Top Countries by Nurse-to-Physician Ratio in 2026
How to read this health workforce ratio snapshot
This ranking measures how many nursing and midwifery personnel are reported for every medical doctor. The displayed ratio is calculated for this page from two World Bank / WHO workforce-density indicators: nursing and midwifery personnel per population and medical doctors per population.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!This is a 2026 snapshot based on the latest available World Bank / WHO health workforce data, not a 2026 census and not an official WHO or World Bank ranking. Row years vary by country and occupation; most values are from 2022 or 2023, while some rows use older observations.
Direct answer: Zimbabwe ranks first in this Top 70 snapshot with a calculated ratio of 22.58 nurses and midwives per medical doctor. This is a page-level calculation from published World Bank / WHO density indicators, not a separate official WHO or World Bank ranking.
Data note: the source indicators are published per 1,000 people, while the table displays converted per-10,000 values for readability. The conversion does not change the ratio because both numerator and denominator are scaled the same way.
The table uses two World Bank / WHO health workforce indicators, accessed through World Bank and Our World in Data source pages. Higher ratio ranks higher, but higher does not automatically mean better health-system capacity. Unit: nurses and midwives per medical doctor. Dataset: 70 calculated ratios from published input indicators; no forecasts or projections. Source checked: July 1, 2026.
What the metric means
It compares the reported density of nursing and midwifery personnel with the reported density of medical doctors. A value of 10:1 means the source indicators imply about ten nurses and midwives per doctor.
How to read it
Read the ratio as a workforce-mix signal, not as a quality score. A high ratio can reflect many nurses, few doctors, or both.
Limitations
The ranking does not measure care quality, full-time equivalents, vacancies, rural access, licensed versus practising status, or whether doctors and nurses work in the same facilities.
Why countries differ
Differences can reflect training systems, task-shifting rules, migration, reporting definitions, physician shortages, public-sector staffing models and the mix of hospital, primary-care and community services.
Zimbabwe leads this calculated snapshot: 30.71 nursing and midwifery personnel per 10k divided by 1.36 medical doctors per 10k.
The United States is the 70th row in this Top 70 table, based on matched latest available density values.
The table covers countries and economies with both doctor and nursing/midwifery density values available.
70 ratios are calculated from published World Bank / WHO input indicators; no forecast or projection rows are used.
Overview: what the nurse-to-physician ratio measures
The nurse-to-physician ratio is a skill-mix indicator. It compares the density of nursing and midwifery personnel with the density of medical doctors. A higher value means the reported workforce has more nurses and midwives per doctor; it does not automatically mean that the health system is stronger, safer or better staffed overall.
In the World Bank / WHO workforce indicator, nursing and midwifery personnel can include professional nurses, professional midwives, auxiliary nurses, auxiliary midwives, enrolled nurses, enrolled midwives and related personnel, depending on country reporting. This broad category is why the ratio should not be read as a registered-nurse-only comparison.
The ratio is most useful when it is read together with the underlying densities. A country can rank high because nursing density is genuinely high, because physician density is very low, or because the two occupations are reported for different years. Several rows use mixed-year or older observations, including Kiribati, Somalia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Luxembourg, so those entries should be interpreted with extra caution.
The ranking does not measure hospital quality, clinical outcomes, rural access, migration, vacancies, full-time equivalents, licensed versus practising status or the distribution of nurses and doctors inside the country.
Top 10 by nurses and midwives per medical doctor
The leading rows are mostly countries where physician density is low relative to the reported nursing and midwifery workforce. Several top-ranked entries should be interpreted as workforce-balance signals rather than proof of abundant clinical capacity.
Top 10 countries and economies, calculated from latest available density pairs
| Rank | Entity | Ratio | Calculation note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zimbabwe | 22.58:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 30.71 per 10k (2022); doctors 1.36 per 10k (2023); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 2 | Kiribati | 18.80:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 36.28 per 10k (2018); doctors 1.93 per 10k (2013); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 3 | Eritrea | 17.53:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 15.43 per 10k (2022); doctors 0.88 per 10k (2022); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 4 | South Sudan | 16.85:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 6.91 per 10k (2022); doctors 0.41 per 10k (2022); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 5 | Ghana | 15.45:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 41.1 per 10k (2023); doctors 2.66 per 10k (2023); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 6 | Central African Republic | 14.82:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 10.97 per 10k (2023); doctors 0.74 per 10k (2023); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 7 | Rwanda | 12.29:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 11.06 per 10k (2022); doctors 0.9 per 10k (2022); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 8 | Uganda | 11.86:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 22.65 per 10k (2022); doctors 1.91 per 10k (2022); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 9 | Niger | 11.08:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 4.21 per 10k (2023); doctors 0.38 per 10k (2023); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 10 | Burundi | 10.18:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 7.94 per 10k (2023); doctors 0.78 per 10k (2022); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
Values are rounded to two decimals for display. Ranking is calculated from the underlying ratio, descending. Source indicator unit is per 1,000 people; row notes show converted per-10,000 values for readability.
