Nursing personnel in Nigeria

Nigeria: Nursing personnel was 267,951 in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
267,951
Change on year
up 21.4%
World rank
20th
of 189 countries
All-time high
267,951
in 2024
All-time low
74,920
in 2013
Years of data
14
2003–2024

Nursing personnel in Nigeria, 2003–2024

50.0k100.0k150.0k200.0k250.0k2003201320242003: 127.6k2005: 124.6k2006: 125.3k2007: 128.9k2008: 132.4k2009: 166.2k2010: 215.1k2013: 74.9k2016: 185.1k2019: 103.7k2020: 84.3k2021: 109.6k2022: 220.7k2024: 268.0k

Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.

Analysis

Nigeria recorded 267,951 for nursing personnel in 2024. That is the highest value across all 14 years on record.

That represents a change of up 21.4% on the previous year and up 257.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, nursing personnel in Nigeria peaked at 267,951 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 74,920, in 2013.

Nigeria ranks 20th of 189 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 14 years of available data.

Nursing personnel in Nigeria, year by year

Annual values for Nursing personnel (number) in Nigeria, 2003 to 2024.
Year Value Change
2003 127,580 —
2005 124,629 -2.3%
2006 125,292 +0.5%
2007 128,918 +2.9%
2008 132,412 +2.7%
2009 166,173 +25.5%
2010 215,055 +29.4%
2013 74,920 -65.2%
2016 185,101 +147.1%
2019 103,732 -44.0%
2020 84,276 -18.8%
2021 109,604 +30.1%
2022 220,681 +101.3%
2024 267,951 +21.4%

Nigeria compared with similar countries

  • Nigeria's 267,951 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 11,212, 23.9× the median. (44 countries reporting)
  • Nigeria's 267,951 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 7,356, 36.4× the median. (45 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 134,167 124,629 166,173 6
2010s 144,702 74,920 215,055 4
2020s 170,628 84,276 267,951 4

Countries ranked near Nigeria

  1. 17 Uzbekistan 361,351 compare
  2. 18 Argentina 288,935 compare
  3. 19 Spain 284,232 compare
  4. 21 South Africa 265,877 compare
  5. 22 Thailand 256,119 compare
  6. 23 Turkey 248,287 compare

See the full ranking of 191 places →

More health data for Nigeria

All data for Nigeria →

Frequently asked questions

What is nursing personnel in Nigeria?
Nursing personnel in Nigeria was 267,951 in 2024, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
What is the highest nursing personnel recorded in Nigeria?
The highest recorded value was 267,951 in 2024.
What is the lowest nursing personnel recorded in Nigeria?
The lowest recorded value was 74,920 in 2013.
How does Nigeria rank for nursing personnel?
Nigeria ranks 20th out of 189 countries with data for 2024.
Is nursing personnel rising or falling in Nigeria?
Over the last ten years it is up 257.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Nigeria data come from?
The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Nursing personnel (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Nursing personnel in Nigeria. Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. Retrieved 26 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/nursing-personnel-number/nigeria/

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About this data

Indicator
Nursing personnel (number)
Source
World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO)
Coverage
191 places, 3,864 data points, 1971–2024
Last refreshed