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Did you ever wonder how many nurses there are in the world? Well, there are 17.6 million nurses and midwives according to the World Health Organization's World Health Statistics Report, 2009.
|
Region
|
Number of Nurses
|
N per 10,000 Population
|
| Africa |
792,000
|
11
|
| Americas |
4,096,000
|
49
|
| South-East Asia |
1,955,000
|
12
|
| Europe |
6,659,000
|
79
|
| Eastern Mediterranean |
735,000
|
15
|
| Western Pacific |
3,414,000
|
20
|
| Total |
17,651,000
|
28
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Numbers of nurses in English speaking countries:
|
Country
|
Number of Nurses
|
N per 10,000 Population
|
| Australia |
188,000
|
97
|
| Canada |
333,000
|
101
|
| India |
1,372,000
|
13
|
| New Zealand |
33,000
|
89
|
| Philippines |
481,000
|
61
|
| South Africa |
184,000
|
41
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| United Kingdom |
740,000
|
128
|
| United States |
2,670,000
|
94
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| Total |
6,001,000
|
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The number of nurses in each country can vary somewhat due to different dates and definitions used. Here are some more recent statistics on nurses in Canada and the United States:
Canada
-
258,000 RNs (Registered Nurses)
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70,000 LPNs (Licensed Practical Nurses)
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5,000 RPNs (Registered Psychiatric Nurses)
United States
For more information on the numbers of nurses in various countries, view the complete World Health Organization's Health Workforce, Infrastructure, Essential Medicines Report.
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Numbers of Nurses 