Chart: Top 20 nurse-to-physician ratios
The chart uses the same calculated ratios as the ranking table. The largest bars often combine modest nursing density with very low reported doctor density, so the bar length should be read as occupational mix, not as total workforce adequacy.
Methodology
Metric: nurse-to-physician ratio. Unit: nursing and midwifery personnel per medical doctor. Direction: higher values rank higher, although higher is not automatically better. Target year: 2026 snapshot based on latest available workforce-density values, not a synchronized 2026 reporting year. Source checked: July 1, 2026.
Formula
Ratio = nursing and midwifery personnel density divided by medical doctors density. Source indicators are published per 1,000 people; row notes use converted per-10,000 values for readability. The ratio is unchanged because both inputs are scaled equally.
Data sources
The numeric values come from World Bank WDI / WHO Global Health Workforce Statistics indicators. Our World in Data source pages are used for accessible country display and metadata. The page does not use a separate estimate, forecast or commercial dataset.
Inclusion and exclusion
A country or economy appears in the table only when both medical doctor density and nursing/midwifery density are available. Economies without a matched pair, missing values or unusable zero denominators are excluded.
Rounding and limits
Ratios are calculated before ranking and rounded to two decimals for display. Input values in row notes are converted to per 10,000 people for readability. Older and mixed-year input pairs remain visible in the calculation notes.
The metric does not measure full-time equivalent staffing, licensed versus practising staff, task-shifting rules, quality of care, vacancies, training pipeline, migration, urban-rural distribution or whether nurses and doctors work in the same facilities. It is a workforce-mix indicator, not a health-system performance score.
Main ranking: Top 70 nurse-to-physician ratio snapshot
Use the controls to search by country or economy, filter by region or data status, change sort order, or switch between Top 10, Top 20 and all 70 rows.
Top 70 countries and economies by nurse-to-physician ratio calculated from published World Bank / WHO indicators
| Rank | Entity | Ratio | Calculation note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zimbabwe | 22.58:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 30.71 per 10k (2022); doctors 1.36 per 10k (2023); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 2 | Kiribati | 18.80:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 36.28 per 10k (2018); doctors 1.93 per 10k (2013); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 3 | Eritrea | 17.53:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 15.43 per 10k (2022); doctors 0.88 per 10k (2022); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 4 | South Sudan | 16.85:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 6.91 per 10k (2022); doctors 0.41 per 10k (2022); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 5 | Ghana | 15.45:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 41.1 per 10k (2023); doctors 2.66 per 10k (2023); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 6 | Central African Republic | 14.82:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 10.97 per 10k (2023); doctors 0.74 per 10k (2023); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 7 | Rwanda | 12.29:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 11.06 per 10k (2022); doctors 0.9 per 10k (2022); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 8 | Uganda | 11.86:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 22.65 per 10k (2022); doctors 1.91 per 10k (2022); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 9 | Niger | 11.08:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 4.21 per 10k (2023); doctors 0.38 per 10k (2023); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 10 | Burundi | 10.18:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 7.94 per 10k (2023); doctors 0.78 per 10k (2022); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 11 | Namibia | 9.74:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 53.86 per 10k (2022); doctors 5.53 per 10k (2022); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 12 | Malawi | 9.39:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 5.07 per 10k (2022); doctors 0.54 per 10k (2022); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 13 | Marshall Islands | 9.22:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 43.05 per 10k (2018); doctors 4.67 per 10k (2012); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 14 | Zambia | 9.06:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 29.36 per 10k (2022); doctors 3.24 per 10k (2022); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 15 | Equatorial Guinea | 8.99:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 13.75 per 10k (2022); doctors 1.53 per 10k (2022); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 16 | Vanuatu | 8.90:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 14.59 per 10k (2019); doctors 1.64 per 10k (2019); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 17 | Sierra Leone | 8.68:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 11.63 per 10k (2022); doctors 1.34 per 10k (2022); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 18 | Ethiopia | 8.55:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 12.22 per 10k (2022); doctors 1.43 per 10k (2023); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 19 | Solomon Islands | 8.41:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 20.01 per 10k (2023); doctors 2.38 per 10k (2023); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 20 | Papua New Guinea | 8.33:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 5.08 per 10k (2021); doctors 0.61 per 10k (2023); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 21 | South Africa | 8.05:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 63.93 per 10k (2022); doctors 7.94 per 10k (2022); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 22 | Botswana | 7.96:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 30.18 per 10k (2023); doctors 3.79 per 10k (2023); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 23 | Kenya | 7.87:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 22.73 per 10k (2023); doctors 2.89 per 10k (2023); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 24 | Angola | 7.68:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 18.73 per 10k (2022); doctors 2.44 per 10k (2022); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 25 | Eswatini | 7.65:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 42.6 per 10k (2023); doctors 5.57 per 10k (2023); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 26 | Lesotho | 7.47:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 17.56 per 10k (2022); doctors 2.35 per 10k (2022); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 27 | Gambia | 7.31:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 6.58 per 10k (2023); doctors 0.9 per 10k (2023); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 28 | Niue | 6.66:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 111.1 per 10k (2018); doctors 16.67 per 10k (2008); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 29 | Thailand | 6.60:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 35.72 per 10k (2023); doctors 5.41 per 10k (2021); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 30 | Republic of the Congo | 