Nicaragua

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. <br><br>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. 

Land

119,990 sq km

Total

130,370 sq km

Water

10,380 sq km

slightly larger than Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than New York State

tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands

910 km

North America

Highest point

Mogoton 2,085 m

Lowest point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

Mean elevation

298 m

13 00 N, 85 00 W

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

1,990 sq km (2012)

Border countries

Costa Rica 313 km; Honduras 940 km

number of neighbors

2

Total

1,253 km

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.)

arable land

12.49%

Forest

40.1% (2023 est.)

Other

17.6% (2023 est.)

permanent crops

2.46%

No

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

Fresh water lake(s)

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

Google Maps

https://goo.gl/maps/P77LaEVkKJKXneRC6

OpenStreetMap

https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/287666

Central America and the Caribbean

Contiguous zone

24 nm

Continental shelf

natural prolongation

Territorial sea

12 nm

destructive earthquakes; volcanoes; landslides; extremely susceptible to hurricanes <strong><br><br>volcanism:</strong> 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

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

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

Central America

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

UTC-06:00

number of time zones

1

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)

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.)

16.07 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

56% (2023 est.)

5.14 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

adult female

92 per 1,000

adult male

166 per 1,000

Elderly dependency ratio

9 (2025 est.)

Potential support ratio

11.1 (2025 est.)

Total dependency ratio

44.6 (2025 est.)

Youth dependency ratio

35.6 (2025 est.)

Education expenditure (% GDP)

2.9% of GDP (2023 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

11% national budget (2024 est.)

3 % of GDP

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

0.89 (2025 est.)

8 % of GDP

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

9.7% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

17.8% of national budget (2022 est.)

0.9 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Female

12.8 deaths/1,000 live births

Male

15.9 deaths/1,000 live births

neonatal

8 deaths/1,000 live births

Total

14.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

Spanish (official) 99.5%, Indigenous 0.3%, Portuguese 0.1%, other 0.1% (2020 est.)

Major-language sample(s)

<br>La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish)<br><br>The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Note

<strong>note: </strong>English and indigenous languages found on the Caribbean coast

number of languages

1

Female

76.4 years

Male

73.2 years

Total population

74.7 years (2024 est.)

1.095 million MANAGUA (capital) (2023)

60 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Female

29.9 years

Male

28.1 years

Total

29.5 years (2025 est.)

19.2 years (2011/12 est.)

note

<strong>note:</strong> data represents median age at first birth among women 25-29

Adjective

Nicaraguan

Noun

Nicaraguan(s)

-1.76 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

23.7% (2016)

0.68 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Female

3,435,247

Male

3,304,133

Total

6,739,380 (2025 est.)

0.92% (2025 est.)

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.)

Unimproved: rural

rural: 33.5% of population

Female

12 years (2023 est.)

Male

12 years (2023 est.)

Total

12 years (2023 est.)

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.)

1.82 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Rate of urbanization

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

Urban population

59.8% of total population (2023)

measles

85%

15 departments (<em>departamentos</em>, singular - <em>departamento</em>) and 2 autonomous regions* (<em>regiones autonomistas</em>, singular - <em>region autonoma</em>); Boaco, Carazo, Chinandega, Chontales, Costa Caribe Norte*, Costa Caribe Sur*, Estelí, Granada, Jinotega, Leon, Madriz, Managua, Masaya, Matagalpa, Nueva Segovia, Rio San Juan, Rivas

Etymology

the name comes from Lake Managua, whose name is composed of the Guaraní words <em>ama </em>(rain) and <em>nagua </em>(spirit) and refers to a local deity

Geographic coordinates

12 08 N, 86 15 W

Name

Managua

Time difference

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

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

svg

https://mainfacts.com/media/images/coats_of_arms/ni.svg

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

History

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

alternative spellings

NI, Republic of Nicaragua, República de Nicaragua

Conventional long form

Republic of Nicaragua

Conventional 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 <em>agua </em>(water), referring to the two large lakes in the west of the country (Lake Managua and Lake Nicaragua)

