 1,000 people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 8.79 per 1,000 people, in 1992.

New Zealand ranks 12th of 188 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.

Nurses and midwives in New Zealand, year by year

Annual values for Nurses and midwives (per 1,000 people) in New Zealand, 1990 to 2023.
Year per 1,000 people Change
1990 9.2 per 1,000 people
1991 9.32 per 1,000 people +1.3%
1992 8.79 per 1,000 people -5.6%
1993 9.35 per 1,000 people +6.4%
1994 9.58 per 1,000 people +2.4%
1995 9.72 per 1,000 people +1.5%
1996 9.73 per 1,000 people +0.1%
1997 9.01 per 1,000 people -7.5%
1998 9.65 per 1,000 people +7.1%
1999 9.59 per 1,000 people -0.6%
2000 9.59 per 1,000 people -0.0%
2001 10.13 per 1,000 people +5.7%
2002 9.39 per 1,000 people -7.3%
2003 9.08 per 1,000 people -3.3%
2004 9.42 per 1,000 people +3.8%
2005 9.71 per 1,000 people +3.0%
2006 9.4 per 1,000 people -3.2%
2007 9.79 per 1,000 people +4.2%
2008 10.32 per 1,000 people +5.4%
2009 10.3 per 1,000 people -0.2%
2010 10.63 per 1,000 people +3.2%
2011 10.7 per 1,000 people +0.7%
2012 10.59 per 1,000 people -1.0%
2013 10.57 per 1,000 people -0.2%
2014 10.64 per 1,000 people +0.7%
2015 10.78 per 1,000 people +1.3%
2016 10.78 per 1,000 people +0.0%
2017 10.68 per 1,000 people -0.9%
2018 10.76 per 1,000 people +0.7%
2019 10.78 per 1,000 people +0.2%
2020 11.2 per 1,000 people +3.9%
2021 11.48 per 1,000 people +2.5%
2022 11.86 per 1,000 people +3.3%
2023 12.3 per 1,000 people +3.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 9.39 per 1,000 people 8.79 per 1,000 people 9.73 per 1,000 people 10
2000s 9.71 per 1,000 people 9.08 per 1,000 people 10.32 per 1,000 people 10
2010s 10.69 per 1,000 people 10.57 per 1,000 people 10.78 per 1,000 people 10
2020s 11.71 per 1,000 people 11.2 per 1,000 people 12.3 per 1,000 people 4

Countries ranked near New Zealand

  1. 9 United States of America 13.38 per 1,000 people compare
  2. 10 Japan 12.98 per 1,000 people compare
  3. 11 Belgium 12.89 per 1,000 people compare
  4. 13 Germany 12.25 per 1,000 people compare
  5. 14 Denmark 12.19 per 1,000 people compare
  6. 15 Netherlands 11.67 per 1,000 people compare
  7. 15 Sweden 11.67 per 1,000 people compare

See the full ranking of 188 places →

More health data for New Zealand

All data for New Zealand →

Frequently asked questions

What is nurses and midwives in New Zealand?
Nurses and midwives in New Zealand was 12.3 per 1,000 people in 2023, according to Global Health Workforce Statistics, World Health Organization (WHO).
What is the highest nurses and midwives recorded in New Zealand?
The highest recorded value was 12.3 per 1,000 people in 2023.
What is the lowest nurses and midwives recorded in New Zealand?
The lowest recorded value was 8.79 per 1,000 people in 1992.
How does New Zealand rank for nurses and midwives?
New Zealand ranks 12th out of 188 countries with data for 2023.
Is nurses and midwives rising or falling in New Zealand?
Over the last ten years it is up 16.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this New Zealand 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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Nurses and midwives in New Zealand. Statizoid, drawing on Global Health Workforce Statistics, World Health Organization (WHO). Retrieved 03 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/nurses-and-midwives-per-1-000-people/new-zealand/

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About this data

Indicator
Nurses and midwives (per 1,000 people)
Unit
per 1,000 people
Source
Global Health Workforce Statistics, World Health Organization (WHO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
188 places, 3,381 data points, 1990–2023
Last refreshed

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.