Proportion of population living below the national poverty line (%) in Nicaragua
Nicaragua: Proportion of population living below the national poverty line (%) was 24.9% in 2016. ▼ Falling
Proportion of population living below the national poverty line in Nicaragua, 1998–2016
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
The most recent figure for proportion of population living below the national poverty line in Nicaragua is 24.9%, measured in 2016. That is the lowest value across all 6 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 15.9% on the previous year and down 48.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of population living below the national poverty line in Nicaragua peaked at 48.3% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 24.9%, in 2016.
That places Nicaragua 16th out of 73 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the top quarter.
Proportion of population living below the national poverty line (%) in Nicaragua, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 47.9% | — |
| 2001 | 45.8% | -4.4% |
| 2005 | 48.3% | +5.5% |
| 2009 | 42.5% | -12.0% |
| 2014 | 29.6% | -30.4% |
| 2016 | 24.9% | -15.9% |
Nicaragua compared with similar countries
- Nicaragua's 24.9% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 21.9%, 1.1× the median. (9 countries reporting)
- Nicaragua's 24.9% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 21.5%, 1.2× the median. (10 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 47.9% | 47.9% | 47.9% | 1 |
| 2000s | 45.5% | 42.5% | 48.3% | 3 |
| 2010s | 27.2% | 24.9% | 29.6% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Nicaragua
More poverty & inequality data for Nicaragua
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 0 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 2.22 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 2,515 kg per hectare (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate 6.63 % change on previous year (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 27.78 (2022)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 27.8% (2022)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of population living below the national poverty line in Nicaragua?
- Proportion of population living below the national poverty line in Nicaragua was 24.9% in 2016, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest proportion of population living below the national poverty line recorded in Nicaragua?
- The highest recorded value was 48.3% in 2005.
- What is the lowest proportion of population living below the national poverty line recorded in Nicaragua?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.9% in 2016.
- How does Nicaragua rank for proportion of population living below the national poverty line?
- Nicaragua ranks 16th out of 73 countries with data for 2016.
- Is proportion of population living below the national poverty line rising or falling in Nicaragua?
- Over the last ten years it is down 48.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Nicaragua data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of population living below the national poverty line (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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