Rural population in Nicaragua
Nicaragua: Rural population was 39.8% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Rural population in Nicaragua, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
In 2024, rural population in Nicaragua stood at 39.8%. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 5.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Nicaragua peaked at 53.0% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 39.8%, in 2024.
Nicaragua ranks 98th of 214 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Rural population in Nicaragua, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 53.0% | — |
| 1971 | 52.2% | -1.4% |
| 1972 | 51.9% | -0.5% |
| 1973 | 51.7% | -0.5% |
| 1974 | 51.4% | -0.5% |
| 1975 | 51.1% | -0.5% |
| 1976 | 50.8% | -0.5% |
| 1977 | 50.5% | -0.5% |
| 1978 | 50.3% | -0.6% |
| 1979 | 50.0% | -0.6% |
| 1980 | 49.7% | -0.6% |
| 1981 | 49.4% | -0.6% |
| 1982 | 49.2% | -0.6% |
| 1983 | 48.9% | -0.6% |
| 1984 | 48.6% | -0.6% |
| 1985 | 48.3% | -0.6% |
| 1986 | 48.0% | -0.6% |
| 1987 | 47.8% | -0.6% |
| 1988 | 47.5% | -0.6% |
| 1989 | 47.2% | -0.6% |
| 1990 | 46.9% | -0.6% |
| 1991 | 46.6% | -0.6% |
| 1992 | 46.4% | -0.6% |
| 1993 | 46.1% | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 45.8% | -0.6% |
| 1995 | 45.6% | -0.6% |
| 1996 | 45.4% | -0.3% |
| 1997 | 45.3% | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 45.1% | -0.3% |
| 1999 | 45.0% | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 44.8% | -0.3% |
| 2001 | 44.7% | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 44.5% | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 44.4% | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 44.2% | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 44.1% | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 43.9% | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 43.7% | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 43.5% | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 43.3% | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 43.1% | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 42.9% | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 42.7% | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 42.5% | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 42.3% | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 42.1% | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 41.9% | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 41.7% | -0.5% |
| 2018 | 41.5% | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 41.2% | -0.6% |
| 2020 | 41.0% | -0.6% |
| 2021 | 40.7% | -0.6% |
| 2022 | 40.4% | -0.7% |
| 2023 | 40.2% | -0.7% |
| 2024 | 39.8% | -0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 51.3% | 50.0% | 53.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 48.5% | 47.2% | 49.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 45.8% | 45.0% | 46.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 44.1% | 43.3% | 44.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 42.2% | 41.2% | 43.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 40.4% | 39.8% | 41.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Nicaragua
More population data for Nicaragua
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.4231 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -1.18 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.4231 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.3894 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 9,095 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 1.15 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.7708 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.4% (2100)
- Population density 71.56 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 394,954 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Nicaragua?
- Rural population in Nicaragua was 39.8% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Nicaragua?
- The highest recorded value was 53.0% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Nicaragua?
- The lowest recorded value was 39.8% in 2024.
- How does Nicaragua rank for rural population?
- Nicaragua ranks 98th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Nicaragua?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Nicaragua data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release