Nicaragua

Presidential RepublicPop6.7MGDP (PPP)$53.0BCI11Beta CP0.0→Beta

Nicaragua

⌘K

Overview

Background: The Pacific coast of Nicaragua was settled as a Spanish colony in the early 16th century. Independence from Spain was declared in 1821, and the country became an independent republic in 1838. Britain occupied the Caribbean Coast in the first half of the 19th century, but gradually ceded control of the region in subsequent decades. By 1978, violent opposition to governmental manipulation and corruption resulted in a short-lived civil war that brought a civil-military coalition to power in 1979, spearheaded by Marxist Sandinista guerrillas led by Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra. Nicaraguan aid to leftist rebels in El Salvador prompted the US to sponsor anti-Sandinista Contra guerrillas through much of the 1980s.

After losing free and fair elections in 1990, 1996, and 2001, ORTEGA was elected president in 2006, 2011, 2016, and most recently in 2021. Municipal, regional, and national-level elections since 2008 have been marred by widespread irregularities. Democratic institutions have lost their independence under the ORTEGA regime as the president has assumed full control over all branches of government, as well as cracking down on a nationwide pro-democracy protest movement in 2018 and shuttering over 3,300 civil society organizations between 2018 and 2024. In the lead-up to the 2021 presidential election, authorities arrested over 40 individuals linked to the opposition, including presidential candidates, private sector leaders, NGO workers, human rights defenders, and journalists. Only five lesser-known presidential candidates from mostly small parties allied to ORTEGA's Sandinistas were allowed to run against ORTEGA. He then awarded the Sandinistas control of all 153 of Nicaraguan municipalities in the 2022 municipal elections, consolidating one-party rule.

Geography

Area

Land: 119,990 sq km
Water: 10,380 sq km
Total: 130,370 sq km

Climate: tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands
Terrain: extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central interior mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by volcanoes

Land Use

Other: 17.6% (2023 est.)
Forest: 40.1% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: 42.3% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 12.5% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 2.5% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 27.4% (2023 est.)

Location: Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Costa Rica and Honduras
Coastline: 910 km

Elevation

Lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Highest point: Mogoton 2,085 m
Mean elevation: 298 m

Irrigated land: 1,990 sq km (2012)
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean

Land Boundaries

Total: 1,253 km
Border countries: Costa Rica 313 km; Honduras 940 km

Maritime Claims

Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Continental shelf: natural prolongation

Natural hazards: destructive earthquakes; volcanoes; landslides; extremely susceptible to hurricanes

volcanism: significant volcanic activity; Cerro Negro (728 m) is one of Nicaragua's most active volcanoes; its lava flows and ash have been known to cause significant damage to farmland and buildings; other historically active volcanoes include Concepcion, Cosiguina, Las Pilas, Masaya, Momotombo, San Cristobal, and Telica
Geography note: largest country in Central America; contains the largest freshwater body in Central America, Lago de Nicaragua
Natural resources: gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish
Area comparative: slightly larger than Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than New York State
Geographic coordinates: 13 00 N, 85 00 W
Population distribution: the overwhelming majority of the population resides in the western half of the country, with much of the urban growth centered in the capital city of Managua; coastal areas also show large population clusters

Major Lakes (Area Sq Km)

Fresh water lake(s): Lago de Nicaragua - 8,150 sq km; Lago de Managua - 1,040 sq km

People & Society

Languages

Note: note: English and indigenous languages found on the Caribbean coast
Languages: Spanish (official) 99.5%, Indigenous 0.3%, Portuguese 0.1%, other 0.1% (2020 est.)
Major language sample(s): La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Religions: Roman Catholic 44.9%, Protestant 38.7% (Evangelical 38.2, Adventist 0.5%), other 1.2%, (includes Jehovah's Witness and Church of Jesus Christ), believer but not belonging to a church 1%, agnostic or atheist 0.4%, none 13.7%, unspecified 0.2% (2020 est.)

