Country profile
Nicaragua
Latin America & Caribbean · Lower-middle income · Capital: Managua
Key figures, 2024
FDI inflows 2024
$1.4 bn
Inflows % of GDP
6.9%
FDI outflows
$74 m
Net FDI
$1.3 bn
FDI % of investment
29.9%
In 2024, Nicaragua recorded FDI net inflows of $1.4 bn, up 21% from $1.1 bn in 2023. That is 44% above its 2019–2023 average of $940 m. By value, that ranks 91st of 195 economies with data for 2024. This is the highest annual inflow in a series that begins in 1970. Inflows were equivalent to 6.9% of GDP in 2024 — above the Latin America & Caribbean aggregate (2.9%) and above the world as a whole (1.4%).
About this summary
Generated automatically from World Bank data. Figures are balance-of-payments net flows in current US$; 2024 is the latest year with broad coverage across economies.Trends
FDI flows over time
Net flows, current US$ (balance-of-payments basis)
- Inflows
- Outflows
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0). Indicators BX.KLT.DINV.CD.WD and BM.KLT.DINV.CD.WD.
Nicaragua compared with its region and the world
- Nicaragua
- Latin America & Caribbean (aggregate)
- World
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0). Indicator BX.KLT.DINV.WD.GD.ZS.
FDI vs remittances, aid and portfolio equity, current US$
- FDI inflows
- Remittances
- Aid (ODA)
- Portfolio equity
FDI is only one of the ways foreign money reaches an economy. For many developing economies, remittances from workers abroad or official aid are larger and more stable; portfolio equity is typically the most volatile.
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0). Indicators BX.KLT.DINV.CD.WD, BX.TRF.PWKR.CD.DT, DT.ODA.ODAT.CD, BX.PEF.TOTL.CD.WD.
Economy at a glance
The economy behind the investment
The macroeconomic, trade and workforce indicators investors and trade officials look at alongside FDI — latest year, 15-year trend and regional and world benchmarks.
| IMF World Economic Outlook | 2024 | 2025 | 2026forecast | 2027forecast | 2028forecast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real GDP growth | 3.6% | 4.9% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 3.5% |
| Inflation | 4.6% | 2.1% | 3.5% | 3.0% | 3.0% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 2.7% |
| Current account, % GDP | 4.2% | 8.6% | 6.4% | 5.2% | 3.8% |
| Fiscal balance, % GDP | 2.3% | 2.1% | 1.4% | 1.6% | 1.8% |
| Government gross debt, % GDP | 37.9% | 34.8% | 33.2% | 32.6% | 32.5% |
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook via the IMF DataMapper API. Years from 2026 are IMF projections; recent years may be estimates and are revised in each WEO round (April and October).
Size & growth
GDP
$22.2 bn2025
126th of 186
GDP per capita
$3,1732025
135th of 186Region $11,095World $14,406
GNI per capita (PPP)
$8,7802025
131st of 181Region $22,998World $25,517
Population
7.0 m2025
108th of 217
Population growth
1.3%2025
80th of 217Region 0.7%World 0.9%
Trade & structure
Exports of goods & services
$9.2 bn2025
100th of 138
Imports of goods & services
$12.2 bn2025
100th of 138
Trade openness (% of GDP)
96.4%2025
49th of 138Region 49.1%World 68.5%
Manufacturing, % of GDP
12.6%2025
57th of 132Region 17.1%World 14.9%
Services, % of GDP
45.2%2025
131st of 158Region 68.2%World 63.3%
High-tech exports, % of manufactured exports
0.6%2024
115th of 125Region 13.1%World 24.7%
Workforce & innovation
Labour force
3.3 m2025
100th of 182
R&D expenditure, % of GDP
0.1%2015
89th of 102Region 0.7%World 2.1%
Internet users, % of population
61.4%2024
134th of 182Region 81.7%World 71.2%
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators. Latest available year shown for each indicator; ranks are among economies reporting that year (highest = 1st). Region = World Bank regional aggregate. Growth, inflation, unemployment, the current account and government debt are shown in the IMF table above where the IMF covers the economy.
Who invests
Source and destination economies
Direct investment positions (stocks) by immediate counterpart economy, as reported to the OECD.
No bilateral positions for this economy
Structure & policy
Sectors and FDI openness
Inward FDI positions by sector
No sector breakdown
FDI Regulatory Restrictiveness
IndexNot covered by the index
Peers
Similar-sized economies in Latin America & Caribbean
The six economies in the same World Bank region with the closest GDP, ranked by FDI inflows as a share of GDP (2024).
- 🇬🇾Guyana35.0%
- 🇳🇮Nicaragua6.9%
- 🇸🇻El Salvador3.0%
- 🇧🇸The Bahamas1.5%
- 🇯🇲Jamaica1.4%
- 🇭🇹Haiti0.1%
- 🇹🇹Trinidad and Tobago−1.8%
Sources & notes
World Bank, World Development Indicators
- FDI net inflows —
BX.KLT.DINV.CD.WD - FDI net outflows —
BM.KLT.DINV.CD.WD - FDI net inflows, % of GDP —
BX.KLT.DINV.WD.GD.ZS - Gross fixed capital formation —
NE.GDI.FTOT.CD - Personal remittances received —
BX.TRF.PWKR.CD.DT - Net official development assistance received —
DT.ODA.ODAT.CD - Portfolio equity net inflows —
BX.PEF.TOTL.CD.WD - Real GDP growth —
NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG - Inflation (annual average) —
FP.CPI.TOTL.ZG - Unemployment rate —
SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS - Current account balance, % of GDP —
BN.CAB.XOKA.GD.ZS - Exports of goods & services —
NE.EXP.GNFS.CD - Central government debt, % of GDP —
GC.DOD.TOTL.GD.ZS
OECD: FDI statistics by partner economy and by industry (Benchmark Definition, 4th edition) and the FDI Regulatory Restrictiveness Index.
Flows vs positions. Charts on this page show annual balance-of-payments flows. Bilateral and sector figures are positions (accumulated stocks) and are not directly comparable.
Negative values. Net flows can be negative when foreign investors withdraw capital or intra-company loans are repaid faster than new investment arrives.
Timing. Headline figures use 2024, the latest year with broad coverage across economies; charts also show any newer early estimates. Rankings cover economies only, not aggregates.
Counterparts. Bilateral data record the immediate counterpart, so financial centres and conduit economies can appear larger than the ultimate investors behind them.