placestats

Last European coloniser: Spain · Largest religious group: Christians. These are labels that describe the country, not numbers, so they are never compared with other measures. The numbers behind them, such as population shares, are.

Nicaragua

Against lower middle income countries, Nicaragua ranks 1st of 46 on gender and 43rd of 45 on governance. Each ranking counts only the countries that report that score, so the totals differ and the two ranks can’t be compared directly. Both compare Nicaragua with countries of similar wealth. That is the only kind of ranking that tells you something a ranking by income does not already show.

How it has changed

Every measure Nicaragua reports, over all the years it has been published. Pick one. Hover or use the arrow keys to read a year. Gaps in a line are years with no data. They are left open, not filled in.

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Scores by area

Each score averages the measures in one area, such as health. Each measure is first put on a common scale and turned so that higher is always better. Zero is the average country in an average year. One point is a typical gap between countries (a standard deviation), so +1 means about one typical gap above average. These are summaries, not measurements. See how the country scores are built and how the topic scores compare with each other.

ScoreValueRank, all countriesRank, similar incomeMostly income?
Governance score 2025-1.24168 of 17943 of 45moderate +0.53
Health score 2021-0.07116 of 19325 of 47moderate +0.32
Education score 2023+0.17144 of 19922 of 46proxy +0.81
Wellbeing score 2022+0.0761 of 1104 of 21high +0.80
Equality score 2014-0.39124 of 16527 of 44high +0.64
Infrastructure score 2024+0.57142 of 21015 of 47proxy +0.90
Gender score 2024+1.983 of 1861 of 46moderate +0.37
Environment score 2024+0.2767 of 21322 of 47moderate -0.33
Labour score 2025+0.2391 of 1957 of 47high +0.79

The last column shows how closely each score just tracks national income. The number is its link with GDP per person (the value of everything a country produces, divided by its people), from −1 to +1. A score marked proxy is mostly a measure of how rich the country is. Its rank among all countries says little that GDP per person does not. That is why the rank among similar-income countries sits beside it.

The measures behind them

Every measure reported for Nicaragua, grouped by area. Some measures have no agreed better direction, such as population growth, inflation and military spending. They are listed here but left out of every score, since there is no fair way to say which way is better. Some names use technical terms: PPP means adjusted for what money buys in each country, HDI is a United Nations score combining life expectancy, schooling and income, and a Gini indexmeasures how unequally income is shared. Each measure’s own page explains it.

crime

Conflict deaths0per 100,000 people2025higher is worse
Armed conflict present01 if any conflict, else 02025higher is worse
Homicide rate11.3per 100,000 population2021higher is worse

culture

Religious attendance54.2%% of respondents2022no agreed direction
Religion very important60%% of respondents2022no agreed direction
Frequent prayer76.3%% of respondents2022no agreed direction
Confidence in religious institutions67.3%% of respondents2022no agreed direction
Religiously unaffiliated13.3%% of population2020no agreed direction
Christian share84.8%% of population2020no agreed direction
Muslim share0.00459%% of population2020no agreed direction
Women in a union56%% of women aged 15-492012no agreed direction
Marriage rate (UN)4.33marriages per 1,000 people2023no agreed direction
Divorce rate (UN)1.55divorces per 1,000 people2023no agreed direction

demography

Median age25.3years2023no agreed direction
Age at childbearing26years2023no agreed direction
Population7,007,502people2025no agreed direction
Population growth1.31%% per year2025no agreed direction
Urbanization59.4%% of population2025no agreed direction
Population 65+5.7%% of population2025no agreed direction
Population 0-1428.3%% of population2025no agreed direction
Fertility rate2.21births per woman2024no agreed direction
Birth rate19.1per 1,000 people2024no agreed direction
Net migration-8,371people2025no agreed direction
Migrant share of population0.6%% of population2024no agreed direction

economy

HDI0.706index, 0 to 12023higher is better
Inequality-adjusted HDI0.535index, 0 to 12023higher is better
GDP per capita (PPP)$7,933international $2025higher is better
GNI per capita (PPP)$8,597international $2025higher is better
GDP per capita (market)$2,372US$2025higher is better
GDP growth4.92%% per year2025no agreed direction
Inflation2.08%% per year2025no agreed direction
Trade openness96.4%% of GDP2025no agreed direction
FDI inflows6.87%% of GDP2024no agreed direction
Tax revenue20.1%% of GDP2024no agreed direction
Government consumption11.4%% of GDP2025no agreed direction
Government expense16.3%% of GDP2023no agreed direction
Military spending0.545%% of GDP2024no agreed direction
Employment in agriculture30.5%% of employment2025no agreed direction

education

Primary completion77.7%% of children2025higher is better
Expected schooling11.5years2023higher is better
Mean years of schooling9.93years2023higher is better
Education spending2.87%% of GDP2023no agreed direction
Primary enrollment110%% gross2023higher is better
Secondary enrollment70.2%% gross2023higher is better
Tertiary enrollment30.4%% gross2023higher is better
Adult literacy87.3%% of adults2014higher is better
Compulsory schooling7years2025no agreed direction
Out of school, primary6.66%% of primary-age children2023higher is worse
Pupil-teacher ratio30.2pupils per teacher2010higher is worse

