Nursing personnel in South Africa

South Africa: Nursing personnel was 88.0% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
88.0%
Change on year
down 2.3%
World rank
30th
of 85 countries
All-time high
93.9%
in 1999
All-time low
88.0%
in 2024
Years of data
18
1999–2024

Nursing personnel in South Africa, 1999–2024

0204060801001999201120241999: 93.92000: 93.92001: 93.82002: 93.82003: 93.62004: 93.42005: 93.22006: 932007: 92.72008: 92.52009: 92.32010: 922011: 92.42012: 91.52013: 91.32015: 90.92023: 90.12024: 88

Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.

Analysis

The most recent figure for nursing personnel in South Africa is 88.0%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 18 years on record.

That represents a change of down 2.3% on the previous year and down 3.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, nursing personnel in South Africa peaked at 93.9% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 88.0%, in 2024.

South Africa ranks 30th of 85 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 18 years of available data.

Nursing personnel in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Nursing personnel (%) in South Africa, 1999 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1999 93.9%
2000 93.9% +0.0%
2001 93.8% -0.1%
2002 93.8% +0.0%
2003 93.6% -0.2%
2004 93.4% -0.2%
2005 93.2% -0.2%
2006 93.0% -0.2%
2007 92.7% -0.3%
2008 92.5% -0.2%
2009 92.3% -0.2%
2010 92.0% -0.3%
2011 92.4% +0.4%
2012 91.5% -1.0%
2013 91.3% -0.2%
2015 90.9% -0.4%
2023 90.1% -0.9%
2024 88.0% -2.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 93.9% 93.9% 93.9% 1
2000s 93.2% 92.3% 93.9% 10
2010s 91.6% 90.9% 92.4% 5
2020s 89.0% 88.0% 90.1% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 27 Panama 89.1% compare
  2. 28 El Salvador 88.2% compare
  3. 29 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 88.1% compare
  4. 31 Australia 87.6% compare
  5. 32 United States of America 87.4% compare
  6. 33 Honduras 87.3% compare

See the full ranking of 86 places →

More health data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is nursing personnel in South Africa?
Nursing personnel in South Africa was 88.0% in 2024, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
What is the highest nursing personnel recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 93.9% in 1999.
What is the lowest nursing personnel recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 88.0% in 2024.
How does South Africa rank for nursing personnel?
South Africa ranks 30th out of 85 countries with data for 2024.
Is nursing personnel rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 3.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Nursing personnel (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Nursing personnel in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/nursing-personnel-percent/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Nursing personnel (%)
Source
World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO)
Coverage
86 places, 766 data points, 1999–2024
Last refreshed