Rural population in Nicaragua
Nicaragua: Rural population was 40.6% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Rural population in Nicaragua, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
In 2025, rural population in Nicaragua stood at 40.6%. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is down 0.4% on the previous year and down 3.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Nicaragua peaked at 60.8% in 1960 and was at its lowest, 40.6%, in 2025.
That places Nicaragua 91st out of 218 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Rural population in Nicaragua, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 60.8% | — |
| 1961 | 60.2% | -1.0% |
| 1962 | 59.6% | -1.0% |
| 1963 | 59.0% | -1.0% |
| 1964 | 58.3% | -1.3% |
| 1965 | 57.4% | -1.5% |
| 1966 | 56.4% | -1.7% |
| 1967 | 55.4% | -1.8% |
| 1968 | 54.4% | -1.8% |
| 1969 | 53.5% | -1.7% |
| 1970 | 52.7% | -1.4% |
| 1971 | 52.2% | -1.0% |
| 1972 | 51.7% | -0.8% |
| 1973 | 51.3% | -0.8% |
| 1974 | 50.9% | -0.8% |
| 1975 | 50.5% | -0.8% |
| 1976 | 50.2% | -0.7% |
| 1977 | 49.8% | -0.7% |
| 1978 | 49.5% | -0.7% |
| 1979 | 49.2% | -0.6% |
| 1980 | 48.9% | -0.6% |
| 1981 | 48.6% | -0.6% |
| 1982 | 48.3% | -0.6% |
| 1983 | 48.1% | -0.5% |
| 1984 | 47.8% | -0.5% |
| 1985 | 47.6% | -0.5% |
| 1986 | 47.3% | -0.5% |
| 1987 | 47.1% | -0.5% |
| 1988 | 46.9% | -0.5% |
| 1989 | 46.7% | -0.4% |
| 1990 | 46.5% | -0.4% |
| 1991 | 46.3% | -0.4% |
| 1992 | 46.1% | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 45.9% | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 45.7% | -0.4% |
| 1995 | 45.6% | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 45.4% | -0.4% |
| 1997 | 45.2% | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 45.1% | -0.3% |
| 1999 | 44.9% | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 44.8% | -0.3% |
| 2001 | 44.6% | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 44.5% | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 44.4% | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 44.2% | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 44.1% | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 43.9% | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 43.7% | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 43.5% | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 43.3% | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 43.2% | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 43.0% | -0.4% |
| 2012 | 42.8% | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 42.6% | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 42.4% | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 42.2% | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 42.0% | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 41.8% | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 41.6% | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 41.5% | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 41.3% | -0.4% |
| 2021 | 41.1% | -0.4% |
| 2022 | 41.0% | -0.3% |
| 2023 | 40.9% | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 40.7% | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 40.6% | -0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 57.5% | 53.5% | 60.8% | 10 |
| 1970s | 50.8% | 49.2% | 52.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 47.7% | 46.7% | 48.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 45.7% | 44.9% | 46.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 44.1% | 43.3% | 44.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 42.3% | 41.5% | 43.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 40.9% | 40.6% | 41.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Nicaragua
More agriculture & rural data for Nicaragua
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 12.55 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1448 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 459.4 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.8714 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.4056 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 14.5% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 14.5% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.6% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.3% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Nicaragua?
- Rural population in Nicaragua was 40.6% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Nicaragua?
- The highest recorded value was 60.8% in 1960.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Nicaragua?
- The lowest recorded value was 40.6% in 2025.
- How does Nicaragua rank for rural population?
- Nicaragua ranks 91st out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Nicaragua?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Nicaragua data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population.