TORONTO — Ontario’s nursing workforce is seeing a resurgence. The College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) has released its Nursing Statistics Report 2025, revealing the province added over 7,100 nurses to its health care system this year—a nearly 4% increase, marking the strongest growth since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new report, paired with an updated Nursing Data Dashboard, highlights how internationally educated nurses (IENs) are fueling this momentum and reshaping the composition of Ontario’s nursing supply.
“We are looking forward to sharing these important data findings with our health system partners to support them in health human resource planning and decision-making,” said Brent Knowles, Director of Analytics & Research at CNO.
Key Highlights from the 2025 Report:
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Total Nurses Registered in Ontario: 190,896 nurses renewed their registration with the College in 2025.
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New Nurses Added: 7,133 new nurses joined Ontario’s health care workforce this year, a 3.9% increase over 2024.
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Internationally Educated Nurses Rising: IENs now account for over 53% of all new Registered Nurses (RNs)—surpassing Ontario-educated RNs for the second consecutive year.
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Changing Composition: The number of dual-registered RN/RPN nurses jumped by 22%, while Registered Practical Nurses (RPNs) remained stable. This has led to RPNs making up a smaller percentage of the overall workforce since 2023.
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First-Year Renewals Improving: IENs showed improved retention, with first-time renewal rates climbing to just over 11% in 2025.
Employment Patterns Shift
Employment among Ontario-based nurses grew 4%, while the number of nurses working outside the province remained relatively unchanged. The share of new nurses actively seeking nursing employment has also risen, especially among RNs and IENs.
The addition of new data features in CNO’s dashboard this year, including statistics on first-time registrants and additional licensures, is aimed at giving health system leaders better tools for workforce planning.
As Ontario continues to expand health care access and tackle staffing shortages, the province’s reliance on international talent is becoming increasingly vital.
📊 To explore the full 2025 Nursing Statistics Report and dashboard, visit: www.cno.org
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