Sex Ratio

At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0 14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15 64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female

Birth rate: 16.07 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate: 5.14 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Median Age

Male: 28.1 years
Total: 29.5 years (2025 est.)
Female: 29.9 years

Population

Male: 3,304,133
Total: 6,739,380 (2025 est.)
Female: 3,435,247

Nationality

Noun: Nicaraguan(s)
Adjective: Nicaraguan

Urbanization

Urban population: 59.8% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 1.45% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Age Structure

0 14 years: 25.1% (male 855,256/female 818,714)
15 64 years: 68.9% (male 2,240,297/female 2,360,244)
65 years and over: 6% (2024 est.) (male 178,347/female 224,090)

Ethnic groups: Mestizo (mixed Indigenous and White) 69%, White 17%, Black 9%, Indigenous 5%

Dependency Ratios

Total dependency ratio: 44.6 (2025 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 35.6 (2025 est.)
Potential support ratio: 11.1 (2025 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 9 (2025 est.)

Physician density: 0.68 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Health Expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP): 9.7% of GDP (2021)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 17.8% of national budget (2022 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.76 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Hospital bed density: 0.9 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.82 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Education Expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP): 2.9% of GDP (2023 est.)
Education expenditure (% national budget): 11% national budget (2024 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

Male: 15.9 deaths/1,000 live births
Total: 14.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
Female: 12.8 deaths/1,000 live births

Population growth rate: 0.92% (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate: 0.89 (2025 est.)
Population distribution: the overwhelming majority of the population resides in the western half of the country, with much of the urban growth centered in the capital city of Managua; coastal areas also show large population clusters

Life Expectancy at Birth

Male: 73.2 years
Female: 76.4 years
Total population: 74.7 years (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 60 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

Unimproved: rural: rural: 33.5% of population

Alcohol Consumption Per Capita

Beer: 1.57 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Wine: 0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Total: 3.69 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Spirits: 2.1 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Major urban areas population: 1.095 million MANAGUA (capital) (2023)
Obesity adult prevalence rate: 23.7% (2016)
Mother's mean age at first birth: 19.2 years (2011/12 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15 49): 56% (2023 est.)

School Life Expectancy (Primary to Tertiary Education)

Male: 12 years (2023 est.)
Total: 12 years (2023 est.)
Female: 12 years (2023 est.)

Government

Civica · structure

How power is organised

ExecutiveLegislative

Flag: description: three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue, with the national coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms has a triangle with the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA in an arc over it and AMERICA CENTRAL in an arc underneath

meaning: blue stands for the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, and white for the land between the two bodies of water

history: the banner is based on the former blue-white-blue flag of the Federal Republic of Central America

Capital

Name: Managua
Etymology: the name comes from Lake Managua, whose name is composed of the Guaraní words ama (rain) and nagua (spirit) and refers to a local deity
Time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Geographic coordinates: 12 08 N, 86 15 W

Suffrage: 16 years of age; universal

Citizenship

Citizenship BY birth: yes
Citizenship BY descent only: yes
Dual citizenship recognized: no, except in cases where bilateral agreements exist
Residency requirement for naturalization: 4 years

Constitution

History: several previous; latest adopted 19 November 1986, effective 9 January 1987
Amendment process: proposed by the president of the republic or assent of at least half of the National Assembly membership; passage requires approval by 60% of the membership of the next elected Assembly and promulgation by the president of the republic

Country Name

Etymology: 16th-century Spanish explorer Gil GONZALEZ Davila is said to have combined the name of a local chieftain, Nicarao, with the Spanish word agua (water), referring to the two large lakes in the west of the country (Lake Managua and Lake Nicaragua)
Local long form: República de Nicaragua
Local short form: Nicaragua
Conventional long form: Republic of Nicaragua
Conventional short form: Nicaragua

Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)
Legal system: civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts
Government type: presidential republic

