Rank #138 by World Population
🇳🇮Nicaragua
Nicaragua has a population of 6,823,613, ranking #138 in the world. The capital is Managua. Located in Latin America & Caribbean .
World Bank: Lower middle income
6,823,613
Population
#138
World Rank
74.9
Life Expectancy
$2,609
GDP Per Capita
Nicaragua, #138 by world population
Nicaragua Population History (1960-2024)
The country of Nicaragua had a population of 1,782,370 in 1960 and 6,916,140 in 2024, a 3.9× growth over 64 years. The peak was 6,916,140 in 2024. Average annual growth rate: 2.14%.
6,916,140
Population (2024)
1,782,370
Population (1960)
6,916,140
Peak (2024)
2.14%
Avg Annual Growth
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1960 | 1,782,370 |
| 1961 | 1,836,451 |
| 1962 | 1,892,320 |
| 1963 | 1,950,159 |
| 1964 | 2,010,176 |
| 1965 | 2,072,681 |
| 1966 | 2,137,820 |
| 1967 | 2,205,567 |
| 1968 | 2,275,836 |
| 1969 | 2,348,398 |
| 1970 | 2,423,065 |
| 1971 | 2,499,825 |
| 1972 | 2,573,578 |
| 1973 | 2,649,278 |
| 1974 | 2,732,075 |
| 1975 | 2,816,943 |
| 1976 | 2,903,851 |
| 1977 | 2,992,534 |
| 1978 | 3,080,314 |
| 1979 | 3,164,525 |
| 1980 | 3,252,403 |
| 1981 | 3,345,674 |
| 1982 | 3,438,745 |
| 1983 | 3,530,282 |
| 1984 | 3,619,104 |
| 1985 | 3,706,479 |
| 1986 | 3,794,157 |
| 1987 | 3,882,164 |
| 1988 | 3,972,320 |
| 1989 | 4,066,476 |
| 1990 | 4,162,559 |
| 1991 | 4,259,637 |
| 1992 | 4,357,026 |
| 1993 | 4,453,732 |
| 1994 | 4,549,316 |
| 1995 | 4,642,931 |
| 1996 | 4,729,974 |
| 1997 | 4,809,573 |
| 1998 | 4,883,655 |
| 1999 | 4,954,018 |
| 2000 | 5,022,633 |
| 2001 | 5,087,825 |
| 2002 | 5,149,909 |
| 2003 | 5,210,963 |
| 2004 | 5,272,912 |
| 2005 | 5,342,105 |
| 2006 | 5,418,855 |
| 2007 | 5,497,243 |
| 2008 | 5,576,593 |
| 2009 | 5,656,601 |
| 2010 | 5,737,450 |
| 2011 | 5,819,051 |
| 2012 | 5,901,287 |
| 2013 | 5,983,845 |
| 2014 | 6,066,492 |
| 2015 | 6,149,417 |
| 2016 | 6,232,666 |
| 2017 | 6,316,231 |
| 2018 | 6,400,080 |
| 2019 | 6,483,657 |
| 2020 | 6,565,267 |
| 2021 | 6,644,741 |
| 2022 | 6,730,654 |
| 2023 | 6,823,613 |
| 2024 | 6,916,140 |
Demographics
| Population | 6,823,613 |
| Population Growth Rate | 1.37% |
| Urban Population | 59.1% |
| Fertility Rate | 2.22 births/woman |
| Life Expectancy | 74.9 years |
| Infant Mortality Rate | 12.0 per 1,000 |
| Literacy Rate | - |
Economy & Trade
$2,609
GDP Per Capita
4.7%
Unemployment Rate
Lower middle income
Income Level
105.0%
Trade (% of GDP)
474,000
Tourism Arrivals
Health & Education
8.3%
Health Expenditure (% GDP)
2.9%
Education Expenditure (% GDP)
12.0
Infant Mortality (per 1,000)
Development & Connectivity
88.3%
Electricity Access
59.4%
Internet Users
94
Mobile Subs per 100
56.7
People per km2
-7,996
Net Migration
Environment
25.8%
Forest Area
Other Countries in Latin America & Caribbean
Nicaragua in global context
Nicaragua is one of 212 countries tracked. See how it ranks globally, regional shares of world population, and projections to 2050 / 2100.
World Population 2026: Top 10 Countries, Regions & Trends →Other related entities
Country rankings
Frequently Asked Questions
Nicaragua has a population of 6,823,613, ranking #138 in the world. The annual population growth rate is 1.37%.
Life expectancy in Nicaragua is 74.9 years. The infant mortality rate is 12.0 per 1,000 live births.
Nicaragua's GDP per capita is $2,609. It is classified as a lower middle income country by the World Bank.
59.1% of Nicaragua's population lives in urban areas. The overall population density is 56.7 people per square kilometer.
Literacy data for Nicaragua is available from the World Bank.
International data from the World Bank Open Data API. Population figures are latest available estimates. GDP per capita in current US dollars.
The this entity record above pulls directly from the U.S. Census Bureau ACS and decennial files. What follows is the per-entity context — how this entity sits in the broader U.S. population demographics distribution and which underlying factors drive the headline numbers.
Every number on this page links back to the U.S. Census Bureau ACS and decennial files; the methodology page describes the inputs, refresh cadence, and known limitations of the underlying data product.
For readers using this page as a decision input, the related-entity pages elsewhere on the site provide the comparison set. The most useful comparison for this entity is typically a peer within U.S. states, metros, cities, and ZIPs with similar size, similar exposure, or similar geography — not the national-level summary alone.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, 2026.