World · permanent entity record · NU
Nicaragua
Thirty-second orientation
Nicaragua at a glance
- Nationality / demonym
- noun: Nicaraguan(s); adjective: Nicaraguan
- CIA World Factbook final dataset, preserved by factbook.json · as of 2026-02-04
- Government
- presidential republic
- CIA World Factbook final dataset, preserved by factbook.json · as of 2026-02-04
- Languages
- Spanish (official) 99.5%, Indigenous 0.3%, Portuguese 0.1%, other 0.1% (2020 est.)
- CIA World Factbook final dataset, preserved by factbook.json · as of 2026-02-04
Independently structured milestones · not a complete national history
Nicaragua through time
Admitted to the United Nations
Nicaragua became a member of the United Nations.
United Nations, Member States · source checked 2026-09-04
Source history · changed fields only
Changes since the final CIA profile
| Field | Maintained Almanac value | Final CIA profile |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 7,007,502World Bank, World Development Indicators · observation year 2025 | total: 6,739,380 (2025 est.) male: 3,304,133 female: 3,435,247CIA World Factbook · as of 2026-01-18 |
A difference may reflect a newer observation, a revised estimate, or a different source definition. This table reports the values and dates; it does not manufacture a trend.
World Development Indicators · latest available observation
People, economy, and access
Observation years vary by measure. Each row identifies the series and year instead of presenting unlike dates as one current snapshot.
- Gross domestic product
- $22.2 billion
- World Bank, World Development Indicators · indicator NY.GDP.MKTP.CD · observation year 2025 · dataset updated 2026-07-13World Development Indicators observation for 2025; indicator NY.GDP.MKTP.CD. Underlying providers: National statistical authorities, central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-08.
- Gross domestic product per person
- $3,173
- World Bank, World Development Indicators · indicator NY.GDP.PCAP.CD · observation year 2025 · dataset updated 2026-07-13World Development Indicators observation for 2025; indicator NY.GDP.PCAP.CD. Underlying providers: National statistical authorities, central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-08.
- Life expectancy at birth
- 75.1 years
- World Bank, World Development Indicators · indicator SP.DYN.LE00.IN · observation year 2024 · dataset updated 2026-07-13World Development Indicators observation for 2024; indicator SP.DYN.LE00.IN. Underlying providers: UN Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat. Retrieved 2026-09-08.
- Urban population
- 59.4%
- World Bank, World Development Indicators · indicator SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS · observation year 2025 · dataset updated 2026-07-13World Development Indicators observation for 2025; indicator SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS. Underlying providers: UN Population Division, World Urbanization Prospects. Retrieved 2026-09-08.
- Access to electricity
- 88.7%
- World Bank, World Development Indicators · indicator EG.ELC.ACCS.ZS · observation year 2024 · dataset updated 2026-07-13World Development Indicators observation for 2024; indicator EG.ELC.ACCS.ZS. Underlying providers: World Bank ESMAP, Tracking SDG 7. Retrieved 2026-09-08.
- People using the internet
- 61.4%
- World Bank, World Development Indicators · indicator IT.NET.USER.ZS · observation year 2024 · dataset updated 2026-07-13World Development Indicators observation for 2024; indicator IT.NET.USER.ZS. Underlying providers: International Telecommunication Union. Retrieved 2026-09-08.
World Development Indicators data are provided under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). The linked indicator metadata identifies the underlying statistical providers.
Maintained profile
- Capital
- Managua
- CIA World Factbook final dataset, preserved by factbook.json · The nation set and displayed federal short name follow the current State Department independent-states register, dated August 11, 2026.
- Area
- 130,370 sq km
- CIA World Factbook final dataset, preserved by factbook.json · Final CIA source data preserved by a community mirror after the Factbook was retired; the mirror is not the issuing authority.
- Population
- 7,007,502
- World Bank, World Development Indicators · World Development Indicators observation for 2025; indicator SP.POP.TOTL. Underlying providers: UN Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat. Retrieved 2026-09-08.
- Currency
- cordobas (NIO)
- CIA World Factbook final dataset, preserved by factbook.json · Currency label extracted from the Factbook exchange-rate field.
- Languages
- Spanish (official) 99.5%, Indigenous 0.3%, Portuguese 0.1%, other 0.1% (2020 est.)
- CIA World Factbook final dataset, preserved by factbook.json · Factbook language listing reproduced without inferring official status beyond the source wording.
- Nationality / demonym
- noun: Nicaraguan(s); adjective: Nicaraguan
- CIA World Factbook final dataset, preserved by factbook.json · The source’s noun and adjective forms are retained. These are language labels, not evidence of any individual person’s citizenship.
