News

As Afghanistan grapples with surge in COVID-19 cases, one midwife shares her strength

23 June 2021
Mastura Zia provides maternal health services to Afghan returnees, many of them deported from neighbouring Iran. © Zaeem Abdul Rahman/UNFPA Afghanistan
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News

After childbirth trauma, Afghan women emerge from life in shadows

07 June 2016
Noorjahan laughs as she recovers from fistula surgery in Malalai Hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan. Now, she says, "I can live." © Andrea Bruce/ NOOR
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Policy dialogue on the State of the World’s Midwifery 2021 report

18 May 2021

Youtube Live

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News

In crisis after crisis, mothers around the world are asked to do the impossible

05 May 2021
A new mother of twins is attended by maternal health nurse Ana Paula Francisco Adrade. Nurse Adrade says it has been challenging to get enough gloves and face masks to safely care for pregnant women. © UNFPA Mozambique
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UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem on The State of the World’s Midwifery 2021 Report

The world is currently facing an acute shortage of 900,000 midwives, which represents a third of the required global midwifery workforce. The COVID-19 crisis has only exacerbated these problems, with the health needs of women and newborns being overshadowed, midwifery services being disrupted and midwives being deployed to other health services.

News

Global shortage of 900,000 midwives threatens women’s lives and health, new report shows

04 May 2021
Midwives with a mobile team in Marib, Yemen, provide life-saving services in a displacement camp. © UNFPA Yemen
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Publications

The State of the World's Midwifery 2021

Number of pages: 80

Publication date: 05 May 2021

Author: UNFPA, WHO, ICM

EN

The State of the World’s Midwifery (SoWMy) 2021 builds on previous reports in the SoWMy series and represents an unprecedented effort to document the whole world’s Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn and Adolescent Health (SRMNAH) workforce, with a particular focus on midwives. It calls for urgent investment in midwives to enable them to fulfil their potential to contribute towards UHC and the SDG agenda.

Resources

The State of the World’s Midwifery 2021: Fast facts

Resource date: 04 May 2021

Author: UNFPA, WHO, ICM

EN

An executive summary of the key points from the detailed analyses conducted for the State of the World’s Midwifery (SoWMy) 2021, including an infographic which presents the headline results and conclusions.

Resources

State of the World’s Midwifery 2021: Executive summary

Resource date: 04 May 2021

Author: UNFPA, WHO, ICM

EN

A 4-page summary of the key points from the detailed analyses conducted for the State of the World’s Midwifery (SoWMy) 2021. It sets out the scale of the workforce challenges and proposes 4 areas in which bold investments in midwives and midwifery are needed.

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The State of the World’s Midwifery 2021

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Explore Country Data
You can search countries here. Please click a country on the list of results to zoom the map into that country.
Midwives per 10,000 population

Colour indicates the number of midwives per 10,000 population. "Midwives" includes midwifery professionals, midwifery associate professionals, midwives not further defined, nursing professionals with midwifery training and nursing associate professionals with midwifery training

Click on a country to view key data and access the SoWMy 2021 country profile

  • 10+
  • 4 - 9.99
  • 3 - 3.99
  • 2 - 2.99
  • 1 - 1.99
  • 0 - 0.99
  • not reported
View how to read Country Profiles
nr = not reported
Last update date: 3 May 2021
The estimates shown for the key SRMNAH indicators were those available in mid-2020 and used for the modelling of the estimates for other indicators in this report. More recent updates to these data sources are not captured. A dispute exists between the Governments of Argentina and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland concerning sovereignty over the Falkland Islands (Malvinas). The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations.
Data sources:
Midwives per 10,000 population, number of midwives: National Health Workforce Accounts, 2020 update
Pregnancies: Live births from World Population Prospects 2019 revision with a multiplier based on Tatem et al. 2014
Births attended by skilled health personnel: SDG indicator database
Maternal mortality ratio: WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group and UN Population Division, 2019
Neonatal mortality rate UN Inter-Agency Group for Child Mortality estimation, 2020
UNFPA
ICM
WHO

The designations employed and the presentation of material on the map do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNFPA concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The dotted line represents approximately the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir agreed upon by India and Pakistan. The final status of Jammu and Kashmir has not yet been agreed upon by the parties.

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