6.48:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 11.21 per 10k (2022); doctors 1.73 per 10k (2022); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 31 | Burkina Faso | 6.41:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 9.49 per 10k (2023); doctors 1.48 per 10k (2022); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 32 | Indonesia | 6.18:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 32.4 per 10k (2023); doctors 5.24 per 10k (2023); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 33 | Togo | 6.17:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 4.94 per 10k (2022); doctors 0.8 per 10k (2022); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 34 | Mauritania | 6.16:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 16.09 per 10k (2022); doctors 2.61 per 10k (2022); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 35 | Philippines | 6.05:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 47.88 per 10k (2021); doctors 7.92 per 10k (2021); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 36 | Dominica | 5.84:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 67.6 per 10k (2018); doctors 11.58 per 10k (2018); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 37 | Nauru | 5.74:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 73.04 per 10k (2018); doctors 12.73 per 10k (2015); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 38 | Liberia | 5.66:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 10.07 per 10k (2022); doctors 1.78 per 10k (2022); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 39 | DR Congo | 5.62:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 11.68 per 10k (2022); doctors 2.08 per 10k (2022); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 40 | Yemen | 5.52:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 5.41 per 10k (2023); doctors 0.98 per 10k (2023); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 41 | Samoa | 5.45:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 30.58 per 10k (2020); doctors 5.61 per 10k (2021); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 42 | Somalia | 5.44:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 2.61 per 10k (2014); doctors 0.48 per 10k (2014); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 43 | Mozambique | 5.34:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 9.34 per 10k (2022); doctors 1.75 per 10k (2022); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 44 | New Zealand | 5.21:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 123 per 10k (2023); doctors 23.61 per 10k (2022); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 45 | Tanzania | 5.17:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 6.93 per 10k (2023); doctors 1.34 per 10k (2022); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 46 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 5.05:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 47.38 per 10k (2023); doctors 9.38 per 10k (2012); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 47 | Japan | 4.90:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 129.8 per 10k (2022); doctors 26.49 per 10k (2022); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 48 | Cameroon | 4.85:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 6.59 per 10k (2022); doctors 1.36 per 10k (2022); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 49 | Uzbekistan | 4.80:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 110.8 per 10k (2020); doctors 23.1 per 10k (2020); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 50 | Cambodia | 4.78:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 10.08 per 10k (2019); doctors 2.11 per 10k (2019); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 51 | Ivory Coast | 4.78:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 7.93 per 10k (2023); doctors 1.66 per 10k (2023); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 52 | Fiji | 4.74:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 38.52 per 10k (2019); doctors 8.13 per 10k (2015); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 53 | Sao Tome and Principe | 4.67:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 21.65 per 10k (2022); doctors 4.64 per 10k (2022); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 54 | Cook Islands | 4.61:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 76.92 per 10k (2020); doctors 16.67 per 10k (2020); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 55 | Luxembourg | 4.60:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 137.2 per 10k (2023); doctors 29.84 per 10k (2017); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 56 | Gabon | 4.55:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 23.7 per 10k (2022); doctors 5.21 per 10k (2022); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 57 | Nigeria | 4.33:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 16.47 per 10k (2022); doctors 3.8 per 10k (2023); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 58 | Sudan | 4.33:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 10.83 per 10k (2018); doctors 2.5 per 10k (2017); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 59 | Switzerland | 4.19:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 187.6 per 10k (2022); doctors 44.77 per 10k (2022); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 60 | Tonga | 4.14:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 41.99 per 10k (2021); doctors 10.14 per 10k (2021); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 61 | Nepal | 4.05:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 40.92 per 10k (2023); doctors 10.11 per 10k (2023); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 62 | Canada | 3.99:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 112.6 per 10k (2023); doctors 28.19 per 10k (2023); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 63 | Guinea-Bissau | 3.93:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 9.9 per 10k (2022); doctors 2.52 per 10k (2022); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 64 | Senegal | 3.89:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 4.24 per 10k (2023); doctors 1.09 per 10k (2023); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 65 | Finland | 3.88:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 140.1 per 10k (2021); doctors 36.09 per 10k (2021); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 66 | Comoros | 3.88:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 16.44 per 10k (2022); doctors 4.24 per 10k (2022); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 67 | Ireland | 3.81:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 147.8 per 10k (2023); doctors 38.75 per 10k (2023); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 68 | Bhutan | 3.71:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 20.52 per 10k (2022); doctors 5.53 per 10k (2022); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 69 | Palau | 3.66:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 66.1 per 10k (2023); doctors 18.08 per 10k (2023); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
| 70 | United States | 3.63:1 | Status: calculated ratio; source: World Bank / WHO via OWID; nurses and midwives 133.8 per 10k (2022); doctors 36.81 per 10k (2022); formula: nursing density / doctor density. |
Source checked: July 1, 2026. World Bank / WHO health workforce indicators are accessed through World Bank and Our World in Data source pages. Values are rounded for display after ranking; source units are per 1,000 people and row notes display converted per-10,000 values.