- Continent
- North America
- CIA World Factbook historical record · final public snapshot · Continental label standardized from the archived profile region “Central America and the Caribbean.”
- Coastline
- 910 km
- CIA World Factbook historical record · final public snapshot · Preserved final CIA profile; this field is a historical baseline, not a claim of current conditions.
- Climate
- tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands
- CIA World Factbook historical record · final public snapshot · Preserved final CIA profile; this field is a historical baseline, not a claim of current conditions.
- 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.)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · final public snapshot · Preserved final CIA profile; this field is a historical baseline, not a claim of current conditions.
- Flag colors
- blue, white
- CIA World Factbook historical record · final public snapshot · Colors extracted from the flag description in the preserved final CIA profile.
- National symbol
- turquoise-browed motmot (bird)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · final public snapshot · Preserved final CIA profile; this field is a historical baseline, not a claim of current conditions.
- Highest point
- Mogoton · 6,841 ft (2,085 m)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · final public snapshot · Preserved final CIA profile; this field is a historical baseline, not a claim of current conditions.
- Lowest point
- Pacific Ocean · 0 ft (0 m)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · final public snapshot · Preserved final CIA profile; this field is a historical baseline, not a claim of current conditions.
- NATO membership
- Not a member
- NATO, What is NATO? · Membership status is reported from the organization's current member list as of the stated date.
- BRICS membership
- Not a member
- BRICS Brazil, About the BRICS · Membership status is reported from the organization's current member list as of the stated date.
Preserved public-domain record · not maintained current data
Final CIA World Factbook profile
This is the preserved historical baseline from the Factbook’s final public snapshot. It is presented as the CIA stated it, not as a current Standard American Almanac finding. Current, independently maintained facts appear above when available.
CIA World Factbook historical record · final public snapshot · profile updated · pinned source record · commit d81154954b8b
Introduction1 fields
- 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.
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
Geography18 fields
- Location
- Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Costa Rica and Honduras
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Map references
- Central America and the Caribbean
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Area
- total : 130,370 sq km land: 119,990 sq km water: 10,380 sq km
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Area - comparative
- slightly larger than Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than New York State
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Land boundaries
- total: 1,253 km border countries (2): Costa Rica 313 km; Honduras 940 km
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Maritime claims
- territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: natural prolongation
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Climate
- tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Terrain
- extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central interior mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by volcanoes
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Elevation
- highest point: Mogoton 2,085 m lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 298 m
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Natural resources
- gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Land use
- agricultural land: 42.3% (2023 est.) arable land: 12.5% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 2.5% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 27.4% (2023 est.) forest: 40.1% (2023 est.) other: 17.6% (2023 est.)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Major lakes (area sq km)
- fresh water lake(s): Lago de Nicaragua - 8,150 sq km; Lago de Managua - 1,040 sq km
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- 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
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- 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
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Geography - note
- largest country in Central America; contains the largest freshwater body in Central America, Lago de Nicaragua
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
People and Society31 fields
- Population
- total: 6,739,380 (2025 est.) male: 3,304,133 female: 3,435,247
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Nationality
- noun: Nicaraguan(s) adjective: Nicaraguan
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Ethnic groups
- Mestizo (mixed Indigenous and White) 69%, White 17%, Black 9%, Indigenous 5%
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- 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. note: English and indigenous languages found on the Caribbean coast
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- 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.)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- 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)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Dependency ratios
- total dependency ratio: 44.6 (2025 est.) youth dependency ratio: 35.6 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 9 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 11.1 (2025 est.)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Median age
- total: 29.5 years (2025 est.) male: 28.1 years female: 29.9 years
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Birth rate
- 16.07 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Death rate
- 5.14 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Net migration rate
- -1.76 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- 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
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Urbanization
- urban population: 59.8% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 1.45% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Major urban areas - population
- 1.095 million MANAGUA (capital) (2023)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- 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 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Mother's mean age at first birth
- 19.2 years (2011/12 est.) note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-29
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Maternal mortality ratio
- 60 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Infant mortality rate
- total: 14.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 15.9 deaths/1,000 live births female: 12.8 deaths/1,000 live births
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Life expectancy at birth
- total population: 74.7 years (2024 est.) male: 73.2 years female: 76.4 years
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Total fertility rate
- 1.82 children born/woman (2025 est.)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Health expenditure
- 9.7% of GDP (2021) 17.8% of national budget (2022 est.)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Physician density
- 0.68 physicians/1,000 population (2018)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Hospital bed density
- 0.9 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Sanitation facility access
