Mapped: Nursing Graduates by Country
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Key Takeaways
- Australia (112) and Switzerland (110) lead the world in nursing graduates per capita, far exceeding the average of 44 per 100,000 inhabitants.
- Other high-ranking countries include South Korea (96), Norway (84), and Iceland (78), showing strong investments in healthcare training pipelines.
- At the lower end, Colombia (9), Luxembourg (10), and Italy (17) report the fewest graduates per capita, signaling possible long-term healthcare workforce challenges.
Nurses are the backbone of modern healthcare, playing a critical role in everything from primary care to emergency response.
As global populations age and demand for care grows, training the next generation of nurses has become a priority for many countries.
This map shows the number of nursing graduates per 100,000 inhabitants using data from the OECD. No data was available for the OECD countries Canada, Costa Rica, Greece, and the UK.
Countries Leading in Nursing Graduates Per Capita
The data for this table comes from OECD and measures the annual number of nursing graduates relative to each country’s population, providing insight into how well nations are preparing their healthcare workforce.
| Country | Nursing Graduates per 100,000 Inhabitants |
|---|---|
 Australia |
112 |
 Switzerland |
110 |
 Korea |
96 |
 Norway |
84 |
 Iceland |
78 |
 Finland |
74 |
 United States |
73 |
 Netherlands |
63 |
 New Zealand |
53 |
 Japan |
52 |
 Denmark |
49 |
 Germany |
44 |
 Austria |
43 |
 Belgium |
42 |
 Sweden |
41 |
 France |
41 |
 Chile |
37 |
 Czechia |
36 |
 Israel |
35 |
 Slovenia |
33 |
 Ireland |
32 |
 Estonia |
30 |
 Hungary |
30 |
 Lithuania |
28 |
 Portugal |
28 |
 Slovak Rep. |
26 |
 Spain |
24 |
 Latvia |
20 |
 Poland |
20 |
 Türkiye |
19 |
 Mexico |
18 |
 Italy |
17 |
 Luxembourg |
10 |
 Colombia |
9 |
Australia and Switzerland top the chart with 112 and 110 nursing graduates per 100,000 people respectively—more than double the OECD average of 44. These high numbers suggest well-developed training systems, likely supported by substantial public investment and healthcare infrastructure.
South Korea (96), Norway (84), and Iceland (78) also rank highly, further showcasing the emphasis on workforce sustainability in countries with advanced healthcare systems.
Countries Lagging Behind in Nurses
Some countries face significantly lower nursing graduate rates. Colombia (9) and Luxembourg (10) sit at the bottom, while Italy (17) also lags far behind.
These figures could point to future workforce shortages, especially as these countries face aging populations and rising healthcare needs.
Other countries like Spain (24) and Portugal (28) also fall below average, raising questions about the scalability of their healthcare systems in the coming decades.
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