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

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2021, Sweden's nurses and midwives (per 1,000 people) rose 0.24 on 2020 (from 11.43 to 11.67).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1991 to 2020), the average change was −0.06 and a typical year strayed about 0.91 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 0.41 in 1992 and the biggest yearly fall was 4.81 in 1995. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2012 to 2021 the straight-line trend is downward, about 0.02 a year. A straight line explains 36% 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 2021, Sweden had the 4th highest value of the 12 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 Sweden in the 2021 ranking

• Finland — 1st of 12: 14.01
• Belgium — 2nd of 12: 12.89
• Denmark — 3rd of 12: 12.19
• France — 5th of 12: 9.42
• Brunei Darussalam — 6th of 12: 6.62
• Philippines — 7th of 12: 4.79

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 32 values

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

• Albania — 5.82 (2020)
• Andorra — 4.72 (2023)
• Armenia — 4.75 (2022)
• Austria — 11.28 (2022)
• Azerbaijan — 5.58 (2022)
• Belarus — 10.82 (2023)
• Belgium — 12.89 (2021)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 6.73 (2022)
• Bulgaria — 4.2 (2023)
• Croatia — 8 (2022)
• Cyprus

More health data for Sweden

• Population ages 00-04, female (% of female population) — 4.89% (2025)
• Population ages 00-04, male (% of male population) — 5.09% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female — 859,842 (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female (% of female population) — 16.35% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male — 910,481 (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male (% of male population) — 17.05% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, total — 1.77 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14 (% of total population) — 16.71% (2025)
• Population ages 05-09, female (% of female population) — 5.64% (2025)
• Population ages 05-09, male (% of male population)

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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Questions people ask

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

11.67 in 2021, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1990?

It is down 12.39% from 13.32 in 1990 (0.43% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 14.81 in 1994 and the lowest 9.92 in 1997.

How does Sweden rank?

4th highest of 12 economies with data for 2021.

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

In 2021, Sweden's nurses and midwives (per 1,000 people) rose 0.24 on 2020 (from 11.43 to 11.67). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1991 to 2020), the average change was −0.06 and a typical year strayed about 0.91 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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