Judicial Branch

Highest court(s): Supreme Court or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of 16 judges organized into administrative, civil, criminal, and constitutional chambers)
Subordinate courts: Appeals Court; first instance civil, criminal, and labor courts; military courts are independent of the Supreme Court
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges elected by the National Assembly to serve 5-year staggered terms

Executive Branch

Note: note: the president is both chief of state and head of government
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
Chief of state: President Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (since 10 January 2007)
Election results: 2021: Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra reelected president for a fourth consecutive term; percent of vote - Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (FSLN) 75.9%, Walter ESPINOZA (PLC) 14.3%, Guillermo OSORNO (CCN) 3.3%, Marcelo MONTIEL (ALN) 3.1%, other 3.4%

2016: Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra reelected president for a third consecutive term; percent of vote - Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (FSLN) 72.4%, Maximino RODRIGUEZ (PLC) 15%, Jose del Carmen ALVARADO (PLI) 4.5%, Saturnino CERRATO Hodgson (ALN) 4.3%, other 3.7%
Head of government: President Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (since 10 January 2007)
Most recent election date: 7 November 2021
Election/appointment process: president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by qualified plurality vote for a 6-year term (no term limits)
Expected date of next election: 1 November 2026

National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
National color(s): blue, white

National Heritage

Total world heritage sites: 2 (both cultural)
Selected world heritage site locales: Ruins of León Viejo; León Cathedral

Political parties: Alliance for the Republic or APRE
Alternative for Change or AC (operates in a political alliance with the FSLN)
Autonomous Liberal Party or PAL
Caribbean Unity Movement or PAMUC
Christian Unity Party or PUC (operates in a political alliance with the FSLN)
Independent Liberal Party or PLI
Liberal Constitutionalist Party or PLC
Moskitia Indigenous Progressive Movement or MOSKITIA PAWANKA (operates in a political alliance with the FSLN)
Multiethnic Indigenous Party or PIM (operates in a political alliance with the FSLN)
Nationalist Liberal Party or PLN (operates in a political alliance with the FSLN)
Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance or ALN
Nicaraguan Party of the Christian Path or CCN
Nicaraguan Resistance Party or PRN (operates in a political alliance with the FSLN)
Sandinista National Liberation Front or FSLN
Sons of Mother Earth or YATAMA
The New Sons of Mother Earth Movement or MYATAMARAN (operates in a political alliance with the FSLN)

Legislative Branch

Term in office: 5 years
Number of seats: 91 (all directly elected)
Electoral system: proportional representation
Legislature name: National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional)
Scope of elections: full renewal
Legislative structure: unicameral
Most recent election date: 11/7/2021
Expected date of next election: November 2026
Percentage of women in chamber: 54.9%
Parties elected and seats per party: Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) (75); Liberal and Constitutionalist Party (PLC) (9); Other (6)

National Anthem(s)

Title: "Salve a ti, Nicaragua" (Hail to Thee, Nicaragua)
History: music was approved in 1918 and the lyrics in 1939
Lyrics/music: Salomon Ibarra MAYORGA/traditional, arranged by Luis Abraham DELGADILLO

National symbol(s): turquoise-browed motmot (bird)
Administrative divisions: 15 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 2 autonomous regions* (regiones autonomistas, singular - region autonoma); Boaco, Carazo, Chinandega, Chontales, Costa Caribe Norte*, Costa Caribe Sur*, Estelí, Granada, Jinotega, Leon, Madriz, Managua, Masaya, Matagalpa, Nueva Segovia, Rio San Juan, Rivas

Diplomatic Representation in the US

Fax: [1] (202) 939-6545
Chancery: 1627 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
Telephone: [1] (202) 939-6570
Chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Sammia Alicia HODGSON MCKENZIE (since 3 June 2025)
Consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco
Email address and website: mperalta@cancilleria.gob.ni

