Nurses — Health and social employment in Korea

Korea: Nurses — Health and social employment was 28.87 Per 1 000 inhabitants in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
28.87 Per 1 000 inhabitants
Change on year
up 3.6%
Rank
1st
of 2 groups
All-time high
28.87 Per 1 000 inhabitants
in 2025
All-time low
11.81 Per 1 000 inhabitants
in 2006
Years of data
20
2006–2025

Nurses — Health and social employment in Korea, 2006–2025

01020302006201520252006: 11.8 Per 1 000 inhabitants2007: 12.5 Per 1 000 inhabitants2008: 13.2 Per 1 000 inhabitants2009: 14 Per 1 000 inhabitants2010: 14.9 Per 1 000 inhabitants2011: 15.7 Per 1 000 inhabitants2012: 16.5 Per 1 000 inhabitants2013: 17.4 Per 1 000 inhabitants2014: 18.2 Per 1 000 inhabitants2015: 19.1 Per 1 000 inhabitants2016: 19.7 Per 1 000 inhabitants2017: 20.6 Per 1 000 inhabitants2018: 21.8 Per 1 000 inhabitants2019: 22.6 Per 1 000 inhabitants2020: 23.6 Per 1 000 inhabitants2021: 24.8 Per 1 000 inhabitants2022: 25.9 Per 1 000 inhabitants2023: 26.9 Per 1 000 inhabitants2024: 27.9 Per 1 000 inhabitants2025: 28.9 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 Korea stood at 28.87 Per 1 000 inhabitants. That is the highest value across all 20 years on record.

The figure is up 3.6% on the previous year and up 50.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, nurses — health and social employment in Korea peaked at 28.87 Per 1 000 inhabitants in 2025 and was at its lowest, 11.81 Per 1 000 inhabitants, in 2006.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 20 years of available data.

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

Annual values for Nurses — Health and social employment in Korea, 2006 to 2025.
Year Per 1 000 inhabitants Change
2006 11.81 Per 1 000 inhabitants
2007 12.54 Per 1 000 inhabitants +6.2%
2008 13.22 Per 1 000 inhabitants +5.4%
2009 14.01 Per 1 000 inhabitants +6.0%
2010 14.91 Per 1 000 inhabitants +6.4%
2011 15.74 Per 1 000 inhabitants +5.6%
2012 16.54 Per 1 000 inhabitants +5.1%
2013 17.4 Per 1 000 inhabitants +5.2%
2014 18.23 Per 1 000 inhabitants +4.8%
2015 19.13 Per 1 000 inhabitants +4.9%
2016 19.7 Per 1 000 inhabitants +3.0%
2017 20.57 Per 1 000 inhabitants +4.4%
2018 21.79 Per 1 000 inhabitants +5.9%
2019 22.56 Per 1 000 inhabitants +3.5%
2020 23.62 Per 1 000 inhabitants +4.7%
2021 24.75 Per 1 000 inhabitants +4.8%
2022 25.91 Per 1 000 inhabitants +4.7%
2023 26.87 Per 1 000 inhabitants +3.7%
2024 27.86 Per 1 000 inhabitants +3.7%
2025 28.87 Per 1 000 inhabitants +3.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 12.89 Per 1 000 inhabitants 11.81 Per 1 000 inhabitants 14.01 Per 1 000 inhabitants 4
2010s 18.66 Per 1 000 inhabitants 14.91 Per 1 000 inhabitants 22.56 Per 1 000 inhabitants 10
2020s 26.31 Per 1 000 inhabitants 23.62 Per 1 000 inhabitants 28.87 Per 1 000 inhabitants 6

Countries ranked near Korea

  1. 1 Iceland 31.78 Per 1 000 inhabitants compare
  2. 2 Norway 29.13 Per 1 000 inhabitants compare
  3. 3 Luxembourg 22.33 Per 1 000 inhabitants compare
  4. 4 Finland 21.14 Per 1 000 inhabitants compare

See the full ranking of 31 places →

More work & labour data for Korea

All data for Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is nurses — health and social employment in Korea?
Nurses — health and social employment in Korea was 28.87 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 Korea?
The highest recorded value was 28.87 Per 1 000 inhabitants in 2025.
What is the lowest nurses — health and social employment recorded in Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 11.81 Per 1 000 inhabitants in 2006.
How does Korea rank for nurses — health and social employment?
Korea ranks 1st out of 2 groups with data for 2025.
Is nurses — health and social employment rising or falling in Korea?
Over the last ten years it is up 50.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Korea 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 Korea. 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/korea/

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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.