Nicaragua has one of the healthiest growth rates in the region, and its population is projected to grow to 6.6 million by 2020.
The population of Nicaragua has been very much above average in the past, but the birth rate has slowed significantly in the past couple of decades, which is currently lower than the worldwide average at roughly 2.2 births per woman in the country. This is a good thing considering the amount of poverty in Nicaragua, and the annual growth rate is currently very close to manageable worldwide average at 1.06% as of 2019.
The rate of growth in Nicaragua has been decreasing since the 1970s, trend that is expected to continue in the years to come. Current projections believe that the growth rate will peak in 2020 at 1.08%, before slipping down to 0.36% in 2050. Although the rate of growth will be decreasing, the population as a whole will still be increasing, but at a slower rate. The same predictions believe that the population of Nicaragua will be 6,416,568 in 2020, 7,046,293 in 2030, 7,548,564 in 2040 and 7,875,742 by 2050.
| Nicaragua Population (as of 9/13/2024) | 6,935,058 |
| Last UN Estimate (July 1, 2024) | 6,916,140 |
| Births per Day | 362 |
| Deaths per Day | 88 |
| Migrations per Day | -22 |
| Net Change per Day | 252 |
| Population Change Since Jan. 1 | 64,764 |
Net increase of 1 person every 5.72 minutes
Population estimates based on interpolation of data from World Population Prospects
| One birth every 3.98 minutes | |
| One death every 16.37 minutes | |
| One emigrant every 65.45 minutes | |
| Net gain of one person every 5.72 minutes |
City | 2024 Population |
|---|---|
| Managua | 973,087 |
| Leon | 144,538 |
| Masaya | 130,113 |
| Chinandega | 126,387 |
| Matagalpa | 109,089 |
| Esteli | 96,422 |
| Granada | 89,409 |
| Jinotega | 55,000 |
| El Viejo | 53,504 |
| Nueva Guinea | 52,929 |
The Central American country of Nicaragua lies sandwiched between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. The land is known for its beautiful lakes, volcanoes, and beaches and covers 50,337 square miles (130,370 square kilometers) of space, ranking it the 99th country in the world in terms of area. Using the 2017 population of 6.218 million (the 110th most populous country in the world), there are 124 people per square mile (48 people per square kilometer) living in the Nicaragua, making it the 124th most densely populated country in the world.
Nearly two-thirds of the residents of Nicaragua live in urban areas. The most populous city is the capital, Managua, which has a population of more than 1.03 million in the city proper and over 1.34 million in the metropolitan area- these numbers also make Managua the third-largest city in Central America. The city has been inhabited for thousands of years but didn't become the capital until the mid-1800s. The next largest city is the significantly smaller city of León 56 miles northwest of Managua, with a population of slightly over 200,000. 19 miles south of Managua lies the third-largest city, Masaya, with a population of 166,588, which is the agricultural hub of Nicaragua. Other cities in Nicaragua with populations in excess of 100,000 include Matagalpa, Chinandega, Granada, Jinotega, and Esteli.