United States of America | ConsuladoDeNicaragua.com

Diplomatic Representation from the US

Fax: [505] 2252-7250
Embassy: Kilometer 5.5 Carretera Sur, Managua
Telephone: [505] 2252-7100,
Mailing address: 3240 Managua Place, Washington DC  20521-3240
Chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Elias BAUMANN (since December 2025)
Email address and website: ACS.Managua@state.gov

https://ni.usembassy.gov/

International organisations: ACS, BCIE, CACM, CD, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, Petrocaribe, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt

Legislature

NICARAGUA · LEGISLATURE

National Assembly

91 seats · hover a seat for the party

Total seats

Majority line

Largest party

Sandinista National Liberation Front

Parties

All political parties8 parties · 91 seats · click to dim in hemicycle

Leaders

Current

DO
Daniel Ortega
- Head of StateSince 2007
- Head of GovernmentSince 2007

Economy

Budget

Note: note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
Revenues: $3.856 billion (2023 est.)
Expenditures: $3.382 billion (2023 est.)

Exports

Civica canonical (reconciled): $8.0B

Note: note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Exports 2022: $7.87 billion (2022 est.)
Exports 2023: $8.248 billion (2023 est.)
Exports 2024: $8.135 billion (2024 est.)

Imports

Civica canonical (reconciled): $11.4B

Note: note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Imports 2022: $10.213 billion (2022 est.)
Imports 2023: $10.519 billion (2023 est.)
Imports 2024: $11.437 billion (2024 est.)

Industries: food processing, chemicals, machinery and metal products, knit and woven apparel, petroleum refining and distribution, beverages, footwear, wood, electric wire harness manufacturing, mining
Labor force: 3.225 million (2024 est.)

Public Debt

Civica canonical (reconciled): 33.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

Note: note: official data; data cover general government debt and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by Government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as retirement, medical care, and unemployment, debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions; Nicaragua rebased its GDP figures in 2012, which reduced the figures for debt as a percentage of GDP
Public debt 2017: 33.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

Remittances

Note: note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Remittances 2022: 20.6% of GDP (2022 est.)
Remittances 2023: 26.2% of GDP (2023 est.)
Remittances 2024: 26.6% of GDP (2024 est.)

Exchange Rates

Currency: cordobas (NIO) per US dollar -
Exchange rates 2020: 34.342 (2020 est.)
Exchange rates 2021: 35.171 (2021 est.)
Exchange rates 2022: 35.874 (2022 est.)
Exchange rates 2023: 36.441 (2023 est.)
Exchange rates 2024: 36.624 (2024 est.)

Debt External

Note: note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
Debt external 2023: $6.753 billion (2023 est.)

Economic overview: low-income Central American economy; until 2018, nearly 20 years of sustained GDP growth; recent struggles due to COVID-19, political instability, and hurricanes; significant remittances; increasing poverty and food scarcity since 2005; sanctions limit investment

Unemployment Rate

Civica canonical (reconciled): 5.0%

Note: note: % of labor force seeking employment
Unemployment rate 2022: 5% (2022 est.)
Unemployment rate 2023: 4.8% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2024: 4.6% (2024 est.)

Exports partners: USA 51%, Mexico 12%, El Salvador 6%, Canada 6%, Switzerland 4% (2023)
Imports partners: USA 24%, China 13%, Mexico 9%, Honduras 9%, Guatemala 8% (2023)

Real GDP Per Capita

Civica canonical (reconciled): $8,709

Note: note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita 2022: $7,300 (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023: $7,500 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2024: $7,700 (2024 est.)

Real GDP Growth Rate

Civica canonical (reconciled): 3.6%

Note: note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 3.6% (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2023: 4.4% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2024: 3.6% (2024 est.)

Agricultural products: sugarcane, milk, rice, oil palm fruit, maize, plantains, cassava, groundnuts, beans, chicken (2023)
Exports commodities: garments, gold, insulated wire, coffee, beef (2023)
Imports commodities: garments, refined petroleum, crude petroleum, plastic products, fabric (2023)

Current Account Balance

Civica canonical (reconciled): $817.6M

Note: note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
Current account balance 2022: -$459.6 million (2022 est.)
Current account balance 2023: $1.465 billion (2023 est.)
Current account balance 2024: $817.618 million (2024 est.)

