2024 Edition Primary

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. 

Area

land

119,990 sq km

total

130,370 sq km

water

10,380 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than New York state

Climate

tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands

Coastline

910 km

Elevation

highest point

Mogoton 2,085 m

lowest point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

mean elevation

298 m

Geographic coordinates

13 00 N, 85 00 W

Geography - note

largest country in Central America; contains the largest freshwater body in Central America, Lago de Nicaragua

Irrigated land

1,990 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

border countries

Costa Rica 313 km; Honduras 940 km

total

1,253 km

Land use

agricultural land

42.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 12.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 2.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 27.2% (2018 est.)

forest

25.3% (2018 est.)

other

32.5% (2018 est.)

Location

Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Costa Rica and Honduras

Major lakes (area sq km)

fresh water lake(s)

Lago de Nicaragua - 8,150 sq km; Lago de Managua - 1,040 sq km

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

natural prolongation

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

destructive earthquakes; volcanoes; landslides; extremely susceptible to hurricanesvolcanism: significant volcanic activity; Cerro Negro (728 m), which last erupted in 1999, 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

Natural resources

gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish

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

Terrain

extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central interior mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by volcanoes

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)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

1.57 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

2.1 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

3.69 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

16.4 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

80.4% (2011/12)

Current health expenditure

8.6% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

56% (2023 est.)

Death rate

5.1 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Demographic profile

Despite being one of the poorest countries in Latin America, Nicaragua has improved its access to potable water and sanitation and has ameliorated its life expectancy, infant and child mortality, and immunization rates. However, income distribution is very uneven, and the poor, agriculturalists, and indigenous people continue to have less access to healthcare services. Nicaragua's total fertility rate has fallen from around 6 children per woman in 1980 to below replacement level today, but the high birth rate among adolescents perpetuates a cycle of poverty and low educational attainment.Nicaraguans emigrate primarily to Costa Rica and to a lesser extent the United States. Nicaraguan men have been migrating seasonally to Costa Rica to harvest bananas and coffee since the early 20th century. Political turmoil, civil war, and natural disasters from the 1970s through the 1990s dramatically increased the flow of refugees and permanent migrants seeking jobs, higher wages, and better social and healthcare benefits. Since 2000, Nicaraguan emigration to Costa Rica has slowed and stabilized. Today roughly 300,000 Nicaraguans are permanent residents of Costa Rica - about 75% of the foreign population - and thousands more migrate seasonally for work, many illegally.

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

8

potential support ratio

12.6 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

54.4

youth dependency ratio

46.4

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 62.6% of population

improved: total

total: 83.2% of population

improved: urban

urban: 97.5% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 37.4% of population

unimproved: total

total: 16.8% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 2.5% of population

Education expenditures

4.6% of GDP (2020 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Gross reproduction rate

0.89 (2024 est.)

Hospital bed density

0.9 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Infant mortality rate

female

12.8 deaths/1,000 live births

male

15.9 deaths/1,000 live births

total

14.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

Languages

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

note: English and indigenous languages found on the Caribbean coast

Life expectancy at birth

female

76.4 years

male

73.2 years

total population

74.7 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

82.8% (2015)

male

82.4%

total population

82.6%

Major urban areas - population

1.095 million MANAGUA (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

78 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

29.9 years

male

28.1 years

total

29 years (2024 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

19.2 years (2011/12 est.)

note

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-29

Nationality

adjective

Nicaraguan

noun

Nicaraguan(s)

Net migration rate

-1.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

23.7% (2016)

Physician density

1.67 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Population

female

3,403,048 (2024 est.)

male

3,273,900

total

6,676,948

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

Population growth rate

0.95% (2024 est.)

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.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 66.5% of population

improved: total

total: 80.3% of population

improved: urban

urban: 89.9% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 33.5% of population

unimproved: total

total: 19.7% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 10.1% of population

Sex ratio

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

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.96 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.83 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.45% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

59.8% of total population (2023)

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*, Esteli, Granada, Jinotega, Leon, Madriz, Managua, Masaya, Matagalpa, Nueva Segovia, Rio San Juan, Rivas

Capital

etymology

may derive from the indigenous Nahuatl term "mana-ahuac," which translates as "adjacent to the water" or a site "surrounded by water"; the city is situated on the southwestern shore of Lake Managua

geographic coordinates

12 08 N, 86 15 W

name

Managua

time difference

UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

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

amendments

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; amended several times, last in 2021

history

several previous; latest adopted 19 November 1986, effective 9 January 1987

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Nicaragua

conventional short form

Nicaragua

etymology

Nicarao was the name of the largest indigenous settlement at the time of Spanish arrival; conquistador Gil GONZALEZ Davila, who explored the area (1622-23), combined the name of the community 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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Kevin Michael O'REILLY (since 28 June 2023)

email address and website

ACS.Managua@state.govhttps://ni.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Kilometer 5.5 Carretera Sur, Managua

