Guatemala vs Nicaragua: Share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required
Guatemala
44.1%
in 2022
Nicaragua
38.3%
in 2022
Guatemala rank
32nd
Nicaragua rank
35th
Share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required over time
- Guatemala
- Nicaragua
How they compare
Guatemala currently reports 44.1% against 38.3% in Nicaragua, a difference of 5.8%.
That makes Guatemala's figure about 1.2 times Nicaragua's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 11 shared years of data; in 2006 it was Nicaragua ahead.
Guatemala ranks 32nd and Nicaragua ranks 35th of 134 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Guatemala averaged higher in 2 and Nicaragua in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Guatemala | Nicaragua | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 50.0% | 50.5% | 0.5% | Nicaragua |
| 2010s | 40.7% | 37.7% | 3.0% | Guatemala |
| 2020s | 43.0% | 39.5% | 3.5% | Guatemala |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required, Guatemala or Nicaragua?
- Guatemala, at 44.1% against 38.3% in Nicaragua as of 2022.
- What is the difference in share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required between Guatemala and Nicaragua?
- 5.8%, with Guatemala ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Guatemala and Nicaragua?
- 11 years are reported by both, from 2006 to 2022.
- How do Guatemala and Nicaragua rank globally for share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required?
- Guatemala ranks 32nd and Nicaragua ranks 35th of 134 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Harvard Medical School Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Catastrophic expenditure is defined as direct out-of-pocket payments for surgical and anaesthesia care exceeding 10% of total income.