Year | Population | Growth Rate | Density (/km²) | Population Rank | Density Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 6,916,140 | 1.3% | 57 | 109 | 155 |
| 2023 | 6,823,613 | 1.29% | 57 | 109 | 156 |
| 2020 | 6,565,267 | 1.26% | 55 | 111 | 155 |
| 2019 | 6,483,657 | 1.31% | 54 | 111 | 155 |
| 2018 | 6,400,080 | 1.33% | 53 | 110 | 154 |
| 2017 | 6,316,231 | 1.34% | 52 | 110 | 154 |
| 2015 | 6,149,417 | 1.4% | 51 | 112 | 154 |
| 2010 | 5,737,450 | 1.44% | 48 | 110 | 155 |
| 2005 | 5,342,105 | 1.24% | 44 | 111 | 155 |
| 2000 | 5,022,633 | 1.58% | 42 | 112 | 154 |
| 1995 | 4,642,931 | 2.21% | 39 | 111 | 153 |
| 1990 | 4,162,559 | 2.35% | 35 | 114 | 155 |
| 1985 | 3,706,479 | 2.65% | 31 | 113 | 155 |
| 1980 | 3,252,403 | 2.92% | 27 | 116 | 152 |
| 1975 | 2,816,943 | 3.06% | 23 | 118 | 154 |
| 1970 | 2,423,065 | 3.17% | 20 | 120 | 156 |
| 1965 | 2,072,681 | 3.06% | 17 | 123 | 158 |
| 1960 | 1,782,370 | 3.02% | 15 | 123 | 158 |
| 1955 | 1,536,246 | 2.9% | 13 | 125 | 160 |
Year | Population | Growth Rate | Density (/km²) | Population Rank | Density Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 6,916,140 | 1.3% | 57 | 109 | 155 |
| 2025 | 7,007,502 | 1.31% | 58 | 109 | 155 |
| 2030 | 7,441,603 | 1.21% | 62 | 107 | 154 |
| 2035 | 7,836,703 | 1.04% | 65 | 108 | 153 |
| 2040 | 8,189,914 | 0.89% | 68 | 108 | 152 |
| 2045 | 8,497,615 | 0.74% | 71 | 109 | 151 |
| 2050 | 8,756,430 | 0.6% | 73 | 108 | 148 |
| 2055 | 8,959,459 | 0.46% | 74 | 107 | 148 |
| 2060 | 9,107,127 | 0.33% | 76 | 107 | 146 |
| 2065 | 9,198,031 | 0.2% | 76 | 107 | 148 |
| 2070 | 9,235,612 | 0.08% | 77 | 106 | 146 |
| 2075 | 9,221,968 | -0.03% | 77 | 106 | 144 |
| 2080 | 9,164,172 | -0.13% | 76 | 106 | 146 |
| 2085 | 9,066,054 | -0.21% | 75 | 107 | 145 |
| 2090 | 8,938,113 | -0.28% | 74 | 107 | 146 |
| 2095 | 8,785,878 | -0.34% | 73 | 108 | 146 |
27.3
Total
26.4
Male
28.2
Female
There are people over age 18 in Nicaragua.
Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 2017 |
| 2005 | 11 June 2005 |
| 1995 | 25 April 1995 |
Nicaragua's population is 69% Mestizo, 17% white, 5% Amerindian and 9% black and other races, although its demographics change with migration. 84% of the country's population lives in urban areas. 17% of the population is of European descent, with the largest ancestry groups being Spanish, German, Italian, English and French. The black population lives primarily on the Caribbean and Atlantic coast of the city and this community is mostly English-speaking Creoles descended from shipwrecked and escaped slaves.
Interestingly, Nicaragua is named for one of its indigenous peoples, the Nicarao, who were once present throughout the western area of the country with a culture and language similar to the Mayans. The indigenous population of Nicaragua has mostly assimilated into the country's mestizo majority.
The majority of people living in Nicaragua practice some form of Christianity. 55% of the population is affiliated with the Catholic Church, 27.2% are Protestant an 0.9% are Jehovah's witnesses. The remaining 16.9% of people in Nicaragua are either another religion or unaffiliated with any, although people are free to practice any religion they there is religious freedom integrated into the nation's constitution.
Nicaragua is both one of the poorest and least developed countries in Central America. The economy is strongly rooted in the agriculture industry, and they export large amounts of coffee, cotton, bananas, and beef. The agriculture industry employs the most people in Nicaragua, but the services sector brings in over half of the country's GDP which includes transportation, commerce, warehousing, tourism, arts, health, education, and banking.
The government of Nicaragua is what is known as a presidential republic, which means that the president is the leader of both the state and the government. The legislative branch in Nicaragua is made up of the National Assembly with 92 members, 20 of which are directly elected by the people. The judicial branch of Nicaragua is independent of the executive and legislative branches and is made up of a supreme court, appeals court, criminal court, and military court.
Nicaragua was named by a Spanish explorer in the 1500s but didn't become an independent nation until 1838. Nicaragua has managed to stay out of any major wars with huge amounts of casualties since that time. Natural disasters have been a much more significant issue. In 1972, an earthquake in the city of Managua killed between 5,000-10,000. in 1988, a hurricane left 180,000 Nicaraguans homeless. Another earthquake in 1992 left 16,000 people without homes, and another hurricane took the homes of an additional 3,000. The San Cristobal volcano began erupting in 2012 and displaced several more thousand people.