Number of registered nurses employed in Canada in 2023, by province
In 2023, there were nearly 322,000 registered nurses (RNs) employed in Canada. Over 110,000 of them were employed in Ontario. Quebec’s RN workforce of around 78,000 made up around a quarter of the total workforce.
How many nurses are there in Canada?
In Canada, four groups of nursing professionals are regulated: nurse practitioners (NPs), registered nurses (RNs), registered psychiatric nurses (RPNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs). LPNs are also called registered practical nurses (RPNs) in Ontario and becoming an LPN requires less amount of education compared to the other three nursing professionals. The number of regulated nurses employed in Canada has been steadily increasing and reached 478,000 in 2023.
What percentage of nurses are male?
While nursing is still a female-dominated occupation, the percentage of male nurses has been increasing. In 2023, among registered nurses, the male female ratio was roughly 1:9. That is, every one in ten nurses was male. Meanwhile, the average age of an RN has been decreasing. However, there were differences between the province and territories, with the average age of nurses ranging from 41 to 46 years old.
