Countries in Oceania Ranked by Nurses and midwives per 1,000 (2022)
Nurses and midwives per 1,000: each country's latest value (2017–2022), ranked from highest to lowest. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).
Summary
Australia ranks #1 with 13.5 per 1,000 people. New Zealand is second with 12.3 per 1,000 people, 9.3% behind. The top five are Australia, New Zealand, Guam, Naoero and Palau. The median across all 15 is 3.94 per 1,000 people; Papua New Guinea is last at 0.508 per 1,000 people. Australia's figure has risen 31% since 1998 (10.3 per 1,000 people to 13.5 per 1,000 people in 2022).
- #1
- Australia · 13.5 per 1,000 people
- Median
- 3.94 per 1,000 people
- Coverage
- 15 countries in Oceania
- Data year
- 2022
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Full ranking
| Rank | Country | Nurses and midwives per 1,000 (per 1,000 people) | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia | 13.5 | 2022 |
| 2 | New Zealand | 12.3 | 2023 |
| 3 | Guam | 11.6 | 2018 |
| 4 | Naoero | 7.3 | 2018 |
| 5 | Palau | 6.61 | 2023 |
| 6 | Marshall Islands | 4.31 | 2018 |
| 7 | Tonga | 4.2 | 2021 |
| 8 | Tuvalu | 3.94 | 2020 |
| 9 | Fiji | 3.85 | 2019 |
| 10 | Kiribati | 3.63 | 2018 |
| 11 | Samoa | 3.06 | 2020 |
| 12 | Micronesia, Fed. Sts. | 2.22 | 2019 |
| 13 | Solomon Islands | 2 | 2023 |
| 14 | Vanuatu | 1.46 | 2019 |
| 15 | Papua New Guinea | 0.508 | 2021 |
About the top 10
#1 Australia
Australia ranks #1 on this list with 13.5 per 1,000 people.
- Capital
- Canberra
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 27.61 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$1.8 trillion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$65,130 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 83.1 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 87.7% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane.
Also ranks #2 in regulatory quality score · #3 in access to clean cooking fuels · #4 in new businesses registered.
#2 New Zealand
New Zealand ranks #2 on this list with 12.3 per 1,000 people (2023).
- Capital
- Wellington
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 5.32 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$264.06 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$49,591 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 82 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 84% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Auckland.
Also ranks #3 in voice and accountability score · #4 in tax revenue share of gdp · #4 in control of corruption score.
#3 Guam
Guam ranks #3 on this list with 11.6 per 1,000 people (2018).
- Capital
- Hagåtña
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 169,000 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$6.91 billion (2022)
- GDP per person
- US$41,833 (2022)
- Life expectancy
- 77.4 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 94.2% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in voice and accountability score · #16 in nurses and midwives per 1,000 · #16 in diabetes prevalence.
#4 Naoero
Naoero ranks #4 on this list with 7.3 per 1,000 people (2018).
- Capital
- Yaren District
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 12,025 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$176.04 million (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$14,640 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 62.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 100% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in government revenue share of gdp · #2 in health expenditure share of gdp · #8 in atms per 100,000 adults.
#5 Palau
Palau ranks #5 on this list with 6.61 per 1,000 people (2023).
- Capital
- Ngerulmud
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 17,663 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$345 million (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$19,532 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 69.4 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 79.3% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in co2 emissions per capita · #2 in protected marine area share · #4 in forest area share.
#6 Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands ranks #6 on this list with 4.31 per 1,000 people (2018).
- Capital
- Majuro
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 36,282 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$308 million (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$8,489 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 67.1 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 79.1% of population (2025)
Also ranks #2 in diabetes prevalence · #5 in health expenditure share of gdp · #5 in completion rate (lower secondary).
#7 Tonga
Tonga ranks #7 on this list with 4.2 per 1,000 people (2021).
- Capital
- Nukuʻalofa
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 103,740 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$679.22 million (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$6,547 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 73.1 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 21.2% of population (2025)
Also ranks #7 in rural population share · #10 in completion rate (primary) · #11 in income share of poorest 10%.
#8 Tuvalu
Tuvalu ranks #8 on this list with 3.94 per 1,000 people (2020).
- Capital
- Funafuti
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 9,492 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$57.35 million (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$6,041 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 67.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 65.4% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in agricultural land share · #1 in health expenditure share of gdp · #1 in literacy rate.
#9 Fiji
Fiji ranks #9 on this list with 3.85 per 1,000 people (2019).
- Capital
- Suva
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 933,150 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$6.2 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$6,642 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 67.5 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 59.5% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in mobile subscriptions per 100 · #5 in completion rate (primary) · #6 in livestock production index.
#10 Kiribati
Kiribati ranks #10 on this list with 3.63 per 1,000 people (2018).
- Capital
- South Tarawa
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 136,490 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$349.23 million (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$2,559 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 66.6 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 63.4% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in education expenditure share of gdp · #2 in government revenue share of gdp · #3 in income share of poorest 10%.
Profile facts: World Bank (CC BY 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0); weather links go to Purr Weather, another ChowChow Labs site.
Source and method
Nurses and midwives per 1,000: each country's latest value (2017–2022), ranked from highest to lowest.
Source: The World Bank, indicator SH.MED.NUMW.P3. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Retrieved: 2026-11-14.
The World Bank: Nurses and midwives (per 1,000 people): Global Health Workforce Statistics, World Health Organization (WHO) (via World Development Indicators)
Original data provider, as recorded by the World Bank: Global Health Workforce Statistics, World Health Organization (WHO); Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); Country data.
Values are shown as published. Provider terms: The World Bank. All licences: Sources & licences.