May 12 – International Nurses Day
International Nurses Day is celebrated on May 12 each year. This day marks the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. International Nurses Day recognises and appreciates the vital contributions nurses make to the healthcare system and society at large. It also acts as an opportunity to thank nurses for their efforts and for taking care of patients around the clock.
Building on the success of the 2024 IND theme, The Economic Power of Care, the 2025 theme shifts focus to the health and wellbeing of nurses. The theme for International Nurses Day 2025 is 'Our Nurses. Our Future. Caring for nurses strengthens economies' This theme underscores the critical role a healthy nursing workforce plays in strengthening economies, improving health systems, and ensuring better outcomes for communities worldwide.
 | On International Nurses Day 2025, WHO and partners host the global launch of the State of the world’s nursing 2025 report. The official launch is complemented by national and regional discussions focusing on country and regional data and insights. Register here. |
The report, which builds upon and updates the 2020 edition, provides a comprehensive description of the world’s nursing workforce in the context of a changed global environment, more complex health and disease profiles, greater demands on health systems and the urgency to orient to the focused global priorities in the remaining period of the Sustainable Development Agenda.
The 2025 report presents the most contemporary evidence on the global nursing workforce, including education, employment, migration, regulation, working conditions, leadership and more. In the report, readers will find updated indicators and robust estimates on global and regional-level nursing stock, shortage, and projections to 2030. Online county profiles are available on the National Health Workforce Accounts data portal at https://apps.who.int/nhwaportal/.
More information:
International Council of Nurses
Official launch of State of the World's Nursing report 2025
State of the world's nursing report 2025
