Nurses — Health and social employment in United States
United States: Nurses — Health and social employment was 20.22 Per 1 000 inhabitants in 2025. ▲ Rising
Nurses — Health and social employment in United States, 1987–2025
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 United States is 20.22 Per 1 000 inhabitants, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 38 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.0% on the previous year and up 23.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, nurses — health and social employment in United States peaked at 20.22 Per 1 000 inhabitants in 2025 and was at its lowest, 13.11 Per 1 000 inhabitants, in 1987.
That places United States 7th 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 38 years of available data.
Nurses — Health and social employment in United States, year by year
| Year | Per 1 000 inhabitants | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 13.11 Per 1 000 inhabitants | — |
| 1988 | 13.28 Per 1 000 inhabitants | +1.3% |
| 1989 | 13.59 Per 1 000 inhabitants | +2.3% |
| 1990 | 13.4 Per 1 000 inhabitants | -1.4% |
| 1991 | 13.76 Per 1 000 inhabitants | +2.7% |
| 1992 | 13.61 Per 1 000 inhabitants | -1.1% |
| 1993 | 13.8 Per 1 000 inhabitants | +1.4% |
| 1994 | 14.46 Per 1 000 inhabitants | +4.8% |
| 1996 | 14.35 Per 1 000 inhabitants | -0.8% |
| 1997 | 14.21 Per 1 000 inhabitants | -1.0% |
| 1998 | 14.4 Per 1 000 inhabitants | +1.3% |
| 1999 | 14.37 Per 1 000 inhabitants | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 14.2 Per 1 000 inhabitants | -1.2% |
| 2001 | 13.65 Per 1 000 inhabitants | -3.9% |
| 2002 | 14.13 Per 1 000 inhabitants | +3.5% |
| 2003 | 14.12 Per 1 000 inhabitants | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 13.29 Per 1 000 inhabitants | -5.9% |
| 2005 | 14.28 Per 1 000 inhabitants | +7.4% |
| 2006 | 14.62 Per 1 000 inhabitants | +2.4% |
| 2007 | 14.75 Per 1 000 inhabitants | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 15.62 Per 1 000 inhabitants | +5.9% |
| 2009 | 15.49 Per 1 000 inhabitants | -0.8% |
| 2010 | 15.51 Per 1 000 inhabitants | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 16.23 Per 1 000 inhabitants | +4.6% |
| 2012 | 16.31 Per 1 000 inhabitants | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 16.42 Per 1 000 inhabitants | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 16.3 Per 1 000 inhabitants | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 16.38 Per 1 000 inhabitants | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 16.92 Per 1 000 inhabitants | +3.3% |
| 2017 | 17.44 Per 1 000 inhabitants | +3.1% |
| 2018 | 17.27 Per 1 000 inhabitants | -1.0% |
| 2019 | 17.48 Per 1 000 inhabitants | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 17.95 Per 1 000 inhabitants | +2.7% |
| 2021 | 18.12 Per 1 000 inhabitants | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 18.8 Per 1 000 inhabitants | +3.8% |
| 2023 | 19.64 Per 1 000 inhabitants | +4.5% |
| 2024 | 19.83 Per 1 000 inhabitants | +1.0% |
| 2025 | 20.22 Per 1 000 inhabitants | +2.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 13.33 Per 1 000 inhabitants | 13.11 Per 1 000 inhabitants | 13.59 Per 1 000 inhabitants | 3 |
| 1990s | 14.04 Per 1 000 inhabitants | 13.4 Per 1 000 inhabitants | 14.46 Per 1 000 inhabitants | 9 |
| 2000s | 14.42 Per 1 000 inhabitants | 13.29 Per 1 000 inhabitants | 15.62 Per 1 000 inhabitants | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.63 Per 1 000 inhabitants | 15.51 Per 1 000 inhabitants | 17.48 Per 1 000 inhabitants | 10 |
| 2020s | 19.09 Per 1 000 inhabitants | 17.95 Per 1 000 inhabitants | 20.22 Per 1 000 inhabitants | 6 |
Countries ranked near United States
- 4 Finland 21.14 Per 1 000 inhabitants compare
- 4 Poland 8.85 Per 1 000 inhabitants compare
- 5 Sweden 21.08 Per 1 000 inhabitants compare
- 5 Latvia 6.34 Per 1 000 inhabitants compare
- 6 Belgium 20.26 Per 1 000 inhabitants compare
- 8 Denmark 19.67 Per 1 000 inhabitants compare
- 9 Australia 18.01 Per 1 000 inhabitants compare
- 10 Ireland 17.13 Per 1 000 inhabitants compare
More work & labour data for United States
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 113,208 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 61.24 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 178,849 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 58.55 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.27 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 0.3372 % change on previous year (2027)
- Legislation on sexual harassment in employment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Criminal sanctions or compensation for workplace sexual harassment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Women can take the same jobs as men 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 61.7% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is nurses — health and social employment in United States?
- Nurses — health and social employment in United States was 20.22 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 United States?
- The highest recorded value was 20.22 Per 1 000 inhabitants in 2025.
- What is the lowest nurses — health and social employment recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.11 Per 1 000 inhabitants in 1987.
- How does United States rank for nurses — health and social employment?
- United States ranks 7th out of 24 countries with data for 2025.
- Is nurses — health and social employment rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is up 23.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States 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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About this data
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.