Nurses — Health and social employment in Ireland

Ireland: Nurses — Health and social employment was 17.13 Per 1 000 inhabitants in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
17.13 Per 1 000 inhabitants
Change on year
up 1.4%
World rank
10th
of 24 countries
All-time high
17.13 Per 1 000 inhabitants
in 2025
All-time low
11.48 Per 1 000 inhabitants
in 1994
Years of data
32
1994–2025

Nurses — Health and social employment in Ireland, 1994–2025

0510151994200920251994: 11.5 Per 1 000 inhabitants1995: 11.9 Per 1 000 inhabitants1996: 12.3 Per 1 000 inhabitants1997: 12.8 Per 1 000 inhabitants1998: 13.1 Per 1 000 inhabitants1999: 13.6 Per 1 000 inhabitants2000: 13.9 Per 1 000 inhabitants2001: 14.8 Per 1 000 inhabitants2002: 15.3 Per 1 000 inhabitants2003: 14.8 Per 1 000 inhabitants2004: 14.9 Per 1 000 inhabitants2005: 15.1 Per 1 000 inhabitants2006: 15.3 Per 1 000 inhabitants2007: 15.3 Per 1 000 inhabitants2008: 15.3 Per 1 000 inhabitants2009: 15.1 Per 1 000 inhabitants2010: 14.8 Per 1 000 inhabitants2011: 14.7 Per 1 000 inhabitants2012: 14.5 Per 1 000 inhabitants2013: 14.4 Per 1 000 inhabitants2014: 13.9 Per 1 000 inhabitants2015: 13.9 Per 1 000 inhabitants2016: 14.2 Per 1 000 inhabitants2017: 14.7 Per 1 000 inhabitants2018: 15.2 Per 1 000 inhabitants2019: 15.5 Per 1 000 inhabitants2020: 16 Per 1 000 inhabitants2021: 16.1 Per 1 000 inhabitants2022: 16 Per 1 000 inhabitants2023: 16.5 Per 1 000 inhabitants2024: 16.9 Per 1 000 inhabitants2025: 17.1 Per 1 000 inhabitants

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for nurses — health and social employment in Ireland is 17.13 Per 1 000 inhabitants, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 32 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.4% on the previous year and up 23.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, nurses — health and social employment in Ireland peaked at 17.13 Per 1 000 inhabitants in 2025 and was at its lowest, 11.48 Per 1 000 inhabitants, in 1994.

That places Ireland 10th out of 24 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 32 years of available data.

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

Annual values for Nurses — Health and social employment in Ireland, 1994 to 2025.
Year Per 1 000 inhabitants Change
1994 11.48 Per 1 000 inhabitants
1995 11.9 Per 1 000 inhabitants +3.7%
1996 12.32 Per 1 000 inhabitants +3.5%
1997 12.83 Per 1 000 inhabitants +4.1%
1998 13.08 Per 1 000 inhabitants +1.9%
1999 13.57 Per 1 000 inhabitants +3.7%
2000 13.95 Per 1 000 inhabitants +2.8%
2001 14.76 Per 1 000 inhabitants +5.8%
2002 15.28 Per 1 000 inhabitants +3.5%
2003 14.76 Per 1 000 inhabitants -3.4%
2004 14.93 Per 1 000 inhabitants +1.2%
2005 15.06 Per 1 000 inhabitants +0.9%
2006 15.3 Per 1 000 inhabitants +1.6%
2007 15.29 Per 1 000 inhabitants -0.1%
2008 15.28 Per 1 000 inhabitants -0.1%
2009 15.1 Per 1 000 inhabitants -1.2%
2010 14.78 Per 1 000 inhabitants -2.1%
2011 14.66 Per 1 000 inhabitants -0.8%
2012 14.54 Per 1 000 inhabitants -0.8%
2013 14.36 Per 1 000 inhabitants -1.2%
2014 13.91 Per 1 000 inhabitants -3.1%
2015 13.87 Per 1 000 inhabitants -0.3%
2016 14.18 Per 1 000 inhabitants +2.2%
2017 14.7 Per 1 000 inhabitants +3.7%
2018 15.15 Per 1 000 inhabitants +3.1%
2019 15.5 Per 1 000 inhabitants +2.3%
2020 16 Per 1 000 inhabitants +3.2%
2021 16.09 Per 1 000 inhabitants +0.6%
2022 16.03 Per 1 000 inhabitants -0.4%
2023 16.5 Per 1 000 inhabitants +2.9%
2024 16.9 Per 1 000 inhabitants +2.4%
2025 17.13 Per 1 000 inhabitants +1.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 12.53 Per 1 000 inhabitants 11.48 Per 1 000 inhabitants 13.57 Per 1 000 inhabitants 6
2000s 14.97 Per 1 000 inhabitants 13.95 Per 1 000 inhabitants 15.3 Per 1 000 inhabitants 10
2010s 14.57 Per 1 000 inhabitants 13.87 Per 1 000 inhabitants 15.5 Per 1 000 inhabitants 10
2020s 16.44 Per 1 000 inhabitants 16 Per 1 000 inhabitants 17.13 Per 1 000 inhabitants 6

Countries ranked near Ireland

  1. 7 United States of America 20.22 Per 1 000 inhabitants compare
  2. 8 Denmark 19.67 Per 1 000 inhabitants compare
  3. 9 Australia 18.01 Per 1 000 inhabitants compare
  4. 11 New Zealand 16.06 Per 1 000 inhabitants compare
  5. 12 Serbia 13.29 Per 1 000 inhabitants compare
  6. 13 Austria 12.98 Per 1 000 inhabitants compare

See the full ranking of 31 places →

More work & labour data for Ireland

All data for Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is nurses — health and social employment in Ireland?
Nurses — health and social employment in Ireland was 17.13 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 Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 17.13 Per 1 000 inhabitants in 2025.
What is the lowest nurses — health and social employment recorded in Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 11.48 Per 1 000 inhabitants in 1994.
How does Ireland rank for nurses — health and social employment?
Ireland ranks 10th out of 24 countries with data for 2025.
Is nurses — health and social employment rising or falling in Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is up 23.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Ireland 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 Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 25 August 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/nurses-health-and-social-employment/ireland/

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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.