Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita in Nicaragua
Nicaragua: Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita was 59.4% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
59.4%
Change on year
up 0.3%
World rank
142nd
of 236 countries
All-time high
59.4%
in 2025
All-time low
35.0%
in 1950
Years of data
76
1950–2025
Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita in Nicaragua, 1950–2025
Source: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Nicaragua stood at 59.4%. That is the highest value across all 76 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 2.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Nicaragua peaked at 59.4% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 35.0%, in 1950.
Nicaragua ranks 142nd of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 76 years of available data.
Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita in Nicaragua, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 35.0% | — |
| 1951 | 35.2% | +0.7% |
| 1952 | 35.5% | +0.8% |
| 1953 | 35.8% | +0.9% |
| 1954 | 36.2% | +1.1% |
| 1955 | 36.6% | +1.2% |
| 1956 | 37.1% | +1.2% |
| 1957 | 37.6% | +1.3% |
| 1958 | 38.1% | +1.4% |
| 1959 | 38.6% | +1.4% |
| 1960 | 39.2% | +1.5% |
| 1961 | 39.8% | +1.5% |
| 1962 | 40.4% | +1.5% |
| 1963 | 41.0% | +1.5% |
| 1964 | 41.7% | +1.8% |
| 1965 | 42.6% | +2.2% |
| 1966 | 43.6% | +2.3% |
| 1967 | 44.6% | +2.3% |
| 1968 | 45.6% | +2.2% |
| 1969 | 46.5% | +2.0% |
| 1970 | 47.3% | +1.6% |
| 1971 | 47.8% | +1.2% |
| 1972 | 48.3% | +0.9% |
| 1973 | 48.7% | +0.9% |
| 1974 | 49.1% | +0.8% |
| 1975 | 49.5% | +0.8% |
| 1976 | 49.8% | +0.7% |
| 1977 | 50.2% | +0.7% |
| 1978 | 50.5% | +0.7% |
| 1979 | 50.8% | +0.6% |
| 1980 | 51.1% | +0.6% |
| 1981 | 51.4% | +0.6% |
| 1982 | 51.7% | +0.5% |
| 1983 | 51.9% | +0.5% |
| 1984 | 52.2% | +0.5% |
| 1985 | 52.4% | +0.5% |
| 1986 | 52.7% | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 52.9% | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 53.1% | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 53.3% | +0.4% |
| 1990 | 53.5% | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 53.7% | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 53.9% | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 54.1% | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 54.3% | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 54.4% | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 54.6% | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 54.8% | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 54.9% | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 55.1% | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 55.2% | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 55.4% | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 55.5% | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 55.6% | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 55.8% | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 55.9% | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 56.1% | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 56.3% | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 56.5% | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 56.7% | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 56.8% | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 57.0% | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 57.2% | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 57.4% | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 57.6% | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 57.8% | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 58.0% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 58.2% | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 58.4% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 58.5% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 58.7% | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 58.9% | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 59.0% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 59.1% | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 59.3% | +0.2% |
| 2025 | 59.4% | +0.3% |
Nicaragua compared with similar countries
- Nicaragua's 59.4% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 50.9%, 1.2× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nicaragua's 59.4% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 72.0%, 83% of the median. (42 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 36.6% | 35.0% | 38.6% | 10 |
| 1960s | 42.5% | 39.2% | 46.5% | 10 |
| 1970s | 49.2% | 47.3% | 50.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 52.3% | 51.1% | 53.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 54.3% | 53.5% | 55.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 55.9% | 55.2% | 56.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 57.7% | 56.8% | 58.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 59.1% | 58.7% | 59.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Nicaragua
More population data for Nicaragua
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.3894 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run 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 regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.4231 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.4% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 394,954 people (2100)
- Population density 71.56 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -0.4% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.7708 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 1.15 Percent per annum (2030)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Nicaragua?
- Share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Nicaragua was 59.4% in 2025, according to United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita recorded in Nicaragua?
- The highest recorded value was 59.4% in 2025.
- What is the lowest share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita recorded in Nicaragua?
- The lowest recorded value was 35.0% in 1950.
- How does Nicaragua rank for share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita?
- Nicaragua ranks 142nd out of 236 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Nicaragua?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nicaragua data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 76 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the population living in urban areas, based on each country's national definition.