BEIJING - China's number of registered nurses reached 2.49 million at the end of 2012 amid the country's continuous efforts to build up its nursing population, a senior medical official said on Wednesday.

That meant an increase of 1.15 million from 2005, said Li Bin, minister of the National Health and Family Planning Commission.

She gave the figures while reviewing China's progress in working to provide its people with better nursing services, at a meeting marking the upcoming International Nurses Day, which falls on May 12.

Citing a telephone survey contracted through a third-party organization last year, Li said more than 93 percent of a total of 4,600 surveyed patients said they are satisfied with the nursing services they received.

She said China will further grow its number of nurses and improve both the quality and scope of nursing services available in the country as the next step.

China aims to bring its nursing population to 2.86 million by 2015, meaning there will be 2.07 nurses for every 1,000 people, according to a blueprint on nursing issued in January 2012.

However, even if that target is met, the ratio of registered nurses per 1,000 people in China will still be much lower than for countries in the European Union and the United States by current standards.