In 1981, there were 2.5 million licensed registered nurses in a country. This number increased to 3.6 million in 2012. What is the percent increase? The percent increase is about \( \square \% \). (Simplify your answer. Type an integer or a decimal rounded to the nearest tenth.)

To find the percent increase, you can use the formula: \[ \text{Percent Increase} = \left( \frac{\text{New Value} - \text{Old Value}}{\text{Old Value}} \right) \times 100 \] Substituting the numbers: \[ \text{Percent Increase} = \left( \frac{3.6 \text{ million} - 2.5 \text{ million}}{2.5 \text{ million}} \right) \times 100 = \left( \frac{1.1 \text{ million}}{2.5 \text{ million}} \right) \times 100 \approx 44.0\% \] The percent increase is about \( 44.0\% \).