Population density in Nicaragua
Nicaragua: Population density was 56.7 people per sq. km of land area in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
56.7 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 1.4%
World rank
148th
of 216 countries
All-time high
56.7 people per sq. km of land area
in 2023
All-time low
15.26 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Population density in Nicaragua, 1961–2023
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
In 2023, population density in Nicaragua stood at 56.7 people per sq. km of land area. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.4% on the previous year and up 14.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Nicaragua peaked at 56.7 people per sq. km of land area in 2023 and was at its lowest, 15.26 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
That places Nicaragua 148th out of 216 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Population density in Nicaragua, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 15.26 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 15.72 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1963 | 16.21 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1964 | 16.7 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1965 | 17.22 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1966 | 17.76 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1967 | 18.33 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1968 | 18.91 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1969 | 19.51 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1970 | 20.14 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1971 | 20.77 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1972 | 21.39 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1973 | 22.01 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1974 | 22.7 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1975 | 23.41 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1976 | 24.13 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1977 | 24.87 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1978 | 25.6 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1979 | 26.3 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1980 | 27.03 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1981 | 27.8 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1982 | 28.58 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1983 | 29.34 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1984 | 30.07 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1985 | 30.8 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1986 | 31.53 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1987 | 32.26 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1988 | 33.01 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1989 | 33.79 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1990 | 34.59 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1991 | 35.4 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1992 | 36.21 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1993 | 37.01 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1994 | 37.8 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1995 | 38.58 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1996 | 39.31 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1997 | 39.97 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 1998 | 40.58 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 1999 | 41.17 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2000 | 41.74 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2001 | 42.28 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 42.79 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 43.3 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 43.82 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 44.39 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 45.03 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2007 | 45.68 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 46.34 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2009 | 47.01 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 47.68 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2011 | 48.36 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2012 | 49.04 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 49.72 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 50.41 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 51.1 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 51.79 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 52.49 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 53.18 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 53.88 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 54.56 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 55.22 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2022 | 55.93 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 56.7 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 17.29 people per sq. km of land area | 15.26 people per sq. km of land area | 19.51 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 23.13 people per sq. km of land area | 20.14 people per sq. km of land area | 26.3 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 30.42 people per sq. km of land area | 27.03 people per sq. km of land area | 33.79 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 38.06 people per sq. km of land area | 34.59 people per sq. km of land area | 41.17 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 44.24 people per sq. km of land area | 41.74 people per sq. km of land area | 47.01 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 50.76 people per sq. km of land area | 47.68 people per sq. km of land area | 53.88 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 55.6 people per sq. km of land area | 54.56 people per sq. km of land area | 56.7 people per sq. km of land area | 4 |
Countries ranked near Nicaragua
- 145 Bulgaria 59.38 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 146 Guinea 58.63 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 147 Liberia 57.03 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 149 Iran, Islamic Republic of 55.85 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 150 Madagascar 53.62 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 151 South Africa 52.11 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Nicaragua
- Population in the largest city 26.9% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 20.42 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.16 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 1.12 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 1.24 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per unit 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per square 9.1 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 1.12 million (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 21.61 Hectares (2020)
- PM2.5 air pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO 99.9% (2017)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Nicaragua?
- Population density in Nicaragua was 56.7 people per sq. km of land area in 2023, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in Nicaragua?
- The highest recorded value was 56.7 people per sq. km of land area in 2023.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Nicaragua?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.26 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does Nicaragua rank for population density?
- Nicaragua ranks 148th out of 216 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population density rising or falling in Nicaragua?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nicaragua data come from?
- The figures come from FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.