Dietary composition by country in Nicaragua
Nicaragua: Dietary composition by country was 29.51 kilocalories per day per capita in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
29.51 kilocalories per day per capita
Change on year
up 3.5%
World rank
48th
of 191 countries
All-time high
29.51 kilocalories per day per capita
in 2023
All-time low
0 kilocalories per day per capita
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Dietary composition by country in Nicaragua, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in kilocalories per day per capita.
Analysis
The most recent figure for dietary composition by country in Nicaragua is 29.51 kilocalories per day per capita, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
The figure is up 3.5% on the previous year and up 12.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, dietary composition by country in Nicaragua peaked at 29.51 kilocalories per day per capita in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0 kilocalories per day per capita, in 1961.
Nicaragua ranks 48th of 191 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Dietary composition by country in Nicaragua, year by year
| Year | kilocalories per day per capita | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1962 | 0.9972 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1963 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | -100.0% |
| 1964 | 0.9959 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1965 | 0.9953 kilocalories per day per capita | -0.1% |
| 1966 | 0.9945 kilocalories per day per capita | -0.1% |
| 1967 | 1.99 kilocalories per day per capita | +99.8% |
| 1968 | 1.98 kilocalories per day per capita | -0.1% |
| 1969 | 0.9913 kilocalories per day per capita | -50.0% |
| 1970 | 0.9905 kilocalories per day per capita | -0.1% |
| 1971 | 0.9897 kilocalories per day per capita | -0.1% |
| 1972 | 1.98 kilocalories per day per capita | +100.3% |
| 1973 | 18.87 kilocalories per day per capita | +851.8% |
| 1974 | 9.93 kilocalories per day per capita | -47.4% |
| 1975 | 6.95 kilocalories per day per capita | -30.0% |
| 1976 | 3.97 kilocalories per day per capita | -42.8% |
| 1977 | 2.98 kilocalories per day per capita | -25.0% |
| 1978 | 3.98 kilocalories per day per capita | +33.5% |
| 1979 | 2.99 kilocalories per day per capita | -24.8% |
| 1980 | 5 kilocalories per day per capita | +66.9% |
| 1981 | 4 kilocalories per day per capita | -20.0% |
| 1982 | 2 kilocalories per day per capita | -50.0% |
| 1983 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | -100.0% |
| 1984 | 2 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1985 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | -100.0% |
| 1986 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1987 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1988 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1989 | 0.995 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1990 | 0.9941 kilocalories per day per capita | -0.1% |
| 1991 | 2.98 kilocalories per day per capita | +200.2% |
| 1992 | 3.99 kilocalories per day per capita | +33.6% |
| 1993 | 5 kilocalories per day per capita | +25.3% |
| 1994 | 4.01 kilocalories per day per capita | -19.8% |
| 1995 | 6.02 kilocalories per day per capita | +50.3% |
| 1996 | 4.02 kilocalories per day per capita | -33.2% |
| 1997 | 5.04 kilocalories per day per capita | +25.3% |
| 1998 | 7.08 kilocalories per day per capita | +40.4% |
| 1999 | 7.09 kilocalories per day per capita | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 7.11 kilocalories per day per capita | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 7.12 kilocalories per day per capita | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 8.15 kilocalories per day per capita | +14.5% |
| 2003 | 10.21 kilocalories per day per capita | +25.2% |
| 2004 | 12.26 kilocalories per day per capita | +20.1% |
| 2005 | 12.25 kilocalories per day per capita | -0.0% |
| 2006 | 14.27 kilocalories per day per capita | +16.5% |
| 2007 | 14.25 kilocalories per day per capita | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 13.21 kilocalories per day per capita | -7.3% |
| 2009 | 12.18 kilocalories per day per capita | -7.8% |
| 2010 | 25.36 kilocalories per day per capita | +108.2% |
| 2011 | 27.17 kilocalories per day per capita | +7.1% |
| 2012 | 28.71 kilocalories per day per capita | +5.7% |
| 2013 | 26.29 kilocalories per day per capita | -8.4% |
| 2014 | 26.7 kilocalories per day per capita | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 22.24 kilocalories per day per capita | -16.7% |
| 2016 | 22.13 kilocalories per day per capita | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 22.85 kilocalories per day per capita | +3.3% |
| 2018 | 25.87 kilocalories per day per capita | +13.2% |
| 2019 | 27.57 kilocalories per day per capita | +6.6% |
| 2020 | 29.23 kilocalories per day per capita | +6.0% |
| 2021 | 26.44 kilocalories per day per capita | -9.5% |
| 2022 | 28.5 kilocalories per day per capita | +7.8% |
| 2023 | 29.51 kilocalories per day per capita | +3.5% |
Nicaragua compared with similar countries
- Nicaragua's 29.51 kilocalories per day per capita is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 7.79 kilocalories per day per capita, 3.8× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Nicaragua's 29.51 kilocalories per day per capita is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 22.57 kilocalories per day per capita, 1.3× the median. (33 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Dietary composition by country in Nicaragua changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | +851.8% | 1.98 kilocalories per day per capita | 18.87 kilocalories per day per capita |
| 1991 | +200.2% | 0.9941 kilocalories per day per capita | 2.98 kilocalories per day per capita |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.9939 kilocalories per day per capita | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | 1.99 kilocalories per day per capita | 9 |
| 1970s | 5.36 kilocalories per day per capita | 0.9897 kilocalories per day per capita | 18.87 kilocalories per day per capita | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.4 kilocalories per day per capita | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | 5 kilocalories per day per capita | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.62 kilocalories per day per capita | 0.9941 kilocalories per day per capita | 7.09 kilocalories per day per capita | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.1 kilocalories per day per capita | 7.11 kilocalories per day per capita | 14.27 kilocalories per day per capita | 10 |
| 2010s | 25.49 kilocalories per day per capita | 22.13 kilocalories per day per capita | 28.71 kilocalories per day per capita | 10 |
| 2020s | 28.42 kilocalories per day per capita | 26.44 kilocalories per day per capita | 29.51 kilocalories per day per capita | 4 |
Countries ranked near Nicaragua
- 45 Chile 30.23 kilocalories per day per capita compare
- 46 Slovenia 30.15 kilocalories per day per capita compare
- 47 Samoa 29.98 kilocalories per day per capita compare
- 49 Libya 29.21 kilocalories per day per capita compare
- 50 Laos 27.66 kilocalories per day per capita compare
- 51 Bermuda 27.6 kilocalories per day per capita compare
More reference data data for Nicaragua
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.4575 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.72 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.76 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0819 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 2.76 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.53 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.4557 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 9.61 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 14.12 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.4457 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is dietary composition by country in Nicaragua?
- Dietary composition by country in Nicaragua was 29.51 kilocalories per day per capita in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest dietary composition by country recorded in Nicaragua?
- The highest recorded value was 29.51 kilocalories per day per capita in 2023.
- What is the lowest dietary composition by country recorded in Nicaragua?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 kilocalories per day per capita in 1961.
- How does Nicaragua rank for dietary composition by country?
- Nicaragua ranks 48th out of 191 countries with data for 2023.
- Is dietary composition by country rising or falling in Nicaragua?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nicaragua data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Dietary composition by country. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Quantity that is available for consumption at the end of the supply chain. It does not account for consumer waste, so the quantity that is actually consumed may be lower.