Countries With the Fastest Decline in Nurses and midwives per 1,000 (5-Year Change)
Change in Nurses and midwives per 1,000 over the five years to each country's latest year, in points (a share or rate is not shown as a % of itself). Only countries that fell are listed. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).
Summary
Brazil fell the most: by 4.78, from 10.3 per 1,000 people to 5.5 per 1,000 people in the five years to 2023. St. Vincent and the Grenadines is second (−2.63), followed by Kuwait (−2.61). 37 countries fell over that period; the median change among them was −0.292.
- #1
- Brazil · −4.78
- Median
- −0.292
- Coverage
- 37 countries
- Data year
- 2022
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Full ranking
| Rank | Country | From | To | 5-year change (per 1,000 people) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brazil | 10.3 | 5.5 | −4.78 |
| 2 | St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 7.37 | 4.74 | −2.63 |
| 3 | Kuwait | 7.15 | 4.55 | −2.61 |
| 4 | Russian Federation | 9.02 | 7.04 | −1.98 |
| 5 | Maldives | 6.98 | 5.02 | −1.97 |
| 6 | Kiribati | 5.45 | 3.63 | −1.82 |
| 7 | Grenada | 6.05 | 4.58 | −1.47 |
| 8 | Suriname | 2.65 | 1.73 | −0.922 |
| 9 | Palau | 7.3 | 6.61 | −0.693 |
| 10 | Bulgaria | 4.8 | 4.2 | −0.6 |
| 11 | Gabon | 2.82 | 2.37 | −0.45 |
| 12 | Tunisia | 2.61 | 2.16 | −0.446 |
| 13 | Kyrgyz Republic | 4.51 | 4.08 | −0.429 |
| 14 | Latvia | 4.77 | 4.37 | −0.399 |
| 15 | Cuba | 7.98 | 7.6 | −0.379 |
| 16 | Ghana | 4.42 | 4.11 | −0.313 |
| 17 | Botswana | 3.33 | 3.02 | −0.307 |
| 18 | Belize | 2.36 | 2.06 | −0.299 |
| 19 | Turkmenistan | 3.78 | 3.49 | −0.292 |
| 20 | Bahamas, The | 4.48 | 4.22 | −0.26 |
| 21 | Peru | 2.99 | 2.74 | −0.248 |
| 22 | Lithuania | 8.03 | 7.84 | −0.182 |
| 23 | Moldova | 6.47 | 6.32 | −0.155 |
| 24 | Armenia | 4.9 | 4.75 | −0.151 |
| 25 | Lao PDR | 1.18 | 1.03 | −0.15 |
| 26 | Mali | 0.411 | 0.268 | −0.143 |
| 27 | Azerbaijan | 5.71 | 5.58 | −0.134 |
| 28 | Chad | 0.297 | 0.167 | −0.13 |
| 29 | Belarus | 11 | 10.8 | −0.13 |
| 30 | Kazakhstan | 6.62 | 6.49 | −0.128 |
| 31 | Yemen, Rep. | 0.657 | 0.541 | −0.116 |
| 32 | Costa Rica | 3.12 | 3.07 | −0.053 |
| 33 | Seychelles | 7.37 | 7.32 | −0.045 |
| 34 | Sweden | 11.7 | 11.7 | −0.04 |
| 35 | Egypt, Arab Rep. | 1.83 | 1.79 | −0.037 |
| 36 | Malta | 8.28 | 8.24 | −0.033 |
| 37 | Cyprus | 3.92 | 3.89 | −0.022 |
About the top 10
#1 Brazil
Brazil ranks #1 on this list with −4.78.
- Capital
- Brasília
- Continent
- South America
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 212.81 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$2.28 trillion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$10,713 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 76 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 88.2% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Greater Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro.
Also ranks #1 in new businesses registered · #2 in forest area · #3 in external debt stocks.
#2 St. Vincent and the Grenadines
St. Vincent and the Grenadines ranks #2 on this list with −2.63.
- Capital
- Kingstown
- Continent
- North America
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 99,924 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$1.26 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$12,562 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 71.4 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 48% of population (2025)
Also ranks #3 in homicide rate · #5 in cereal yield · #6 in youth unemployment rate.
#3 Kuwait
Kuwait ranks #3 on this list with −2.61.
- Capital
- Kuwait City
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 4.87 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$157.21 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$32,312 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 84.6 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 100% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Kuwait City.
Also ranks #1 in fertiliser consumption · #2 in access to sanitation · #3 in population ages 15-64 share.
#4 Russian Federation
Russian Federation ranks #4 on this list with −1.98.
- Capital
- Moscow
- Continent
- Europe
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 143.51 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$2.56 trillion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$17,547 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 73.4 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 75.3% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Novosibirsk.
Also ranks #1 in land area · #1 in surface area · #1 in forest area.
#5 Maldives
Maldives ranks #5 on this list with −1.97.
- Capital
- Malé
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 529,680 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$7.74 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$14,615 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 81.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 42.5% of population (2025)
Also ranks #5 in male population share · #5 in population ages 15-64 share · #8 in population density.
#6 Kiribati
Kiribati ranks #6 on this list with −1.82.
- 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%.
#7 Grenada
Grenada ranks #7 on this list with −1.47.
- Capital
- St. George's
- Continent
- North America
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 117,300 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$1.42 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$12,107 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 75.4 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 36.7% of population (2025)
Also ranks #15 in gini index · #16 in income share of richest 10% · #23 in homicide rate.
#8 Suriname
Suriname ranks #8 on this list with −0.922.
- Capital
- Paramaribo
- Continent
- South America
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 639,850 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$4.52 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$7,070 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 73.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 65.8% of population (2025)
Also ranks #2 in forest area share · #3 in irrigated land share · #3 in water resources per capita.
#9 Palau
Palau ranks #9 on this list with −0.693.
- 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.
#10 Bulgaria
Bulgaria ranks #10 on this list with −0.6.
- Capital
- Sofia
- Continent
- Europe
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 6.43 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$130.78 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$20,328 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 75.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 74.2% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Sofia.
Also ranks #2 in death rate · #2 in bank branches per 100,000 adults · #6 in hospital beds per 10,000.
Profile facts: World Bank (CC BY 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0); weather links go to Purr Weather, another ChowChow Labs site.
Source and method
Change in Nurses and midwives per 1,000 over the five years to each country's latest year, in points (a share or rate is not shown as a % of itself). Only countries that fell are listed.
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 (changes are computed from the published values). Provider terms: The World Bank. All licences: Sources & licences.