Cities: United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects 2025 (CC BY 3.0 IGO), size by population · sources and licences
Largest cities
12 cities of 50,000+
#
City
Population 2025
1975
2050*
1
Managua (capital)
1,315,865
421,446
1,416,808
2
Masaya
156,536
65,453
170,905
3
León
156,438
117,655
182,359
4
Matagalpa
131,533
52,755
192,144
5
Esteli
111,513
53,090
127,875
6
Bilwi
106,447
-
200,859
7
Chinandega
103,134
79,726
125,258
8
Granada
96,971
68,733
103,626
9
Tipitapa
80,368
-
98,451
10
Jinotega
78,901
-
105,892
Cities as urban centres under the UN Degree of Urbanisation, not municipal boundaries. * UN projection.
Source: United Nations, DESA, Population Division (2025). World Urbanization Prospects 2025, CC BY 3.0 IGO.Sources and licences
Over time
vs world and North America median
Life expectancy at birth
years · 1960-2024
Nicaragua
World
North America median
Fertility rate
1960-2024
Nicaragua
World
North America median
GDP per capita
US$ · 1960-2025
Nicaragua
World
North America median
Unemployment rate (modelled ILO estimate)
% · 1991-2025
Nicaragua
World
North America median
Individuals using the internet
% · 2005-2024
Nicaragua
World
North America median
CO₂ emissions per capita (excluding land use)
t · 1970-2024
Nicaragua
World
North America median
Population outlook
UN World Population Prospects
Population, 2026
7.1 mn
2050: 8.8 mn · 2100: 8.6 mn
peak 9.2 mn in 2071
Median age
26.3 years
2050: 34.9 years
Aged 65 and over
5.9 %
2050: 12.8 %
Dependency ratio
51
per 100 aged 15-64 · 2050: 49
Age structure
% of population · men left, women right
* UN projection, medium variant. Scale is the same for all years.
Population, 1950-2100
millions
Median age, 1950-2100
years
People aged 65 and over, 1950-2100
% of population
Dependency ratio, 1950-2100
per 100 people aged 15-64
Estimates until 2023, then the UN medium-variant projection (dashed).
The dependency ratio is the number of children (0-14) and older people (65+) per 100 people
of working age (15-64). Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs,
Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024, licensed under
CC BY 3.0 IGO;
ratios and shares computed by StatsNode. Sources and licences.
Population
12 indicators
Population
7 mn
+1.3% vs 2024
108th of 215 in the world 9th of 34 in North America
World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), ILO modelled estimates, FAO (FAOSTAT), UNDP (Human Development Report),
UNHCR Refugee Population Statistics Database, Ember (electricity), the Global Carbon Project (CO₂) and the
UN World Population Prospects and World Urbanization Prospects, under CC BY 4.0 and CC BY 3.0 IGO. Many World Bank series come from other
organisations (ILO, IMF, WHO); each indicator page names the original source.
Sources and licences.
Ranks are computed in the latest year for which at least half of the countries have
a value. Where less is better (unemployment, emissions), the lowest value ranks first.
The continent figure is the median of its countries.