FIFA code

NCA

Local long form

Rep&uacute;blica de Nicaragua

local long form (eng)

Niue

local long form (spa)

República de Nicaragua

Local short form

Nicaragua

Chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charg&eacute; d&rsquo;Affaires Elias BAUMANN (since December 2025)

Email address and website

<br>ACS.Managua@state.gov<br><br>https://ni.usembassy.gov/

Embassy

Kilometer 5.5 Carretera Sur, Managua

FAX

[505] 2252-7250

Mailing address

3240 Managua Place, Washington DC&nbsp; 20521-3240

Telephone

[505] 2252-7100,

Chancery

1627 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009

Chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charg&eacute; 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

<br>mperalta@cancilleria.gob.ni<br><br>United States of America | ConsuladoDeNicaragua.com

FAX

[1] (202) 939-6545

Telephone

[1] (202) 939-6570

Cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

Chief of state

President Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (since 10 January 2007)

Election results

<br><em>2021:</em> 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%<br><em><br>2016:</em> 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%

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

Head of government

President Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (since 10 January 2007)

Most recent election date

7 November 2021

Note

<strong>note:</strong> the president is both chief of state and head of government

<strong>description:</strong> 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<br><br><strong>meaning: </strong>blue stands for the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, and white for the land between the two bodies of water<br><br><strong>history:</strong> the banner is based on the former blue-white-blue flag of the Federal Republic of Central America

note

<strong>note:</strong> 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

The flag of Nicaragua is composed of three equal horizontal bands of blue, white and blue, with the national coat of arms centered in the white band.

svg

https://flagcdn.com/ni.svg

presidential republic

15 September 1821 (from Spain)

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

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

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

civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts

Electoral system

proportional representation

Expected date of next election

November 2026

Legislative structure

unicameral

Legislature name

National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional)

Most recent election date

11/7/2021

Number of seats

91 (all directly elected)

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%

Scope of elections

full renewal

Term in office

5 years

blue, white

Selected World Heritage Site locales

Ruins of León Viejo; León Cathedral

Total World Heritage Sites

2 (both cultural)

Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

turquoise-browed motmot (bird)

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

Monday

16 years of age; universal

Yes

sugarcane, milk, rice, oil palm fruit, maize, plantains, cassava, groundnuts, beans, chicken (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Expenditures

$3.382 billion (2023 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> 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.)

code

NIO

name

Nicaraguan córdoba (NIO) [C$]

$817.62 million

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.)

Note

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

$15.49 billion

Debt - external 2023

$6.753 billion (2023 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> present value of external debt in current US dollars

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

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.)

$7.97 billion

Exports 2022

$7.87 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$8.248 billion (2023 est.)

Exports 2024

$8.135 billion (2024 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

garments, gold, insulated wire, coffee, beef (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five export commodities based on value in dollars

USA 51%, Mexico 12%, El Salvador 6%, Canada 6%, Switzerland 4% (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

net inflows

$1.35 billion

Exports of goods and services

40.5% (2024 est.)

Government consumption

12.3% (2024 est.)

Household consumption

80.6% (2024 est.)

Imports of goods and services

-58.1% (2024 est.)

Investment in fixed capital

22.9% (2024 est.)

Investment in inventories

1.8% (2024 est.)

Note

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

Agriculture

14.4% (2024 est.)

Industry

27.6% (2024 est.)

Note

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

Services

46.8% (2024 est.)

$19.694 billion (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> data in current dollars at official exchange rate

$2,848

46.2 (2014)

$18.71 billion

$2,510

25 % of GDP

$11.43 billion

Imports 2022

$10.213 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$10.519 billion (2023 est.)

Imports 2024

$11.437 billion (2024 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

garments, refined petroleum, crude petroleum, plastic products, fabric (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five import commodities based on value in dollars

USA 24%, China 13%, Mexico 9%, Honduras 9%, Guatemala 8% (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

3.6% (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

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

4.62%

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.)

