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

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Burundi's nurses and midwives (per 1,000 people) rose 0.05 on 2022 (from 0.74 to 0.79).

Across the 10 yearly changes before that (2011 to 2022), the average change was −0.0086 and a typical year strayed about 0.13 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.5 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 0.3 in 2020 and the biggest yearly fall was 0.22 in 2022. 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 0.02 a year. A straight line explains 33% of the movement over 9 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, Burundi had the 54th 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 Burundi in the 2023 ranking

• Colombia — 51st of 65: 1.54
• Lao PDR — 52nd of 65: 1.03
• Burkina Faso — 53rd of 65: 0.95
• Côte d'Ivoire — 55th of 65: 0.79
• Honduras — 56th of 65: 0.74
• Bangladesh — 57th of 65: 0.66

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 14 values

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

• Benin — 0.61 (2023)
• Botswana — 3.02 (2023)
• Burkina Faso — 0.95 (2023)
• Cabo Verde — 1.8 (2023)
• Cameroon — 0.66 (2022)
• Chad — 0.17 (2023)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 1.17 (2022)
• Congo, Rep. — 1.12 (2022)
• Côte d'Ivoire — 0.79 (2023)
• Eswatini — 4.26 (2023)
• Ethiopia

More health data for Burundi

• Population ages 00-04, female (% of female population) — 15.08% (2025)
• Population ages 00-04, male (% of male population) — 15.54% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female — 3.15 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female (% of female population) — 43.44% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male — 3.18 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male (% of male population) — 44.53% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, total — 6.33 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14 (% of total population) — 43.98% (2025)
• Population ages 05-09, female (% of female population) — 14.34% (2025)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

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

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

How has it changed since 2004?

It is up 320.11% from 0.19 in 2004 (7.85% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 0.96 in 2021 and the lowest 0.19 in 2004.

How does Burundi rank?

54th highest of 65 economies with data for 2023.

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

In 2023, Burundi's nurses and midwives (per 1,000 people) rose 0.05 on 2022 (from 0.74 to 0.79). Across the 10 yearly changes before that (2011 to 2022), the average change was −0.0086 and a typical year strayed about 0.13 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.5 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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