Insights from the nurse-to-physician ratio table
Key insight
The highest ratios are not necessarily the countries with the most nurses. Several leaders rank high because the doctor-density denominator is very low compared with the reported nursing and midwifery workforce.
Notable pattern
Sub-Saharan African countries dominate the top of the table, reflecting a workforce mix where medical doctor density is often low relative to nursing and midwifery density.
Regional concentration
Pacific island economies also appear high in the ranking, but several of those rows use older or mixed-year observations. Kiribati, Niue, Marshall Islands and Nauru require extra caution because their doctor and nurse observations are not always from the same year.
Outlier
New Zealand, Japan, Switzerland, Canada and the United States appear lower than many low-income countries because their doctor density is also high, even when nurse density is substantial.
What this ranking means for readers
How to read it
A ratio of 10:1 means the published density values imply about ten nurses and midwives for each medical doctor. It does not show whether there are enough total health workers for the population.
Why countries differ
Differences can reflect training systems, task-shifting rules, workforce migration, public-sector staffing models, reporting definitions, physician shortages and the mix of hospital, primary-care and community services.
Published inputs versus calculated ratio
The input values are published workforce-density indicators from World Bank / WHO datasets. The ratio itself is calculated for this page from the matched pair of indicators and is not a separate official WHO or World Bank ranking.
Interpretation risk
A very high ratio can signal a nurse-heavy skill mix, but it can also signal too few doctors. A low ratio can reflect more doctors, fewer nurses, or a more physician-centered reporting structure.
FAQ
Which country has the highest nurse-to-physician ratio in this snapshot?
Zimbabwe ranks first in this Top 70 snapshot, with a calculated ratio of 22.58 nurses and midwives per medical doctor.
Are these 2025 or 2026 workforce values?
No. This is a 2026 snapshot based on the latest available World Bank / WHO health workforce values. Most rows use values from 2022 or 2023, while some countries use older available observations.
Is the nurse-to-physician ratio an official WHO ranking?
No. The input indicators come from published health workforce datasets, but the ratio and ranking are calculated for this page from the two matched density indicators.
Why are some rich countries not near the top?
Countries with many nurses can still have lower ratios if they also have many medical doctors. The metric measures occupational balance, not total health-worker abundance.
Why do some rows use different years for doctors and nurses?
Countries do not always report each health workforce category in the same year. The table keeps those rows only when both values exist, and the paired years are shown in the calculation note.
Does a high ratio mean better healthcare access?
Not by itself. Access also depends on total workforce density, geography, facilities, financing, specialist availability, rural coverage, migration, regulation and service organization.
What does this metric exclude?
It does not measure full-time equivalents, vacancies, licensed versus practising status, care quality, health outcomes, nurse specialization, doctor specialization or subnational distribution.
Sources
Our World in Data — Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people
Used for accessible nursing and midwifery personnel density display, source metadata, unit and date range. Source checked: July 1, 2026.
https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/nurses-and-midwives-per-1000-people
Our World in Data — Medical doctors per 1,000 people
Used for accessible medical doctor density display, source metadata, unit and date range. Source checked: July 1, 2026.
https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/physicians-per-1000-people
World Bank Data — Nurses and midwives
Original World Bank indicator page for SH.MED.NUMW.P3, based on Global Health Workforce Statistics, WHO, OECD and country data. Source checked: July 1, 2026.
World Bank Data — Physicians
Original World Bank indicator page for SH.MED.PHYS.ZS, based on Global Health Workforce Statistics, WHO, OECD and country data. Source checked: July 1, 2026.