Note

<b>note:</b> annual % change based on consumer prices

3.225 million (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

total

3.32 million persons

agriculture

30.47%

industry

16.88%

services

52.65%

24.9% (2016 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> % of population with income below national poverty line

Note

<strong>note:</strong> 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.)

$60.23 billion

Note

<b>note:</b> 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.)

3.59%

Note

<b>note:</b> 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.)

$8,709

Note

<b>note:</b> 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.)

$5.25 billion

Note

<b>note:</b> 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.)

$6.1 billion

Note

<b>note:</b> 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.)

22 % of GDP

20 % of GDP

19.9% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

5.04%

Note

<b>note:</b> % 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.)

Female

12% (2024 est.)

Male

7.8% (2024 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Total

9% (2024 est.)

Imports

22 metric tons (2023 est.)

Consumption

4.654 billion kWh (2023 est.)

consumption per capita

682 kWh

Imports

1.125 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Installed generating capacity

1.849 million kW (2023 est.)

Transmission/distribution losses

839 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electrification - rural areas

66.3%

Electrification - total population

86.5% (2022 est.)

Electrification - urban areas

100%

Biomass and waste

20.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Fossil fuels

35.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Geothermal

15.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectric

14.88%

Hydroelectricity

14.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

nuclear

0%

renewable

69.51%

Solar

0.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Wind

12.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

608 kg of oil equivalent

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

10.66 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Refined petroleum consumption

28,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Total petroleum production

200 bbl/day (2023 est.)

50.4%

per 100 inhabitants

5 per 100

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

5 (2023 est.)

Total

371,000 (2023 est.)

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)

.ni

Percent of population

58% (2023 est.)

###-###-#

+505

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

3 (2023 est.)

Total subscriptions

234,000 (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100

106 per 100

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

106 (2024 est.)

Total subscriptions

7.33 million (2024 est.)

39 (2025)

YN

Right

By type

general cargo 1, oil tanker 1, other 3

Total

5 (2023)

Key ports

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

Large

0

Medium

0

Ports with oil terminals

4

Small

2

Total ports

5 (2024)

Very small

3

NIC

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<br><br>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)

Armed Forces of Nicaragua (formal name is Army of Nicaragua or Ejercito de Nicaragua, EN): Land Force; Naval Force; Air Force (2025)

active duty personnel

12,000

note

<strong>note:</strong> 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

percent of total labor force

0.41 %

approximately 12,000 active Armed Forces (2025)

the military's air and ground force inventories include mostly secondhand Russian or Soviet-era equipment (2025)

1 % of GDP

current USD

$105,264,016

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.)

percent of central government expenditure

1.90 %

percent of GDP

0.55 % of GDP

18-30 years of age for voluntary military service (16-20 for cadets); no conscription; tour of duty 18-36 months (2025)

USG identification

<br>major illicit drug-producing and/or drug-transit country (2025)

IDPs

89 (2024 est.)

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/

1994 - joined UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space<br><br>2017 - Russia opened a satellite navigation system monitoring station in Nicaragua<br><br>2021 - signed convention establishing the Latin American and Caribbean Space Agency<br><br>2024 - joined the China-led International Lunar Research Station project, which aims to establish a permanent base on the Moon by the 2030s

National Secretariat for Extraterrestrial Space Affairs, The Moon and Other Celestial Bodies (Secretar&iacute;a Nacional para Asuntos del Espacio Ultraterrestre, la Luna y otros Cuerpos Celestes, established 2021; operates under the military&rsquo;s control) (2025)

stated mission is to promote the development of space activities with the aim of broadening the country&rsquo;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)

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.)

Total emissions

3.806 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; drought

Global geoparks and regional networks

Rio Coco (2023)

Total global geoparks and regional networks

1

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

16.3 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

10 % of total land area

55 % of total

164.52 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

1 % of internal resources

Agricultural

1.084 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Industrial

620,000 cubic meters (2022 est.)

Municipal

190 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Municipal solid waste generated annually

1.529 million tons (2024 est.)

Percent of municipal solid waste recycled

15% (2022 est.)