Is this real health data?

Yes — real nursing and midwifery personnel density per 10,000 population figures from the WHO's own Global Health Observatory API.

No. The GHO OData API is fully key-less.

How often does it update?

The pipeline re-reads the WHO's own dataset periodically, on whatever schedule WHO republishes that indicator.

Yes — free, no download, in your browser.

Why do the dates differ between countries?

Data are not published every year for every country, so WHO uses the latest available figure for each. A country that last reported years ago still appears with that older year.

Does the figure include doctors?

No. Doctors are counted separately. This board covers only nursing and midwifery personnel, so it says nothing about physician numbers.

Nursing Density Board Screensaver

The Nursing Density Board screensaver ranks real nursing and midwifery personnel density per 10,000 population by country. It is free, runs in your browser, and ESC exits.

How the Nursing Density Board screensaver works

The saver reads real nursing and midwifery personnel density per 10,000 population data from the WHO's own Global Health Observatory API.

Countries are ranked by their real latest reported nursing staff density.

The pipeline refreshes on the WHO's own periodic release schedule.

No key is required for this key-less public endpoint.

Counting nurses and midwives across countries

Workforce density is a simple ratio: the number of nursing and midwifery personnel divided by population, scaled to 10,000 people. WHO's indicator covers nursing and midwifery personnel in the given national area, and population denominators come from the UN Population Division's World Population Prospects. The main source is the National Health Workforce Accounts data platform hosted by WHO, which nationally nominated focal points, usually Ministry of Health officials, report to annually. The ranking runs from the best-staffed countries downward.

The comparison is rougher than it looks. WHO notes that data may cover only practising workers or all workers registered in the occupation, depending on the original source, and that public sector data are usually the most complete. Densities calculated by WHO may also differ from those produced by countries.

Because data are not published every year for every country, the latest available figure is used, so the reference years do not line up. A high density does not by itself mean services are good or well distributed. It is best read as a rough indicator of capacity, with each country's year in mind.

A worked example

A real country's most recent reported nursing staff density is ranked against the real others, with bars easing into place as the board loads.

Settings & tips

Density is nursing and midwifery staff per 10,000 population.
Accent recolours the bars and header text.
Values and years are real, unedited WHO Global Health Observatory data.

Frequently asked questions

Is this real health data?: Yes — real nursing and midwifery personnel density per 10,000 population figures from the WHO's own Global Health Observatory API.
Is a key needed?: No. The GHO OData API is fully key-less.
How often does it update?: The pipeline re-reads the WHO's own dataset periodically, on whatever schedule WHO republishes that indicator.
Is it free?: Yes — free, no download, in your browser.
Why do the dates differ between countries?: Data are not published every year for every country, so WHO uses the latest available figure for each. A country that last reported years ago still appears with that older year.
Does the figure include doctors?: No. Doctors are counted separately. This board covers only nursing and midwifery personnel, so it says nothing about physician numbers.

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