Commissioned by the UNFPA Eastern Europe and Central Asia Regional Office, with support from the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe, The State of the Midwifery Workforce in Eastern Europe and Central Asia provides data about the current state of the midwifery workforce in 17 countries and territories in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The report highlights the fact that properly trained midwives can help meet around 90 per cent of the need for essential sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn and adolescent health (SRMNAH) interventions across the life course. It also underlines the many social and economic benefits to investing in midwifery: healthier families, productive communities and a health system that can deliver comprehensive services for all. With these benefits in mind, policymakers can use the report as guidance for investing in midwives and thus ensuring better socioeconomic outcomes.