FAX

[505] 2252-7250

mailing address

3240 Managua Place, Washington DC  20521-3240

telephone

[505] 2252-7100,

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1627 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires M. Lautaro SANDINO Montes (since 23 February 2024)

consulate(s) general

Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco

email address and website

mperalta@cancilleria.gob.niUnited States of America | ConsuladoDeNicaragua.com

FAX

[1] (202) 939-6545

telephone

[1] (202) 939-6570

Executive branch

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%

elections/appointments

president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by qualified plurality vote for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 7 November 2021 (next to be held on 1 November 2026)

head of government

President Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (since 10 January 2007)

note

note: the president is both chief of state and head of government

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 features a triangle encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on the top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom; the banner is based on the former blue-white-blue flag of the Federal Republic of Central America; the blue bands symbolize the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, while the white band represents the land between the two bodies of water

note

note: similar to the flag of El Salvador, which features a round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Honduras, which has five blue stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band

Government type

presidential republic

Independence

15 September 1821 (from Spain)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt

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

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

Legal system

civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts

Legislative branch

description

unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (92 statutory seats, current 91; 70 members in multi-seat constituencies, representing the country's 15 departments and 2 autonomous regions, and 20 members in a single nationwide constituency directly elected by party-list proportional representation vote; up to 2 seats reserved for the previous president and the runner-up candidate in the previous presidential election; members serve 5-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FSLN 75, PLC 9, ALN 2, APRE 1, CCN 1, PLI 1, YATAMA 1; composition - men 42, women 49, percentage women 53.9%

elections

last held on 7 November 2021 (next to be held on 1 November 2026)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Salomon Ibarra MAYORGA/traditional, arranged by Luis Abraham DELGADILLO

name

"Salve a ti, Nicaragua" (Hail to Thee, Nicaragua)

note

note: although only officially adopted in 1971, the music was approved in 1918 and the lyrics in 1939; the tune, originally from Spain, was used as an anthem for Nicaragua from the 1830s until 1876

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Ruins of León Viejo; León Cathedral

total World Heritage Sites

2 (both cultural)

National holiday

Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

National symbol(s)

turquoise-browed motmot (bird); national colors: blue, white

Political parties

Alliance for the Republic or APREAlternative for Change or AC (operates in a political alliance with the FSLN)Autonomous Liberal Party or PALCaribbean Unity Movement or PAMUCChristian Unity Party or PUC (operates in a political alliance with the FSLN)Independent Liberal Party or PLILiberal Constitutionalist Party or PLCMoskitia 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 ALNNicaraguan Party of the Christian Path or CCNNicaraguan Resistance Party or PRN (operates in a political alliance with the FSLN)Sandinista National Liberation Front or FSLNSons of Mother Earth or YATAMAThe New Sons of Mother Earth Movement or MYATAMARAN (operates in a political alliance with the FSLN)

Suffrage

16 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

sugarcane, milk, rice, oil palm fruit, maize, plantains, cassava, groundnuts, beans, coffee (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Budget

expenditures

$2.609 billion (2022 est.)

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

$3.396 billion (2022 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

B- (2018)

Moody's rating

B3 (2020)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

B- (2018)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2021

-$540.879 million (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

-$386.9 million (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

$1.381 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Debt - external

Debt - external 2022

$6.106 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

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

Exchange rates

Currency

cordobas (NIO) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2019

33.122 (2019 est.)

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.)

Exports

Exports 2021

$6.618 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$7.87 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$8.25 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

garments, gold, coffee, insulated wire, beef (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

US 52%, Mexico 12%, Honduras 7%, El Salvador 6%, Costa Rica 3% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

45.8% (2023 est.)

government consumption

12.2% (2023 est.)

household consumption

78.1% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-59.1% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

21.2% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories

1.8% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

15.3% (2023 est.)

industry

27.3% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

services

46.3% (2023 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$17.829 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2014

46.2 (2014 est.)

note

note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

37.2% (2014 est.)

lowest 10%

2% (2014 est.)

note

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports

Imports 2021

$8.342 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$10.212 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$10.517 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

garments, refined petroleum, fabric, plastic products, crude petroleum (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

US 26%, China 11%, Honduras 10%, Guatemala 9%, Mexico 9% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

6.07% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

food processing, chemicals, machinery and metal products, knit and woven apparel, petroleum refining and distribution, beverages, footwear, wood, electric wire harness manufacturing, mining

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

4.93% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

10.47% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

8.39% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

3.264 million (2023 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Population below poverty line

24.9% (2016 est.)

note

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt

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.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$47.089 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$48.856 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$51.088 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2021

10.32% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

3.75% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

4.57% (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2021

$6,900 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$7,000 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$7,300 (2023 est.)