Taxes and other revenues: 19.9% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): $19.694 billion (2024 est.)

GDP Composition, BY End Use

Note: note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
Household consumption: 80.6% (2024 est.)
Government consumption: 12.3% (2024 est.)
Investment in inventories: 1.8% (2024 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 22.9% (2024 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 40.5% (2024 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -58.1% (2024 est.)

Population below poverty line: 24.9% (2016 est.)

Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)

Civica canonical (reconciled): 4.6%

Note: note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 10.5% (2022 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023: 8.4% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024: 4.6% (2024 est.)

Industrial production growth rate: 3.6% (2024 est.)

Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

Civica canonical (reconciled): $52.989 billion (2024 est.)

Note: note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $48.985 billion (2022 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $51.153 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024: $52.989 billion (2024 est.)

Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)

Male: 7.8% (2024 est.)
Note: note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
Total: 9% (2024 est.)
Female: 12% (2024 est.)

Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold

Note: note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022: $4.404 billion (2022 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023: $5.447 billion (2023 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024: $6.105 billion (2024 est.)

GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin

Note: note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
Industry: 27.6% (2024 est.)
Services: 46.8% (2024 est.)
Agriculture: 14.4% (2024 est.)

Energy

Coal

Imports: 22 metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum

Total petroleum production: 200 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 28,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Electricity

Imports: 1.125 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Consumption: 4.654 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Installed generating capacity: 1.849 million kW (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 839 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity Access

Electrification rural areas: 66.3%
Electrification urban areas: 100%
Electrification total population: 86.5% (2022 est.)

Energy Consumption Per Capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023: 10.66 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Electricity Generation Sources

Wind: 12.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Solar: 0.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Geothermal: 15.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Fossil fuels: 35.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Hydroelectricity: 14.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Biomass and waste: 20.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Communications

Internet Users

Percent of population: 58% (2023 est.)

Broadcast media: multiple terrestrial TV stations, supplemented by cable TV in most urban areas; nearly all are state-owned or affiliated; more than 300 radio stations, both state-affiliated and privately owned (2019)
Internet country code: .ni

Telephones Fixed Lines

Total subscriptions: 234,000 (2023 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3 (2023 est.)

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Total subscriptions: 7.33 million (2024 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 106 (2024 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Total: 371,000 (2023 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 5 (2023 est.)

Transport

Ports

Large: 0
Small: 2
Medium: 0
Key ports: Bluefields, Corinto, El Bluff, Puerto Cabezas, Puerto Sandino
Very small: 3
Total ports: 5 (2024)
Ports with oil terminals: 4

Airports: 39 (2025)

Merchant Marine

Total: 5 (2023)
BY type: general cargo 1, oil tanker 1, other 3

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: YN

Environment

Climate: tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands

Geoparks

Global geoparks and regional networks: Rio Coco (2023)
Total global geoparks and regional networks: 1

Land Use

Other: 17.6% (2023 est.)
Forest: 40.1% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: 42.3% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 12.5% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 2.5% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 27.4% (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Urban population: 59.8% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 1.45% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Waste and Recycling

Municipal solid waste generated annually: 1.529 million tons (2024 est.)
Percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 15% (2022 est.)

