Share of government spending going to interest payments in Nicaragua

Nicaragua: Share of government spending going to interest payments was 9.2% in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
9.2%
Change on year
up 30.5%
World rank
57th
of 152 countries
All-time high
19.7%
in 1994
All-time low
0.0%
in 1990
Years of data
34
1990–2023

Share of government spending going to interest payments in Nicaragua, 1990–2023

051015201990200620231990: 0.008 % of expense1991: 5 % of expense1992: 12.2 % of expense1993: 15.8 % of expense1994: 19.7 % of expense1995: 16.8 % of expense1996: 12.6 % of expense1997: 19.2 % of expense1998: 18.6 % of expense1999: 10.2 % of expense2000: 12.7 % of expense2001: 12.5 % of expense2002: 14.2 % of expense2003: 18.1 % of expense2004: 12.4 % of expense2005: 10.8 % of expense2006: 9.4 % of expense2007: 7.9 % of expense2008: 5.8 % of expense2009: 6.5 % of expense2010: 7.1 % of expense2011: 6.9 % of expense2012: 6.5 % of expense2013: 6.1 % of expense2014: 5.5 % of expense2015: 5.5 % of expense2016: 6 % of expense2017: 6.4 % of expense2018: 6.6 % of expense2019: 7.8 % of expense2020: 7.6 % of expense2021: 7.2 % of expense2022: 7.1 % of expense2023: 9.2 % of expense

Source: International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of expense.

Analysis

Nicaragua recorded 9.2% for share of government spending going to interest payments in 2023.

The figure is up 30.5% on the previous year and up 49.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of government spending going to interest payments in Nicaragua peaked at 19.7% in 1994 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1990.

Nicaragua ranks 57th of 152 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.

Share of government spending going to interest payments in Nicaragua, year by year

Annual values for Share of government spending going to interest payments in Nicaragua, 1990 to 2023.
Year % of expense Change
1990 0.0%
1991 5.0% +63048.6%
1992 12.2% +146.9%
1993 15.8% +29.0%
1994 19.7% +25.0%
1995 16.8% -15.0%
1996 12.6% -24.6%
1997 19.2% +51.8%
1998 18.6% -3.0%
1999 10.2% -45.1%
2000 12.7% +24.3%
2001 12.5% -1.9%
2002 14.2% +13.7%
2003 18.1% +28.1%
2004 12.4% -31.7%
2005 10.8% -13.2%
2006 9.4% -12.6%
2007 7.9% -16.5%
2008 5.8% -26.3%
2009 6.5% +13.1%
2010 7.1% +8.5%
2011 6.9% -2.9%
2012 6.5% -5.2%
2013 6.1% -5.8%
2014 5.5% -9.8%
2015 5.5% -0.7%
2016 6.0% +9.4%
2017 6.4% +6.5%
2018 6.6% +2.4%
2019 7.8% +19.0%
2020 7.6% -2.4%
2021 7.2% -5.7%
2022 7.1% -2.0%
2023 9.2% +30.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 13.0% 0.0% 19.7% 10
2000s 11.0% 5.8% 18.1% 10
2010s 6.5% 5.5% 7.8% 10
2020s 7.8% 7.1% 9.2% 4

Countries ranked near Nicaragua

  1. 54 Rwanda 9.8% compare
  2. 55 Trinidad and Tobago 9.6% compare
  3. 56 Bolivia 9.5% compare
  4. 58 Ethiopia 9.0% compare
  5. 59 Maldives 8.8% compare
  6. 60 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 8.8% compare

See the full ranking of 152 places →

More reference data data for Nicaragua

All data for Nicaragua →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of government spending going to interest payments in Nicaragua?
Share of government spending going to interest payments in Nicaragua was 9.2% in 2023, according to International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of government spending going to interest payments recorded in Nicaragua?
The highest recorded value was 19.7% in 1994.
What is the lowest share of government spending going to interest payments recorded in Nicaragua?
The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1990.
How does Nicaragua rank for share of government spending going to interest payments?
Nicaragua ranks 57th out of 152 countries with data for 2023.
Is share of government spending going to interest payments rising or falling in Nicaragua?
Over the last ten years it is up 49.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Nicaragua data come from?
The figures come from International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of government spending going to interest payments. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of government spending going to interest payments in Nicaragua. Statizoid, drawing on International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 29 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-government-expenditure-going-to-interest-payments/nicaragua/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of government spending going to interest payments
Unit
% of expense
Source
International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
152 places, 4,278 data points, 1972–2024
Last refreshed

Interest expenditures on government debt, as share of total central government expenditures. Interest expenditures on government debt include payments on long-term bonds, long-term loans, and other debt instruments.