Notes:
- Data was obtained from the National Health Workforce Accounts (NHWA) portal, which contains information from 35 countries from PAHO.
- Health workforce data tends to be more complete for the public sector and may underestimate active workers in other sectors such as: private, military, NGOs, religious health institutions, and others.
- Data is not always published annually for each country; the most recent available data from the NHWA portal (December 2024) was used.
- National population estimates were sourced from the UN Population Division’s World Population Prospects database from 1st July
- Averages were calculated based on available data for each indicator; the number of countries included may vary.
- Health workers are classified using the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO-08) by the International Labour Organization.
- Nursing and midwifery personnel stock data was derived by summing these ISCO-08 categories:
- Nursing personnel: 2221 (professional nurses), 3221 (nursing associates).
- Midwifery personnel: 2222 (professional midwives), 3222 (midwifery associates).
- The data may present different levels of professional activity (e.g., practicing, active, or licensed to practice), varying according to each country’s data sources.