Bangladesh: Nurses and midwives (per 1,000 people)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Bangladesh's nurses and midwives (per 1,000 people) rose 0.04 on 2022 (from 0.62 to 0.66).

Across the 17 yearly changes before that (2006 to 2022), the average change was +0.03 and a typical year strayed about 0.04 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 0.16 in 2018 and the biggest yearly fall was 0.003 in 2013. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2014 to 2023 the straight-line trend is upward, about 0.05 a year. A straight line explains 95% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2023, Bangladesh had the 57th highest value of the 65 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Bangladesh in the 2023 ranking

• Burundi — 54th of 65: 0.79
• Côte d'Ivoire — 55th of 65: 0.79
• Honduras — 56th of 65: 0.74
• Gambia, The — 58th of 65: 0.66
• Benin — 59th of 65: 0.61
• Afghanistan — 60th of 65: 0.55

What this measures

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.

Limitations: The WHO compiles data from household and labor force surveys, censuses, and administrative records. Data comparability is limited by differences in definitions and training of medical personnel varies. In addition, human resources tend to be concentrated in urban areas, so that average densities do not provide a full picture of health personnel available to the entire population.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 20 values

Nurses and midwives (per 1,000 people) in nearby economies

• Bhutan — 2.05 (2022)
• India — 1.72 (2020)
• Maldives — 5.02 (2020)
• Nepal — 4.09 (2023)
• Sri Lanka — 2.26 (2023)

More health data for Bangladesh

• Population ages 00-04, female (% of female population) — 9.21% (2025)
• Population ages 00-04, male (% of male population) — 9.97% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female — 23.54 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female (% of female population) — 26.35% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male — 25.03 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male (% of male population) — 28.99% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, total — 48.57 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14 (% of total population) — 27.65% (2025)
• Population ages 05-09, female (% of female population) — 8.59% (2025)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Bangladesh's nurses and midwives (per 1,000 people)?

0.66 in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2003?

It is up 381.16% from 0.14 in 2003 (8.17% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 0.66 in 2023 and the lowest 0.14 in 2003.

How does Bangladesh rank?

57th highest of 65 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in nurses and midwives (per 1,000 people) unusual for Bangladesh?

In 2023, Bangladesh's nurses and midwives (per 1,000 people) rose 0.04 on 2022 (from 0.62 to 0.66). Across the 17 yearly changes before that (2006 to 2022), the average change was +0.03 and a typical year strayed about 0.04 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SH.MED.NUMW.P3, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Global Health Workforce Statistics, World Health Organization (WHO); Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); Country data Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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