Nicaragua at its true size
Nicaragua covers 120,340 km², number 97 of 194 countries by area. Home to 7,007,502 people (2025). Sitting near the equator, it is one of the few places Mercator gets almost right.
Equal-area projection · Natural Earth 50m
| Area | 120,340 km² Wikidata |
|---|---|
| Population | 7,007,502 World Bank, 2025 |
| Density | 58 per km² |
| Capital | Managua |
| Local time in Managua | |
| Time zone | UTC−6 IANA |
| Currency | Nicaraguan córdoba (NIO) Wikidata |
| Languages | Spanish |
| Traffic | On the right |
| Region | Central America, North America |
| Status | Independent state |
| Coast | Has a coastline |
| Calling code | +505 |
| Codes | NI · NIC · 558 |
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Where Nicaragua ranks
Among the independent states, in 42 rankings. Each links to its table.
People
- Population#108 of 1947.0 million people#9 of 23 in North America
- Population density#127 of 19458 people per km²#19 of 23 in North America
- Urban population#108 of 19259% urban#12 of 23 in North America
- Fertility rate#86 of 1922.21 births per woman#5 of 23 in North America
- Population growth#76 of 192+1.31% a year#4 of 23 in North America
- Birth rate#77 of 19219.1 births per 1,000 people#4 of 23 in North America
- Death rate#179 of 1924.6 deaths per 1,000 people#22 of 23 in North America
- Children under 15#78 of 19228.3% under 15#4 of 23 in North America
- People over 65#115 of 1925.7% aged 65 and over#19 of 23 in North America
- Net migration#122 of 192−1.2 per 1,000 people#15 of 23 in North America
- Refugees abroad#27 of 1905.04 refugees abroad per 1,000 people#4 of 23 in North America
Health & education
- Life expectancy#85 of 19275.1 years#10 of 23 in North America
- Infant mortality#113 of 1919.4 infant deaths per 1,000 live births#16 of 23 in North America
- Doctors#120 of 1780.68 doctors per 1,000 people#17 of 20 in North America
- University enrolment#102 of 14530.4% gross enrolment#10 of 15 in North America
- Human Development Index#122 of 190an index of 0.706#19 of 23 in North America
Economy
- GNI per capita#136 of 185$2,850 a person#21 of 22 in North America
- Internet users#133 of 18461% online#20 of 23 in North America
- GDP per capita (PPP)#130 of 184$9,284 a person#20 of 22 in North America
- GDP growth#50 of 187+4.9% a year#2 of 23 in North America
- Inflation#116 of 176+2.1% a year#9 of 22 in North America
- Unemployment#93 of 1785.0% of the labour force#11 of 19 in North America
- Jobs in agriculture#59 of 17830.5% of jobs#2 of 19 in North America
- Jobs in industry#115 of 17816.9% of jobs#13 of 19 in North America
- Jobs in services#107 of 17852.6% of jobs#17 of 19 in North America
- Foreign investment#26 of 1846.8% of GDP#5 of 23 in North America
- Exports#65 of 16841.6% of GDP#5 of 15 in North America
- Military spending#139 of 1550.6% of GDP#10 of 14 in North America
- Mobile subscriptions#122 of 191106 subscriptions per 100 people#13 of 23 in North America
Energy & environment
- CO₂ per person#134 of 1850.83 tonnes a person#22 of 23 in North America
- Forest area#107 of 19226% forest#20 of 23 in North America
- Renewable energy#47 of 19050.4% renewable#3 of 23 in North America
- Access to electricity#142 of 19288.7% with electricity#22 of 23 in North America
- Air pollution (PM2.5)#77 of 19120.4 µg/m³#5 of 23 in North America
- Protected land#77 of 19121.2% of the land protected#10 of 23 in North America
- Arable land#82 of 19012.5% of the land arable#9 of 23 in North America
- Water stress#143 of 1762.2% of its available fresh water#20 of 22 in North America
- Precipitation#22 of 1802,280 mm a year#5 of 23 in North America
Governance & safety
Countries of a similar size
Every country within 25% of Nicaragua’s area, lit up on the map →
- North Korea1.0×Nicaragua and North Korea are almost exactly the same size.
- Malawi1.02×Nicaragua and Malawi are almost exactly the same size.
- Eritrea1.02×Nicaragua and Eritrea are almost exactly the same size.
- Benin1.05×Nicaragua is 5% larger than Benin.
- Honduras1.07×Nicaragua is 7% larger than Honduras.
- Liberia1.08×Nicaragua is 8% larger than Liberia.
How many times does Nicaragua fit into…
- Russia: about 142 times
- Canada: about 83 times
- United States: about 82 times
The land itself
Rivers, summits and lakes Nicaragua shares with the rest of the world. Turn on “Rivers & lakes” and “Physical names” in the atlas to see them on the map.
Rivers
- Coco780 km
Summits
- Mogotón2,107 m
Lakes
- Lago de Nicaragua8,264 km²
- Lago de Managua1,042 km²
Rivers are listed by the published length of their whole course, not the part inside Nicaragua. Figures from Wikidata, features from Natural Earth.
Neighbours
Questions about Nicaragua
- How big is Nicaragua?
- Nicaragua covers 120,340 km², which makes it number 97 of 194 countries by area. About 7,007,502 people live there (2025), 58 per km².
- Is Nicaragua bigger than North Korea?
- Nicaragua and North Korea are almost exactly the same size. Nicaragua: 120,340 km²; North Korea: 120,540 km².
- How much does the Mercator map distort Nicaragua?
- Nicaragua lies close to the equator, so Mercator draws it at nearly its true size. It is the countries far from the equator that Mercator inflates.
- Which countries border Nicaragua?
- Nicaragua shares a land border with Honduras, Costa Rica.