Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Nicaragua
Nicaragua: Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates was 5.2% in 2018. ▼ Falling
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Nicaragua, 1985–2018
Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2018, unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Nicaragua stood at 5.2%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 57.6% on the previous year and down 16.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Nicaragua peaked at 10.4% in 1996 and was at its lowest, 3.2%, in 1985.
That places Nicaragua 96th out of 185 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Nicaragua, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 3.2% | — |
| 1986 | 4.7% | +46.9% |
| 1987 | 5.8% | +23.4% |
| 1988 | 6.0% | +3.4% |
| 1989 | 8.7% | +44.3% |
| 1990 | 10.0% | +15.5% |
| 1996 | 10.4% | +3.7% |
| 1998 | 7.5% | -27.6% |
| 1999 | 4.8% | -36.7% |
| 2001 | 4.1% | -13.3% |
| 2003 | 7.6% | +84.3% |
| 2004 | 6.4% | -15.6% |
| 2005 | 5.4% | -16.2% |
| 2006 | 5.3% | -1.1% |
| 2007 | 4.9% | -7.9% |
| 2008 | 6.2% | +26.8% |
| 2009 | 8.2% | +31.6% |
| 2010 | 7.8% | -4.0% |
| 2012 | 5.2% | -33.5% |
| 2013 | 5.3% | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 4.5% | -14.3% |
| 2015 | 4.7% | +4.0% |
| 2016 | 3.9% | -17.0% |
| 2017 | 3.3% | -15.4% |
| 2018 | 5.2% | +57.6% |
Nicaragua compared with similar countries
- Nicaragua's 5.2% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5.0%, 1.0× the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Nicaragua's 5.2% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 6.3%, 82% of the median. (36 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 5.7% | 3.2% | 8.7% | 5 |
| 1990s | 8.2% | 4.8% | 10.4% | 4 |
| 2000s | 6.0% | 4.1% | 8.2% | 8 |
| 2010s | 5.0% | 3.3% | 7.8% | 8 |
Countries ranked near Nicaragua
- 93 Uzbekistan 5.3% compare
- 94 New Zealand 5.3% compare
- 95 Mauritius 5.2% compare
- 97 Dominican Republic 5.2% compare
- 98 Nauru 5.1% compare
- 99 Samoa 5.0% 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 unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Nicaragua?
- Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Nicaragua was 5.2% in 2018, according to Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in Nicaragua?
- The highest recorded value was 10.4% in 1996.
- What is the lowest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in Nicaragua?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.2% in 1985.
- How does Nicaragua rank for unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates?
- Nicaragua ranks 96th out of 185 countries with data for 2018.
- Is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates rising or falling in Nicaragua?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Nicaragua data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the labor force without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon. Figures refer to national estimates and may not be fully comparable across countries.