Remittances

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2021

15.2% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

20.62% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

26.18% of GDP (2023 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 2021

$4.047 billion (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$4.404 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$5.447 billion (2023 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

19.84% (of GDP) (2022 est.)

note

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Unemployment rate

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2021

6.06% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

4.98% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

4.8% (2023 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

12.6% (2023 est.)

male

8.3% (2023 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

total

9.5% (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from petroleum and other liquids

4.987 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

4.987 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Electricity

consumption

4.169 billion kWh (2022 est.)

imports

995.1 million kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

1.841 million kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

1.11 billion kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

66.3%

electrification - total population

86.5% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

100%

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

21.6% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

fossil fuels

31.4% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

geothermal

16.9% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

hydroelectricity

14% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

solar

0.7% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

wind

15.3% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

12.903 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption

36,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

total petroleum production

200 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

4 (2020 est.)

total

290,351 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

multiple terrestrial TV stations, supplemented by cable TV in most urban areas; nearly all are government-owned or affiliated; more than 300 radio stations, both government-affiliated and privately owned (2019)

Internet country code

.ni

Internet users

percent of population

57% (2021 est.)

total

3.933 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line teledensity is 3 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone subscribership is 91 per 100 persons (2021)

general assessment

Nicaragua’s telecoms market has mirrored the country’s poor economic achievements, with fixed-line teledensity and mobile penetration also being the lowest in Central America; the fixed line broadband market remains nascent, with population penetration below 4%; most internet users are concentrated in the largest cities, given that rural and marginal areas lack access to the most basic telecom infrastructure; internet cafés provide public access to internet and email services, but these also tend to be restricted to the larger population centers; to address poor infrastructure, the World Bank has funded a project aimed at improving connectivity via a national fiber broadband network; there are separate schemes to improve broadband in eastern regions and provide links to Caribbean submarine cables; the number of mobile subscribers overtook the number of fixed lines in early 2002, and the mobile sector now accounts for most lines in service (2021)

international

country code - 505; landing point for the ARCOS fiber-optic submarine cable which provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

3 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

216,000 (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

97 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

6.652 million (2021 est.)

Airports

39 (2024)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

YN

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 1, oil tanker 1, other 3

total

5 (2023)

National air transport system

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

7

number of registered air carriers

1 (2020)

Pipelines

54 km oil (2013)

Ports

key ports

Bluefields, Corinto, El Bluff, Puerto Cabezas, Puerto Sandino

ports with oil terminals

4

small

2

total ports

5 (2024)

very small

3

Roadways

paved

3,447 km

total

24,033 km

unpaved

20,586 km (2013)

Waterways

2,220 km (2011) (navigable waterways as well as the use of the large Lake Managua and Lake Nicaragua; rivers serve only the sparsely populated eastern part of the country)

Military - note

the military is responsible for defending Nicaragua’s independence, sovereignty, and territory, but also has some domestic security responsibilities; key tasks include border security, assisting the police, protecting natural resources, and providing disaster relief and humanitarian assistance; it has ties with the militaries of Cuba, Venezuela, and Russia; Russia has provided training support and equipment 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 (2024)

Military and security forces

Armed Forces of Nicaragua (formal name is Army of Nicaragua or Ejercito de Nicaragua, EN): Land Forces (Fuerza Terrestre); Naval Forces (Fuerza Naval); Air Forces (Fuerza Aérea) (2024)

note

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 directly to the National Police; they have been used to suppress anti-government protesters

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 12,000 active personnel (10,000 Army; 800 Navy; 1,200 Air Force) (2023)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the military's air and ground force inventories include mostly secondhand Russian or Soviet-era equipment; its naval force has a miscellaneous mix of patrol boats from several foreign suppliers, as well as some commercial vessels converted into gunboats domestically (2024)

note

note: in 2024, the US imposed restrictions on the import and export of US origin defense articles and defense services destined for or originating in Nicaragua

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2019

0.6% of GDP (2019 est.)

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 service age and obligation

18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; tour of duty 18-36 months (2024)

Illicit drugs

transit route for illicit drugs originating from South America destined for the United States  

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/2024-trafficking-in-persons-report/nicaragua/ 

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) (2024)

Space program overview

stated mission of the space agency is to promote the development of space activities with the aim of broadening the country’s capacities in the fields of 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 (ALCE) (2024)

note

note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in the Space Programs reference guide

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

5.59 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

6.46 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

16 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Climate

tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands

Environment - current issues

deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; drought

Environment - international 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

Geoparks

global geoparks and regional networks

Rio Coco (2023)

total global geoparks and regional networks

1

Land use

agricultural land

42.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 12.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 2.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 27.2% (2018 est.)

forest

25.3% (2018 est.)

other

32.5% (2018 est.)

Major lakes (area sq km)

fresh water lake(s)

Lago de Nicaragua - 8,150 sq km; Lago de Managua - 1,040 sq km

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

1.26% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

164.52 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

1.08 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

50 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

286 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.45% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

59.8% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

1,528,816 tons (2010 est.)