Number of registered nurses employed in Canada in 2022, by province

In 2022, there were over 283 thousand registered nurses (RNs) employed in Canada. Nearly 100 thousand of them were employed in Ontario. Quebec’s RN workforce of nearly 74 thousand made up around 25 percent 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). In 2022, there were a total of 419.7 thousand regulated nurses employed in Canada. The number of nurses has increased from 375.8 thousand in 2013, with the largest increase among 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.

What percentage of nurses are male?

While nursing is still a female-dominated occupation, the percentage of male nurses has been increasing. In 2022, 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 a nurse has been decreasing. In 2022, the average age of an RN was 43.3 years old. However, there were large differences between the province and territories, with the average age of nurses ranging from 41.4 years old in Yukon to 46 years old in Manitoba.