El Salvador vs Nicaragua: Total population living in extreme poverty by world region

El Salvador
292,567 people
in 2023
Nicaragua
398,591 people
in 2014
El Salvador rank
56th
Nicaragua rank
54th

Total population living in extreme poverty by world region over time

  • El Salvador
  • Nicaragua
0500.0k1.0M1.5M2.0M198920062023

How they compare

Nicaragua currently reports 398,591 people against 292,567 people in El Salvador, a difference of 106,024 people.

That makes Nicaragua's figure about 1.4 times El Salvador's.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 5 shared years of data; in 1998 it was Nicaragua ahead.

El Salvador ranks 56th and Nicaragua ranks 54th of 120 countries.

Across the 3 decades both report, El Salvador averaged higher in 1 and Nicaragua in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade El Salvador Nicaragua Difference Ahead
1990s 1.55 million people 1.70 million people 147,400 people Nicaragua
2000s 963,998 people 1.00 million people 38,340 people Nicaragua
2010s 428,531 people 398,591 people 29,940 people El Salvador

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher total population living in extreme poverty by world region, El Salvador or Nicaragua?
Nicaragua, at 398,591 people against 292,567 people in El Salvador as of 2014.
What is the difference in total population living in extreme poverty by world region between El Salvador and Nicaragua?
106,024 people, with Nicaragua ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for El Salvador and Nicaragua?
5 years are reported by both, from 1998 to 2014.
How do El Salvador and Nicaragua rank globally for total population living in extreme poverty by world region?
El Salvador ranks 56th and Nicaragua ranks 54th of 120 countries.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Total population living in extreme poverty by world region. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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El Salvador vs Nicaragua: Total population living in extreme poverty by world region. Statizoid, drawing on World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://poverty.statizoid.com/compare/total-population-living-in-extreme-poverty-by-world-region/el-salvador/nicaragua/

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<a href="https://poverty.statizoid.com/compare/total-population-living-in-extreme-poverty-by-world-region/el-salvador/nicaragua/">El Salvador vs Nicaragua: Total population living in extreme poverty by world region</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Total population living in extreme poverty by world region
Unit
people
Source
World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
120 places, 2,148 data points, 1963–2025
Last refreshed

Number of people living in households with an income or consumption below $3 per day.