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Nicaragua GDP and Economic Data

Includes Nicaragua real Gross Domestic Product growth rate, with latest forecasts and historical data, GDP per capita, GDP composition and breakdown by sector.

Browse additional economic indicators and data sets, selected by Global Finance editors, to learn more about Nicaragua economic outlook, debt to GDP ratio, international trade performance and population trends. 

 
 
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Central bank

Central Bank of Nicaragua

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International Reserves

USD 4.05 billion (2021)

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Gross Domestic Product - GDP

USD 14.01 billion (2021)

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GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

Intl$ 42.44 billion (2021)

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Real GDP growth
2014 2015 2016 2017* 2018*
4.8% 4.8% 4.7% 4.9% 4.0%

*Estimate

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GDP per capita - current dollars

USD 2,090.8 (2021)

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GDP per capita - PPP

Intl$ 6,331.7 (2021)

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GDP (PPP) - share of world total

0.2% (2019)

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GDP - composition by sector
  • agriculture: 15.5% 
  • industry: 25.8% 
  • services: 50.2%

(2016 estimate)

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Gross domestic expenditure on R&D; (% of GDP)

N/A

 

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Inflation
2014 2015 2016 2017* 2018*
4.0% 3.5% 3.9% 5.0% 5.6%

*Estimate

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Unemployment rate
2014 2015 2016 2017* 2018*
5.9% 4.5% 3.7% 5.5% 8.7%

*Estimate

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Household saving rates

N/A

 

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Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP)
2014 2015 2016 2017* 2018*
28.9% 30.9% 33.9% 37.2% 39.0%

*Estimate

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Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP)
2014 2015 2016 2017* 2018*
-1.7% -1.7% -1.6% -3.1% -3.1%

*Estimate

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Government bond ratings

Standard & Poor's: B+

Moody's: B2

Standard & Poor's / Moody's (Updated January 2017)

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Market value of publicly traded shares
2013 2014 2015
N/A N/A N/A
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Largest companies

N/A

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Current account balance

USD 0.1 billion (2018 estimate)

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Current account balance by percentage of GDP

0.6% (2018 estimate)

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Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services)

42% (2018 estimate)

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Shares in world total merchandising export

0.03% (2018)

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Shares in world total commercial services export

0.02% (2018)

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Total exports

USD 5.1 billion (2018 estimate)

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Export commodities

Coffee, beef, gold, sugar, peanuts, shrimp and lobster, tobacco, cigars, automobile wiring harnesses, textiles, apparel, cotton

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Total imports

USD 6.7 billion (2018 estimate)

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Import commodities

Consumer goods, machinery and equipment, raw materials, petroleum products

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Exports - major partners

US 44.2%, El Salvador 6.4%, Venezuela 5.5%, Costa Rica 5.5% (2017)

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Imports - major partners

US 20.8%, China 14.3%, Mexico 11.1%, Costa Rica 7.9%, Guatemala 7%, El Salvador 5.6%(2017)

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FDI inflows
2016 2017 2018
USD 899 million USD 772 million USD 359 million
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FDI outflows
2016 2017 2018
USD 65 million USD 65 million USD 75 million
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Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser

N/A

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Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2014

N/A

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Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2015

N/A

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Best countries for doing business

Overall ranking: 142 out of 190 countries

Starting a Business: 145 out of 190 countries

Dealing with Construction Permits: 176 out of 190 countries

Getting Electricity: 115 out of 190 countries

Registering Property: 160 out of 190 countries

Getting Credit: 104 out of 190 countries

Protecting Minority Investors: 170 out of 190 countries

Paying Taxes: 162 out of 190 countries

Trading across Borders: 84 out of 190 countries

Enforcing Contracts: 87 out of 190 countries

Resolving Insolvency: 107 out of 190 countries

World Bank - Doing Business 2019

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Global competitiveness ranking

109 out of 141 countries

​World Economic Forum - The Global Competitiveness Index 2019

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Index of Economic Freedom

Ranking: 107 / Score: 57.7 (Mostly unfree)

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Time zone

UTC-6

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Total area

130,370 sq km

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Capital

Managua

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Currency

Cordobas (NIO)

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Government type

Presidential republic

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Languages

Spanish (official) 95.3%, Miskito 2.2%, Mestizo of the Caribbean coast 2%, other 0.5% (2005 est.)

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Religions

Roman Catholic 50%, Evangelical 33.2%, other 2.9%, unspecified 13.2%, none 0.7% (2017 est.)

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Total population
1990 2000 2010 2015* 2020*
N/A 5.0 million 5.8 million 6.3 million 6.6 million

*Estimate

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Urban population as % of total population
1960 1980 2000 2018
39.6% 50.3% 55.2% 58.5%
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Population median age

26.2

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Population growth rate

0.97% (2018 estimate)

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Life expectancy

73.7 years (2018 estimate)

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Literacy

Total population: 82.8% 
Male: 82.4% 
Female: 83.2%
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)

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% of population living on less than $3.10 a day

12.8% (last available estimate, 2014)

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Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index)

46.2 (last available estimate, 2014)

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Freedom House rating

Not Free
Political Rights: 6
Civil Liberties: 5 (2019)
(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free rating)

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Total telephone subscribers as % of population

Fixed: 5%

Mobile: 115.1% (2018) (fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers)

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Internet users as % of total population

27.86 % (2017)

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Mercer Cost of living index

N/A

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CO2 emissions

0.79 metric tons per capita (2014)

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World's Best Developed & Emerging Markets Banks

2013
2012

World's Best Banks By Region

2014
2013
2012
2003

World's Best Banks

2014
2013
2012
2012

Best of…

2013

Additional Awards

2014
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