Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Nicaragua: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna grade (MCB, ranked #87 of 195).
Nicaragua is a presidential republic in Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Costa Rica and Honduras. The country's capital is Managua; it covers 130,370 sq km. Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain). Terrain: extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central interior mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by volcanoes. Climate: tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands. Population: 6.7 million (2025 estimate). Population growth: +0.92% per year. Median age: 29.5 years. Life expectancy: 74.7 years (2024 est.). Languages: Spanish (official) 99.5%, Indigenous 0.3%, Portuguese 0.1%, other 0.1% (2020 est.) Religions: Roman C…
| Capital | Managua |
|---|---|
| Population | 6,739,380 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $52.989 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $7,700 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 3.6% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 4.6% |
| Unemployment | 4.6% |
| Public debt | 33.3% of GDP (2017 est.) |
| Exports | $8.135 billion (2024 est.) |
| Imports | $11.437 billion (2024 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 74.7 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 29.5 |
| Urbanization | 59.8% of total population (2023) |
| Government | presidential republic |
| Independence | 15 September 1821 (from Spain) |
| Languages | Spanish (official) 99.5%, Indigenous 0.3%, Portuguese 0.1%, other 0.1% (2020 est.) |
MCB · 50/100 — The Magna grade is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — five dimensions, 100+ indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
Jul–Sep 2026 came and went without leaving a mark on the country's trajectory. Continuity, not change, is the story.
For a small or mid-sized state, that is often the good outcome: no shock to absorb, no crisis to manage.
Gold, Silver, Copper, Tungsten, Lead, Zinc, Timber.
Daniel Ortega — Co-President. President Jose Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (since 10 January 2007)
Nicaragua maintains 30 embassies and 5 consulates abroad, hosts 32 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN New York, OAS Washington. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 30 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 5 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 32 |
| Multilateral missions | UN New York, OAS Washington |
Source: Consular Affairs Center, diplomatic & consular networks database, Mar 2026 report (of-country) https://zenodo.org/records/18917562 ; Jan 2026 report (in-city ranking) https://zenodo.org/records/18109976
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 910 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 39 (registration prefix YN) |
| Major seaports | Bluefields, Corinto, El Bluff, Puerto Cabezas, Puerto Sandino |
Augusto C. Sandino (Managua) International Airport (MGA) — Managua; Bluefields Airport (BEF) — Bluefields; Puerto Cabezas Airport (PUZ) — Puerto Cabezas.
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28)
| Political system | presidential republic |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
MCB · 50 Ranked #87 of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Nicaragua.
