Nurses — Health and social employment in Belgium

Belgium: Nurses — Health and social employment was 20.26 Per 1 000 inhabitants in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
20.26 Per 1 000 inhabitants
Change on year
up 1.3%
World rank
6th
of 24 countries
All-time high
20.26 Per 1 000 inhabitants
in 2025
All-time low
13.81 Per 1 000 inhabitants
in 2004
Years of data
22
2004–2025

Nurses — Health and social employment in Belgium, 2004–2025

051015202004201420252004: 13.8 Per 1 000 inhabitants2005: 14 Per 1 000 inhabitants2006: 14.3 Per 1 000 inhabitants2007: 14.5 Per 1 000 inhabitants2008: 14.7 Per 1 000 inhabitants2009: 14.9 Per 1 000 inhabitants2010: 15.1 Per 1 000 inhabitants2011: 15.4 Per 1 000 inhabitants2012: 15.7 Per 1 000 inhabitants2013: 16.2 Per 1 000 inhabitants2014: 16.6 Per 1 000 inhabitants2015: 17 Per 1 000 inhabitants2016: 17.5 Per 1 000 inhabitants2017: 18 Per 1 000 inhabitants2018: 18.4 Per 1 000 inhabitants2019: 18.7 Per 1 000 inhabitants2020: 18.9 Per 1 000 inhabitants2021: 19.3 Per 1 000 inhabitants2022: 19.6 Per 1 000 inhabitants2023: 19.8 Per 1 000 inhabitants2024: 20 Per 1 000 inhabitants2025: 20.3 Per 1 000 inhabitants

Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Per 1 000 inhabitants.

Analysis

In 2025, nurses — health and social employment in Belgium stood at 20.26 Per 1 000 inhabitants. That is the highest value across all 22 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.3% on the previous year and up 19.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, nurses — health and social employment in Belgium peaked at 20.26 Per 1 000 inhabitants in 2025 and was at its lowest, 13.81 Per 1 000 inhabitants, in 2004.

Belgium ranks 6th of 24 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.

Nurses — Health and social employment in Belgium, year by year

Annual values for Nurses — Health and social employment in Belgium, 2004 to 2025.
Year Per 1 000 inhabitants Change
2004 13.81 Per 1 000 inhabitants
2005 14.04 Per 1 000 inhabitants +1.7%
2006 14.26 Per 1 000 inhabitants +1.6%
2007 14.48 Per 1 000 inhabitants +1.5%
2008 14.71 Per 1 000 inhabitants +1.6%
2009 14.94 Per 1 000 inhabitants +1.6%
2010 15.06 Per 1 000 inhabitants +0.8%
2011 15.4 Per 1 000 inhabitants +2.3%
2012 15.74 Per 1 000 inhabitants +2.2%
2013 16.16 Per 1 000 inhabitants +2.7%
2014 16.62 Per 1 000 inhabitants +2.8%
2015 17.01 Per 1 000 inhabitants +2.3%
2016 17.48 Per 1 000 inhabitants +2.8%
2017 17.96 Per 1 000 inhabitants +2.7%
2018 18.42 Per 1 000 inhabitants +2.6%
2019 18.66 Per 1 000 inhabitants +1.3%
2020 18.95 Per 1 000 inhabitants +1.6%
2021 19.3 Per 1 000 inhabitants +1.8%
2022 19.56 Per 1 000 inhabitants +1.3%
2023 19.77 Per 1 000 inhabitants +1.1%
2024 20 Per 1 000 inhabitants +1.2%
2025 20.26 Per 1 000 inhabitants +1.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 14.37 Per 1 000 inhabitants 13.81 Per 1 000 inhabitants 14.94 Per 1 000 inhabitants 6
2010s 16.85 Per 1 000 inhabitants 15.06 Per 1 000 inhabitants 18.66 Per 1 000 inhabitants 10
2020s 19.64 Per 1 000 inhabitants 18.95 Per 1 000 inhabitants 20.26 Per 1 000 inhabitants 6

Countries ranked near Belgium

  1. 3 Luxembourg 22.33 Per 1 000 inhabitants compare
  2. 4 Finland 21.14 Per 1 000 inhabitants compare
  3. 5 Sweden 21.08 Per 1 000 inhabitants compare
  4. 7 United States of America 20.22 Per 1 000 inhabitants compare
  5. 8 Denmark 19.67 Per 1 000 inhabitants compare
  6. 9 Australia 18.01 Per 1 000 inhabitants compare

See the full ranking of 31 places →

More work & labour data for Belgium

All data for Belgium →

Frequently asked questions

What is nurses — health and social employment in Belgium?
Nurses — health and social employment in Belgium was 20.26 Per 1 000 inhabitants in 2025, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
What is the highest nurses — health and social employment recorded in Belgium?
The highest recorded value was 20.26 Per 1 000 inhabitants in 2025.
What is the lowest nurses — health and social employment recorded in Belgium?
The lowest recorded value was 13.81 Per 1 000 inhabitants in 2004.
How does Belgium rank for nurses — health and social employment?
Belgium ranks 6th out of 24 countries with data for 2025.
Is nurses — health and social employment rising or falling in Belgium?
Over the last ten years it is up 19.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Belgium data come from?
The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Nurses — Health and social employment. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Nurses — Health and social employment in Belgium. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 24 August 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/nurses-health-and-social-employment/belgium/

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About this data

Indicator
Nurses — Health and social employment
Unit
Per 1 000 inhabitants
Source
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Licence
OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
31 places, 714 data points, 1980–2025
Last refreshed

This dataset provides data on the number of nurses by status (ie. practising nurses, professionally active nurses, and nurses licenced to practice) and category (ie. Professional nurses and associate professional nurses). Practising nurses provide services directly to patients. Professionally active nurses include practising nurses and other nurses for whom their education is a prerequisite for the execution of the job. A nurse licensed to practice has completed a programme of nursing education and is qualified and authorised in his/her country to practice nursing. They include practising and other (non-practising) nurses. Professional nurses assume responsibility for the planning and management of the care of patients, including the supervision of other healthcare workers, working autonomously or in teams with medical doctors and others in the practical application of preventive and curative measures. Associate professional nurses generally work under the supervision of, and in support of implementation of healthcare, treatment and referrals plans established by medical, nursing and other health professionals. Please refer to the Sources and Methods for detailed country-specific information.