environment

CO2 per capita0.83t CO2e per capita2024higher is worse
Forest area25.8%% of land area2023higher is better
Agricultural land42.3%% of land area2023no agreed direction
Protected land21.2%% of land area2025higher is better

gender

Gender Inequality Index0.408index, 0 to 12023higher is worse
Gender Development Index0.952ratio of women's HDI to men's2023no agreed direction
Women's political empowerment0.531index (0-1)2025higher is better
Women ministers64.3%% of ministers2024higher is better
Women in parliament54.9%% of seats2025higher is better
Women in management53.7%% of managers2014higher is better
Married by 1835.2%% of women aged 20-242012higher is worse

governance

Corruption Perceptions Index14index (0-100, higher = cleaner)2024higher is better
Political rights (FH)7rating (1-7, 1 = most free)2025higher is worse
Civil liberties (FH)6rating (1-7, 1 = most free)2025higher is worse
Pre-trial detainee share14.3%% of prisoners2018higher is worse
Refugees originating434per 100,000 people2024higher is worse
Electoral democracy0.151index (0-1)2025higher is better
Liberal democracy0.019index (0-1)2025higher is better
Participatory democracy0.098index (0-1)2025higher is better
Free and fair elections0.137index (0-1)2025higher is better
Regime type1regime category (0-3)2025higher is better
Political corruption0.942index (0-1)2025higher is worse
Freedom of expression0.018index (0-1)2025higher is better
Freedom of association0.042index (0-1)2025higher is better
Political civil liberties0.017index (0-1)2025higher is better
Civil society participation0.114index (0-1)2025higher is better
Birth registration84.7%% of children under 52012higher is better
Control of corruption-1.43index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Rule of law-1.62index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Government effectiveness-1.05index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Regulatory quality-0.991index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Voice and accountability-1.72index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Political stability-0.0694index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better

health

Life expectancy75.1years2024higher is better
Infant mortality9.4per 1,000 live births2024higher is worse
Under-5 mortality11.2per 1,000 live births2024higher is worse
Health spending8.3%% of GDP2023no agreed direction
Suicide rate4.24per 100,0002021higher is worse
Hospital beds0.97per 1,000 people2022no agreed direction
Adolescent fertility93.2births per 1,000 women aged 15-192024higher is worse
Maternal mortality60per 100,000 live births2023higher is worse
Skilled birth attendance94.1%% of births2017higher is better
Alcohol consumption3.67litres per adult per year2020no agreed direction
Road traffic deaths16.9per 100,000 population2019higher is worse
Physicians0.682per 1,000 people2018higher is better
DTP3 immunisation89%% of children aged 12-23 months2023higher is better
Tuberculosis incidence43per 100,000 people2024higher is worse
Premature NCD mortality12.6%% probability, ages 30-702021higher is worse
Out-of-pocket health spending37.6%% of health spending2023higher is worse
Undernourishment17.3%% of population2022higher is worse
Adult obesity34.9%% of adults2024higher is worse
Health coverage index70index, 0 to 1002023higher is better

inequality

Gini index46.2index (0-100)2014higher is worse
Extreme poverty rate6.6%% of population2014higher is worse

infrastructure

Internet users61.4%% of population2024higher is better
Mobile subscriptions106per 100 people2024higher is better
Electricity access88.7%% of population2024higher is better
Slum share of urban population5.52%% of urban population2020higher is worse
Fixed broadband5.78per 100 people2024higher is better

labor

Informal employment81.8%% of employment2012higher is worse
Unemployment5.04%% of labor force2025higher is worse
Female labor participation51.3%% of women 15+2025no agreed direction
Male labor participation81.8%% of men 15+2025no agreed direction
Youth not in work or study24.5%% of 15 to 24 year olds2014higher is worse
Vulnerable employment38.9%% of employment2025higher is worse

wellbeing

Interpersonal trust4.25%% of respondents2022higher is better
Self-reported happiness85.6%% of respondents2022higher is better
Life satisfaction6.3score (0-10)2025higher is better

Values are the most recent in 2010–2025, and different measures can come from different years. The year is shown beside each. Nothing here ranks countries by merit. An area score averages whatever measures its publishers happen to collect, and the choice of what to collect is itself a judgement made by someone else. All countries · How the country data works

Countries to compare with Nicaragua

Also in Latin America & Caribbean: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Bahamas, The, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curacao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico (US), Sint Maarten (Dutch part), St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Martin (French part), St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Uruguay, Venezuela, RB, Virgin Islands (U.S.).

Also lower middle income, in other regions: Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Cambodia, Cameroon, Comoros, Congo, Rep., Cote d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Arab Rep., Eswatini, Ghana, Guinea, India, Kenya, Kiribati, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao PDR, Lebanon, Lesotho, Mauritania, Morocco, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Solomon Islands, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tunisia, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, West Bank and Gaza, and more on the full list of countries.