Syrian Arab Republic: Nurses and midwives (per 1,000 people)

Key figures

Over five years it is up 25.32% from 1.4 in 2016 (4.62% a year on average, compounded). Since 1997 it is down 19.77% from 2.19 in 1997 (0.91% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 6 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2021, Syrian Arab Republic's nurses and midwives (per 1,000 people) rose 0.04 on 2020 (from 1.72 to 1.76).

Across the 13 yearly changes before that (1998 to 2020), the average change was −0.00315 and a typical year strayed about 0.18 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 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 0.43 in 2017 and the biggest yearly fall was 0.41 in 1999. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those 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, Syrian Arab Republic had the 10th 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 Syrian Arab Republic in the 2021 ranking

• Philippines — 7th of 12: 4.79
• Tonga — 8th of 12: 4.2
• Tunisia — 9th of 12: 2.16
• Bolivia — 11th of 12: 1.62
• Pakistan — 12th of 12: 0.52

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 19 values

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

• Afghanistan — 0.55 (2023)
• Bahrain — 2.65 (2020)
• Iraq — 2.65 (2022)
• Israel — 5.9 (2023)
• Jordan — 3.33 (2023)
• Kuwait — 4.55 (2020)
• Lebanon — 1.92 (2018)
• Malta — 8.24 (2023)
• Oman — 4.66 (2022)
• Pakistan — 0.52 (2021)
• Qatar — 8.49 (2023)

More health data for Syrian Arab Republic

• Population ages 00-04, female (% of female population) — 10.08% (2025)
• Population ages 00-04, male (% of male population) — 10.54% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female — 3.56 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female (% of female population) — 27.8% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male — 3.73 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male (% of male population) — 29.08% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, total — 7.29 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14 (% of total population) — 28.44% (2025)
• Population ages 05-09, female (% of female 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 Syrian Arab Republic's nurses and midwives (per 1,000 people)?

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

How has it changed since 1997?

It is down 19.77% from 2.19 in 1997 (0.91% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 2.29 in 1998 and the lowest 1.4 in 2016.

How does Syrian Arab Republic rank?

10th highest of 12 economies with data for 2021.

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

In 2021, Syrian Arab Republic's nurses and midwives (per 1,000 people) rose 0.04 on 2020 (from 1.72 to 1.76). Across the 13 yearly changes before that (1998 to 2020), the average change was −0.00315 and a typical year strayed about 0.18 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 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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