Abstract: Objective: To analyze the current status and equity of nursing human resource allocation in Jiangxi province, and to provide evidence for optimizing regional allocation of nursing resources. Methods: Based on the data from the China Health Statistics Yearbook and the Jiangxi Statistical Yearbook (2019–2024), this study employed descriptive analysis to examine the status of nursing human resource allocation in Jiangxi province from 2018 to 2023. The Gini coefficient was used to assess the overall equity of nursing human resource allocation, and the Theil index was further applied to decompose the overall disparity into between-group and within-group differences across three regions (northern, central, and southern Jiangxi). Results: The number of registered nurses in Jiangxi province increased from 110,828 in 2018 to 169,354 in 2023. However, the number of registered nurses per 1,000 population in 2023 was 3.75, which remained lower than the national average. The urban-rural disparity in nursing resources decreased from 2.96 nurses per 1,000 population in 2018 to 2.41 nurses per 1,000 population in 2023, but nursing resource supply in rural areas remained relatively inadequate. Equity analysis showed that the Gini coefficient for population-based allocation decreased from 0.12 in 2018 to 0.06 in 2023, indicating continuous improvement in equity, whereas the Gini coefficient for geographic area-based allocation declined from 0.27 to 0.23, suggesting persistent spatial disparities. The Theil index decomposition revealed that intra-regional disparities were the primary source of inequality in nursing resource allocation, with the intra-regional contribution accounting for 72.07% in 2023. Conclusion: The allocation of nursing human resources in Jiangxi province has improved, but challenges such as insufficient total supply and uneven distribution persist. Further efforts are needed to optimize the allocation structure and enhance nursing service capacity, particularly in primary and rural areas.

Key words: nursing human resources; Gini coefficient; Theil index; equity