Environmental issues: deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; drought

Total Water Withdrawal

Municipal: 190 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Industrial: 620,000 cubic meters (2022 est.)
Agricultural: 1.084 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Total emissions: 3.806 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 2 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 3.806 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Particulate matter emissions: 16.3 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Total renewable water resources: 164.52 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

International Environmental Agreements

Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
Signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Military & Security

Military note: the military is responsible for defending Nicaragua’s independence, sovereignty, and territory; it also has some domestic security responsibilities, including border security, assisting the police, protecting natural resources, and providing disaster relief and humanitarian assistance; Nicaragua has defense ties with Cuba, Venezuela, and Russia; Russia has provided training support and equipment; in 2025, Nicaragua signed an agreement of “mutual protection” with Russia

the modern Army of Nicaragua was created in 1979 as the Sandinista Popular Army (1979-1984); prior to 1979, the military was known as the National Guard, which was organized and trained by the US in the 1920s and 1930s; the first commander of the National Guard, Anastasio SOMOZA GARCIA, seized power in 1937 and ran the country as a military dictator until his assassination in 1956; his sons ran the country either directly or through figureheads until the Sandinistas came to power in 1979; the defeated National Guard was disbanded by the Sandinistas (2025)

Military Expenditures

Civica canonical (reconciled): 0.5%

Military expenditures 2020: 0.6% of GDP (2020 est.)
Military expenditures 2021: 0.6% of GDP (2021 est.)
Military expenditures 2022: 0.6% of GDP (2022 est.)
Military expenditures 2023: 0.6% of GDP (2023 est.)
Military expenditures 2024: 0.5% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military and security forces: Armed Forces of Nicaragua (formal name is Army of Nicaragua or Ejercito de Nicaragua, EN): Land Force; Naval Force; Air Force (2025)
Military service age and obligation: 18-30 years of age for voluntary military service (16-20 for cadets); no conscription; tour of duty 18-36 months (2025)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions: the military's air and ground force inventories include mostly secondhand Russian or Soviet-era equipment (2025)
Military and security service personnel strengths: approximately 12,000 active Armed Forces (2025)

Space

Space agency/agencies: National Secretariat for Extraterrestrial Space Affairs, The Moon and Other Celestial Bodies (Secretaría Nacional para Asuntos del Espacio Ultraterrestre, la Luna y otros Cuerpos Celestes, established 2021; operates under the military’s control) (2025)
Space program overview: stated mission is to promote the development of space activities with the aim of broadening the country’s capacities in education, industry, science, and technology; has cooperated with China and Russia; is a signatory of the convention establishing the Latin American and Caribbean Space Agency (2025)
Key space program milestones: 1994 - joined UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space

2017 - Russia opened a satellite navigation system monitoring station in Nicaragua

2021 - signed convention establishing the Latin American and Caribbean Space Agency

2024 - joined the China-led International Lunar Research Station project, which aims to establish a permanent base on the Moon by the 2030s

Transnational Issues

Illicit Drugs

Usg identification: major illicit drug-producing and/or drug-transit country (2025)

Trafficking in Persons

Tier rating: Tier 3 — Nicaragua does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so, therefore, Nicaragua remained on Tier 3; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/nicaragua/

Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons

Idps: 89 (2024 est.)

Scores & Rankings

ScoreValueGlobal rankTrendAs of

Civica Index11.0 / 100as of 2024-Q4179 / 1902024-Q4

V-Dem Liberal Democracy0.02as of 2024-Q4166 / 1702024-Q4

Freedom House StatusNot Free (8/100)as of 2024-Q4—2024-Q4

Press Freedom (RSF)Partly free (50/100)as of 2024—2024

Cite this page

Cite this pageAPA · BibTeX · Chicago · JSON

Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Nicaragua — vintage 2026-Q1: Nicaragua factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/nicaragua

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Sources: FAO FAOSTAT, ILO ILOSTAT, IMF (WEO), UN Statistics Division, UNDP HDR, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, V-Dem, WHO Global Health Observatory, World Bank, WTO Stats, CIA World Factbook, Wikidata

Nicaragua

Area

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Major Lakes (Area Sq Km)

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Alcohol Consumption Per Capita

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How power is organised

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Citizenship

Constitution

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Current

Daniel Ortega

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Coal

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Military Expenditures

Illicit Drugs

Trafficking in Persons

Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons

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