- rural: 33.5% of population
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Alcohol consumption per capita
- total: 3.69 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 1.57 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 2.1 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Currently married women (ages 15-49)
- 56% (2023 est.)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Education expenditure
- 2.9% of GDP (2023 est.) 11% national budget (2024 est.)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
- total: 12 years (2023 est.) male: 12 years (2023 est.) female: 12 years (2023 est.)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
Environment11 fields
- Environmental issues
- deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; drought
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- 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
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Climate
- tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Land use
- agricultural land: 42.3% (2023 est.) arable land: 12.5% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 2.5% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 27.4% (2023 est.) forest: 40.1% (2023 est.) other: 17.6% (2023 est.)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Urbanization
- urban population: 59.8% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 1.45% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Carbon dioxide 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.)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Particulate matter emissions
- 16.3 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Waste and recycling
- municipal solid waste generated annually: 1.529 million tons (2024 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 15% (2022 est.)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- 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.)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Total renewable water resources
- 164.52 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Geoparks
- total global geoparks and regional networks: 1 global geoparks and regional networks: Rio Coco (2023)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
Government23 fields
- Country name
- conventional long form: Republic of Nicaragua conventional short form: Nicaragua local long form: República de Nicaragua local short form: Nicaragua 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)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Capital
- name: Managua geographic coordinates: 12 08 N, 86 15 W time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time) 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
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- 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
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Legal system
- civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- 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
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- International law organization participation
- accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- 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
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Executive branch
- chief of state: President Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (since 10 January 2007) head of government: President Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (since 10 January 2007) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president 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) most recent election date: 7 November 2021 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% expected date of next election: 1 November 2026 note: the president is both chief of state and head of government
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Legislative branch
- legislature name: National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional) legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 91 (all directly elected) electoral system: proportional representation scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 5 years most recent election date: 11/7/2021 parties elected and seats per party: Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) (75); Liberal and Constitutionalist Party (PLC) (9); Other (6) percentage of women in chamber: 54.9% expected date of next election: November 2026
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Judicial branch
- highest court(s): Supreme Court or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of 16 judges organized into administrative, civil, criminal, and constitutional chambers) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges elected by the National Assembly to serve 5-year staggered terms subordinate courts: Appeals Court; first instance civil, criminal, and labor courts; military courts are independent of the Supreme Court
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- 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)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Sammia Alicia HODGSON MCKENZIE (since 3 June 2025) chancery: 1627 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 939-6570 FAX: [1] (202) 939-6545 email address and website: mperalta@cancilleria.gob.ni United States of America | ConsuladoDeNicaragua.com consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Elias BAUMANN (since December 2025) embassy: Kilometer 5.5 Carretera Sur, Managua mailing address: 3240 Managua Place, Washington DC 20521-3240 telephone: [505] 2252-7100, FAX: [505] 2252-7250 email address and website: ACS.Managua@state.gov https://ni.usembassy.gov/
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- International organization participation
- 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
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- National holiday
- Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- 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 note: similar to the flag of El Salvador, which has a round emblem; also similar to the flag of Honduras, which has five blue stars in an "X" pattern centered on the white band
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- National symbol(s)
- turquoise-browed motmot (bird)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- National anthem(s)
- title: "Salve a ti, Nicaragua" (Hail to Thee, Nicaragua) lyrics/music: Salomon Ibarra MAYORGA/traditional, arranged by Luis Abraham DELGADILLO history: music was approved in 1918 and the lyrics in 1939
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- National heritage
- total World Heritage Sites: 2 (both cultural) selected World Heritage Site locales: Ruins of León Viejo; León Cathedral
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
Economy29 fields
- 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
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
- $52.989 billion (2024 est.) $51.153 billion (2023 est.) $48.985 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Real GDP growth rate
- 3.6% (2024 est.) 4.4% (2023 est.) 3.6% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Real GDP per capita
- $7,700 (2024 est.) $7,500 (2023 est.) $7,300 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- GDP (official exchange rate)
- $19.694 billion (2024 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Inflation rate (consumer prices)
- 4.6% (2024 est.) 8.4% (2023 est.) 10.5% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- GDP - composition, by sector of origin
- agriculture: 14.4% (2024 est.) industry: 27.6% (2024 est.) services: 46.8% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- GDP - composition, by end use
