Growth Led by Internationally Educated Nurses
Ontario’s nursing workforce continues to expand, according to the College of Nurses of Ontario’s (CNO) newly released Nursing Statistics Report 2025, with the province seeing its largest increase in qualified nurses since the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2025, Ontario added 7,133 new nurses to its health care system, marking a growth of nearly 4% compared to 2024.
This brings the total number of nurses renewing their certificate of registration with the CNO to 190,896 this year.
A major factor behind this surge is the growing role of internationally educated nurses (IENs), who now make up a significant portion of new registrations—particularly among Registered Nurses (RNs).
For the second year in a row, IENs accounted for the majority of new RNs in Ontario, surpassing those educated in the province and representing over 53% of new RN registrations.
In addition to an expanding workforce, the composition of nurse types in Ontario is evolving. The number of RNs and nurses holding both RN and Registered Practical Nurse (RPN) designations increased by 5% and 22% respectively.
Meanwhile, the number of RPNs remained stable, which has resulted in RPNs comprising a smaller share of the overall nursing workforce since 2023.
IENs are also increasingly entering the profession as RNs alone, rather than holding dual RN/RPN designations, signaling a shift in the types of credentials being prioritized among new international registrants.
Employment trends have also shifted. The number of nurses employed in Ontario rose by 4%, while employment outside the province held steady. Notably, the proportion of new nurses actively seeking employment in nursing has grown—especially among RNs and IENs, both up more than 5% over the past year.
Despite some historical challenges in retention, the CNO reports a modest increase in the first-time renewal rate for IENs in 2025, now just over 11%.
However, Ontario-educated nurses still show a higher likelihood of renewing their registration after the first year.
Alongside the 2025 report, the CNO has launched updates to its Nursing Data Dashboard, now featuring data on new nurses and additional registrations to support more detailed analysis. The dashboard offers health system stakeholders valuable insights for workforce planning and resource allocation in Ontario’s evolving health care landscape.
As the province faces ongoing health care demands, the steady rise in new nurses—fueled in large part by internationally educated professionals—marks a promising step forward in strengthening Ontario’s nursing workforce.
Click here to read the full report: College of Nurses of Ontario, Nursing Statistics Report, 2025