Indicators of economy in Nicaragua

Income and purchasing power

The average monthly income in Nicaragua is 209 US Dollar per capita. In the USA, the figure is 6,958 US Dollar. However, the prices of consumer goods are also around 63.1 percent lower than in the USA. If you compare income and price levels, the result is a more expensive life in Nicaragua than in the United States. The bottom line is that the costs do not offset the lower income, and you get about 91.9 percent less.

However, it is also important to remember that this is a purely statistical model. Both the labor output and the type and quality of the goods received always correspond to the national average on both sides of the equation - so they do not necessarily have to match. Here you can also find an international comparison of cost of living and purchasing power.

Economic performance 2024

In the Global Innovation Index, Nicaragua ranked 130th in 2025 with 15.4 points. The index is calculated annually by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and most recently included 138 countries. The top country was Switzerland with 66.0 points.

Development of gross domestic product in billions of USD 1960 - 2024

Largest economic sectors

• Food processing
• Chemicals
• Machinery and metal products
• Knit and woven apparel
• Petroleum refining and distribution
• Beverages
• Footwear
• Wood
• Electric wire harness manufacturing
• Mining

Imports and Exports 2024

Development of imports and exports in billions of USD 1977 - 2024

National debt in Nicaragua

General government gross debt of Nicaragua refers to the debts of the state, their states and municipalities, and also of public sector institutions such as social security funds.

The government debt in the period from 2000 to 2024 was between 2.2 billion and 7.7 billion USD. The highest level of the last years at eight billion US Dollar was reached in 2024.

Based on the number of inhabitants, this is a debt of 1,115 USD per person. For comparison, the average debt per person in the same year in the European Union was 35,697 USD.

Public debt of the last 24 years in billions of USD

Comparison of gross debt per capita with the global average in US dollars

Tax burden and government spending

Total government revenue in 2024 amounted to 4.54 billion US Dollar representing around 21.5% of gross domestic product (GDP). The share of direct taxes in Nicaragua amounted to 3.96 billion US Dollar, i.e. around 20.1% of GDP. This is 6.3% higher than the global average of 13.8%. The tax rate for companies is around 30.0%. The average income tax rate for private individuals is 41.3%. This puts Nicaragua above the global average of 26.0%.

However, the mere amount of taxes says little about the general situation, as taxes are used by the state to cover expenditure that benefits the general public. Healthcare alone costs Nicaragua around 848.58 million US Dollar annually (4.8% of GDP). Education spending amounts to 510.95 million US Dollar, or 2.9% of GDP. The defense budget in 2024 was 107.36 million US Dollar, or 0.5%.

Corruption in Nicaragua

The "Corruption Perceptions Index" for the public sector showed 86 out of 100 points for 2025. With this result Nicaragua ranks 175th. So, compared to other countries, it is considerably below the average. Compared to the previous year, in 2025, the level of corruption remained unchanged. In the long term, it has risen moderately in recent years. You can find the complete country comparison here: International Ranking of Corruption

Corruption in Nicaragua 2003 - 2025

The causes of corruption lie in part in political and cultural reasons. Ineffective law enforcement may further promote it. It is striking that it is regularly lower in democratically governed countries (form of government in Nicaragua: Presidential republic). Similarly, higher corruption occurs predominantly in low-income countries. In Nicaragua, per capita income is 2,510 USD annually, which is extremely low. The cost of living is well below the global average, indicating massive socioeconomic problems.

Unemployment rates in percentages 1991 - 2025

The unemployment rates according to the ILOSTAT estimates used here do not always correspond to the official government figures. Instead, they are based on a harmonized procedure to compensate for different unemployment criteria and make them comparable across countries. Further information and an international comparison can be found here.