- household consumption: 80.6% (2024 est.) government consumption: 12.3% (2024 est.) investment in fixed capital: 22.9% (2024 est.) investment in inventories: 1.8% (2024 est.) exports of goods and services: 40.5% (2024 est.) imports of goods and services: -58.1% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Agricultural products
- sugarcane, milk, rice, oil palm fruit, maize, plantains, cassava, groundnuts, beans, chicken (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Industries
- food processing, chemicals, machinery and metal products, knit and woven apparel, petroleum refining and distribution, beverages, footwear, wood, electric wire harness manufacturing, mining
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Industrial production growth rate
- 3.6% (2024 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Labor force
- 3.225 million (2024 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Unemployment rate
- 4.6% (2024 est.) 4.8% (2023 est.) 5% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
- total: 9% (2024 est.) male: 7.8% (2024 est.) female: 12% (2024 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Population below poverty line
- 24.9% (2016 est.) note: % of population with income below national poverty line
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Remittances
- 26.6% of GDP (2024 est.) 26.2% of GDP (2023 est.) 20.6% of GDP (2022 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Budget
- revenues: $3.856 billion (2023 est.) expenditures: $3.382 billion (2023 est.) 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
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Public debt
- 33.3% of GDP (2017 est.) 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
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Taxes and other revenues
- 19.9% (of GDP) (2023 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Current account balance
- $817.618 million (2024 est.) $1.465 billion (2023 est.) -$459.6 million (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Exports
- $8.135 billion (2024 est.) $8.248 billion (2023 est.) $7.87 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Exports - partners
- USA 51%, Mexico 12%, El Salvador 6%, Canada 6%, Switzerland 4% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Exports - commodities
- garments, gold, insulated wire, coffee, beef (2023) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Imports
- $11.437 billion (2024 est.) $10.519 billion (2023 est.) $10.213 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Imports - partners
- USA 24%, China 13%, Mexico 9%, Honduras 9%, Guatemala 8% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Imports - commodities
- garments, refined petroleum, crude petroleum, plastic products, fabric (2023) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
- $6.105 billion (2024 est.) $5.447 billion (2023 est.) $4.404 billion (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Debt - external
- $6.753 billion (2023 est.) note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Exchange rates
- cordobas (NIO) per US dollar - 36.624 (2024 est.) 36.441 (2023 est.) 35.874 (2022 est.) 35.171 (2021 est.) 34.342 (2020 est.)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
Energy6 fields
- Electricity access
- electrification - total population: 86.5% (2022 est.) electrification - urban areas: 100% electrification - rural areas: 66.3%
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Electricity
- installed generating capacity: 1.849 million kW (2023 est.) consumption: 4.654 billion kWh (2023 est.) imports: 1.125 billion kWh (2023 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 839 million kWh (2023 est.)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Electricity generation sources
- fossil fuels: 35.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) solar: 0.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) wind: 12.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) hydroelectricity: 14.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) geothermal: 15.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) biomass and waste: 20.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Petroleum
- total petroleum production: 200 bbl/day (2023 est.) refined petroleum consumption: 28,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Energy consumption per capita
- 10.66 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
Communications6 fields
- Telephones - fixed lines
- total subscriptions: 234,000 (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3 (2023 est.)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Telephones - mobile cellular
- total subscriptions: 7.33 million (2024 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 106 (2024 est.)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- 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)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Internet users
- percent of population: 58% (2023 est.)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Broadband - fixed subscriptions
- total: 371,000 (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 5 (2023 est.)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
Transportation4 fields
- Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
- YN
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Merchant marine
- total: 5 (2023) by type: general cargo 1, oil tanker 1, other 3
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Ports
- total ports: 5 (2024) large: 0 medium: 0 small: 2 very small: 3 ports with oil terminals: 4 key ports: Bluefields, Corinto, El Bluff, Puerto Cabezas, Puerto Sandino
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
Military and Security6 fields
- 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) note: both the military and the Nicaraguan National Police (Policía Nacional de Nicaragua or PNN) report directly to the president; Parapolice, which are non-uniformed, armed, and masked units with marginal tactical training and loose hierarchical organization, act in coordination with government security forces and report to the National Police; they have been used to suppress anti-government protesters
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Military expenditures
- 0.5% of GDP (2024 est.) 0.6% of GDP (2023 est.) 0.6% of GDP (2022 est.) 0.6% of GDP (2021 est.) 0.6% of GDP (2020 est.)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Military and security service personnel strengths
- approximately 12,000 active Armed Forces (2025)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
- the military's air and ground force inventories include mostly secondhand Russian or Soviet-era equipment (2025)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- 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)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- 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)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
Space3 fields
- 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)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- 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)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- 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
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
Transnational Issues3 fields
- Refugees and internally displaced persons
- IDPs: 89 (2024 est.)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- 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/
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Illicit drugs
- USG identification: major illicit drug-producing and/or drug-transit country (2025)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
The underlying United States government material is public domain. The Almanac’s reuse terms do not change the legal status of this preserved source layer.