The number of nurses in China has experienced consistent growth over the past ten years, with an average yearly increase of 8 percent, according to the National Health Commission (NHC).

This was revealed at a press conference on May 11 by the NHC before the International Nurses Day.

Xing Ruoqi, deputy head of the Department of Medical Administration at the NHC, said that about 300,000 new nurses joined the nursing workforce each year over the past decade.

The total number of registered nurses in China had exceeded 5.2 million at the end of last year, with roughly 3.7 registered nurses for per 1,000 people, Xing said.

Supported by robust nursing education and training and other measures, the nursing workforce has been growing strong, providing high-quality health care for patients.

Xing noted that the NHC plans to strengthen the nursing workforce's development by implementing effective measures.

By 2025, China aims to have 5.5 million nurses, and the number of registered nurses per 1,000 people is expected to increase to 3.8. Moreover, the country wants to increase the number of nurses at grassroots health institutions to 1.2 million.