Nicaragua vs United States: Compare Statistics

Side-by-side comparison of 111 key metrics across economy, population, geography, and more — latest data through 2026.

Summary

Comparing Nicaragua and United States: Nicaragua leads on Refined Petroleum Products Imports (20,120) against United States (2.17); Nicaragua leads on Oil Imports (30,290) against United States (10.27); Nicaragua leads on Refined Petroleum Products Consumption (37,000) against United States (19.96). Across 111 compared metrics, Nicaragua wins on 41 and United States wins on 63.

  • Communications: 6 metrics compared
  • Economy: 45 metrics compared
  • Environment: 7 metrics compared
  • Geography: 6 metrics compared
  • Government: 4 metrics compared
  • Health: 10 metrics compared
  • Military and Security: 1 metric compared
  • People and Society: 29 metrics compared
  • Transportation: 3 metrics compared

Communications

6 metrics
Metric🇳🇮 Nicaragua🇺🇸 United StatesShare
Internet Usage Rate by Country (% of Population)58.23 %93.14 %
Internet Userspercent of population: 58% (2023 est.)percent of population: 93% (2023 est.)
Press Freedom Index Score22.83 points65.49 points
Radios1.24575
Televisions320,000219
Waterways2,22041,009

Economy

45 metrics
Metric🇳🇮 Nicaragua🇺🇸 United StatesShare
Agriculture Value Added as a Share of GDP by Country3.05B $350.60B $
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by Country in Current US Dollars23.03B $32.95T $
Central Bank Discount Rate (%)3 %0.5 %
Coal Revenue00.2
Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate (%)10.8 %4.1 %
Current Health Expenditure (% of GDP)8.6 % of GDP16.9 % of GDP
Ease of Doing Business Index79.692
Electricity Consumption3.593.9
Electricity Exports17.879.7
Electricity from Fossil Fuels5670
Electricity from Hydroelectric Plants97
Electricity from Nuclear Fuels09
Electricity from Other Renewables3514
Electricity Imports20572.72
Electricity Installed Capacity1.551.09
Electricity Production4.454.1
Energy Consumption per Capita (USD)10.66 USD per capita278.47 USD per capita
Gini Index Coefficient46.239.8
Gross Fixed Investment34.112.9
Gross National Saving2418.9
Industrial Production Growth Rate (%)3.6 %3.25 %
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)4.6 %2.9 %
Military Expenditures (% of GDP)0.5 % of GDP3.2 % of GDP
Natural Gas Consumption0767.6
Natural Gas Exports089.7
Natural Gas Imports086.15
Natural Gas Production0772.8
Natural Gas Proved Reserves00
Oil Consumption30,00019.15
Oil Exports7421.92
Oil Imports30,29010.27
Oil Production3779.69
Oil Proved Reserves020.68
Population Below Poverty Line24.9 people15.1 people
Public Debt33.3114.8
Real GDP Growth Rate (USD)3.6 USD2.8 USD
Refined Petroleum Products Consumption37,00019.96
Refined Petroleum Products Exports4605.22
Refined Petroleum Products Imports20,1202.18
Refined Petroleum Products Production14,72020.3
Remittances26.60
Revenue from Forest Resources1.260.04
Share of population in poverty ($3 a day)6.571.25
Taxes and Other Revenues19.910.6
Unemployment Rate4.6 %4.2 %

Environment

7 metrics
Metric🇳🇮 Nicaragua🇺🇸 United StatesShare
Annual CO₂ Emissions Growth (abs)202,047-14.29M
Carbon Dioxide Emissions3.814.8
Contiguous Zone2512
Continental Shelfnot specified;not specified;
Population Distributionthe 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 clusterslarge urban clusters are spread throughout the eastern half of the US (particularly the Great Lakes area, northeast, east, and southeast) and the western-tier states; mountainous areas such as the Rocky Mountains and Appalachians, deserts in the southwest
Total Renewable Groundwater Resources by Country59 Cubic meters per year1,383 Cubic meters per year
Total Renewable Water Resources164.523.07

Geography

6 metrics
Metric🇳🇮 Nicaragua🇺🇸 United StatesShare
Percentage of land area by degree of urbanization1.3 %2.11 %
Above-Ground Biomass in Forest (tonnes/ha)91.0294.67
Agricultural land51,008 sq. km4.17M sq. km
Coastline Length (km)910 km19,924 km
Dam capacity per capita4,510.25 cubic meters per inhabitant2,113 cubic meters per inhabitant
Irrigated Land1,990234,782

Government

4 metrics
Metric🇳🇮 Nicaragua🇺🇸 United StatesShare
Rule of Law Index by Country8.26 %88.3 %
Administrative Divisions1550
Independence154
Suffrage Participation Rate1618

Health

10 metrics
Metric🇳🇮 Nicaragua🇺🇸 United StatesShare
Diabetes Deaths Per 100,000 (Age-Std)48.4226.21
Diabetes Prevalence (% of Population)10.413.7
Health Expenditure (% of GDP)9.7 % of GDP16.6 % of GDP
HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate0.3 %NA
Hospital Bed Density0.9 people/sq km2.7 people/sq km
Maternal Mortality Ratio (%)60 %17 %
Mean Age at First Birth19.227.5
Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate (%)23.7 %36.2 %
People Living With HIV/AIDS12,000NA
Underweight Children Under 54.60.4

Military and Security

1 metric
Metric🇳🇮 Nicaragua🇺🇸 United StatesShare
Total Armed Forces Personnel (PPP)12,0001.40M

People and Society

29 metrics
Metric🇳🇮 Nicaragua🇺🇸 United StatesShare
Currently married (Percent)55.88 %51.38 %
Human Capital Index0.510.72
Life expectancy at birth79.4 years83.22 years
Median age of population26.32 years38.79 years
Population Change96,292.6 persons2.26M persons
Population density58.98 per sq. km38.15 per sq. km
Total population7.10M persons349.13M persons
Academic Freedom Index0.020.4
Birth Rate (%)16.07 %10.75 %
Contraceptive Prevalence Rate80.4 %73.9 %
Death Rate (%)5.14 %8.76 %
Education Expenditure (% of GDP)2.9 % of GDP5.4 % of GDP
Female population of reproductive age1.96M persons78.56M persons
Labor Force Participation Rate3.23174.17
Learning-adjusted years of school5.8 years11.07 years
Length of paid parental leave for mother0 days183.4 days
Major Urban Areas Population1.1 people18.94 people
Mean Male Height (cm)166.71177.13
Military Manpower at Military Age1818
Military Service Age and Obligation1817
Percentage of population by degree of urbanization64.75 %74.52 %
Physician Density0.68 people/sq km3.68 people/sq km
Population Growth Rate0.92 %0.45 %
Population living in slums3.87 %0.05 %
Total deaths27,821.9 persons2.87M persons
Total demand for family planning (Percent)64.82 %65.73 %
Total fertility rate2.16 per woman1.61 per woman
Total net-migration-7,437.7 persons1.49M persons
Under-five mortality rate11.96 per live births5.52 per live births

Transportation

3 metrics
Metric🇳🇮 Nicaragua🇺🇸 United StatesShare
Air Travel Trips Per Capita (PPP)0.052.06
Airports3916,116
Civil Air Travel98,252

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