Destinations › · The Destination Index · universal template · every figure sourced
Nicaragua.
Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Costa Rica and Honduras. 130,370 sq km and 7,007,502 people, 910 km of coastline, tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands.
Region · Population · ~7,007,502Languages · Spanish, Miskito, Nicaraguan Creole English, Sumo, RamaEco Index · /100 · Not yet scored
Nicaragua carries deep living heritage blending indigenous, mestizo and Afro-Caribbean roots. El Gueguense, a satirical dance drama from Diriamba, is recognised by UNESCO as a masterpiece of intangible heritage and is still performed at patron festivals.
Where the name comes from
Usually read as the name of the Nicarao people or their leader combined with the Spanish agua, for the great lakes. A Nahuatl derivation is also argued. Source: national and regional toponymic records.
The land itself: wide Caribbean coastal plains rising to interior mountains, with a narrow Pacific plain broken by volcanoes. Its high point is Mogotón, 2,085 m. Source: national mapping and survey records.
Where it starts
Two thousand carved boulders
The twin-volcano island of Ometepe in Lake Cocibolca was settled perhaps as early as 2000 BC and was a ritual centre by 1000 BC. More than 2,000 carved boulders are recorded there, the commonest motif a spiral, with carving continuing for close to two thousand years. At Acahualinca on the shore of Lake Managua, at least sixteen people walked across wet volcanic ash around 2,120 years ago and their footprints set hard. On Zapatera Island, Chorotega communities carved near life-sized stone figures in elaborate headdresses.
How it got here
Two coasts, two histories
Spanish settlement was established at Leon and Granada in 1524, but the Caribbean coast stayed outside Spanish control, under Miskito authority with British alliance, and was not incorporated until the late nineteenth century. That difference still shapes the country. In 1987 the Caribbean coast was granted autonomous status, recognising Miskito, Mayangna, Rama, Garifuna and Creole communities.
The timeline
c. 2000 to 800 BC
Ometepe settled.
The twin-volcano island in Lake Cocibolca is settled, perhaps as early as 2000 BC and certainly by 1000 BC, and becomes a settlement and ritual centre. ↗
c. 500 BC onward
The petroglyphs of Ometepe.
More than 2,000 carved boulders are recorded on Ometepe, the commonest motif a spiral. Carving continues on the island for close to two thousand years. ↗
c. 2,120 years ago
The footprints of Acahualinca.
At least sixteen people walked across wet volcanic ash on the shore of Lake Managua, and their footprints set and survived. Dating places them at roughly 2,120 years before the present, with some researchers arguing for considerably older. ↗
c. AD 800 to 1350
Sonzapote on Zapatera.
A ceremonial centre on Zapatera Island produces near life-sized stone statues of standing and seated figures in elaborate headdresses, carved by Chorotega communities. ↗
Before 1502
Chorotega and Nicarao.
Chorotega and Nicarao peoples held the Pacific side, with Mesoamerican-influenced language and agriculture, while Miskito, Mayangna and Rama peoples held the Caribbean coast. ↗
1502
European contact.
Columbus reaches the Caribbean coast on his fourth voyage, the last of the four and the only one to touch the Central American mainland. ↗
1524
Leon and Granada founded.
Leon is founded on 25 June 1524 by Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba, at the site now called Leon Viejo, and Granada in the same year. Spanish settlement is established on the Pacific side. ↗
1600s to 1800s
The Miskito coast.
The Caribbean coast remains outside Spanish control, under Miskito authority with British alliance, and is not incorporated until the late nineteenth century. ↗
1821
Independence from Spain.
Nicaragua becomes independent, later leaving the Federal Republic of Central America. ↗
1987
Autonomy on the coast.
The Caribbean coast is granted autonomous status, recognising Miskito, Mayangna, Rama, Garifuna and Creole communities. ↗
Terrestrial protected areas cover about 21.4 percent of the land (World Bank, 2021), anchored by the Bosawas and Indio Maiz biosphere reserves, two of Central America's largest rainforest blocks. Enforcement is the weakness: both reserves have suffered serious illegal settlement, cattle ranching and logging, so protection on paper outruns protection on the ground. Marine protection is limited at about 3.4 percent of territorial waters.
Is wild Nicaragua protected? 21.2% of the land is, against a 30% target for 2030
Species to know
Recorded in Nicaragua and named in the open record. Endemic status is stated per species, not implied by this list.
Lake Nicaragua Midas cichlid species flock
Central American rainforest specialists
The watchlist
ThreatenedYellow-naped Amazon (Amazona auropalliata)Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Nicaragua in GBIF occurrence data (bird).
ThreatenedHawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata)Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Nicaragua in GBIF occurrence data (turtle).
ThreatenedBrain coral (Pseudodiploria strigosa)Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Nicaragua in GBIF occurrence data (coral).
ThreatenedOrosne (Polygala paniculata)Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Nicaragua in GBIF occurrence data (plant).
ThreatenedArrow Cichlid (Amphilophus zaliosus)Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Nicaragua in GBIF occurrence data (species).
ThreatenedHymenophyllum microcarpumCritically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Nicaragua in GBIF occurrence data (species).
ThreatenedAmphilophus superciliusCritically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Nicaragua in GBIF occurrence data (species).
ThreatenedGreat Green Macaw (Ara ambiguus)Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Nicaragua in GBIF occurrence data (bird).
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Nicaragua. GBIF holds 66 verified occurrence records.
Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata)
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Nicaragua. GBIF holds 95 verified occurrence records.
Brain coral (Pseudodiploria strigosa)
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Nicaragua. GBIF holds 19 verified occurrence records.
Orosne (Polygala paniculata)
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Nicaragua. GBIF holds 55 verified occurrence records.
Species named here are drawn from GBIF occurrence records for Nicaragua filtered to the IUCN Red List threatened categories. Species are listed where GBIF holds occurrence records for them in this country. Record counts are not published here because the figure cannot be reproduced from a public GBIF query.
Nature reserve in Matagalpa, mapped and named in the open record for Nicaragua. OpenStreetMap.
Water and Ocean in Nicaragua.
Nicaragua holds Central America's largest freshwater body, Lake Cocibolca (Lake Nicaragua), alongside Lake Xolotlan and many rivers, so raw freshwater is abundant. Treatment and access lag behind: World Bank and WHO/UNICEF JMP data put safely managed drinking water at about 55.5 percent of the population in 2020, with rural and Caribbean coast communities worst served. Lake Xolotlan at Managua remains heavily polluted, while Lake Cocibolca is the strategic reserve.
Does Nicaragua have enough fresh water? Yes, with headroom
How much fresh water does Nicaragua have, per person?
23,209 m³
Nicaragua
1,000 m³
the UN “water scarce” line
Nicaragua withdraws about 1,273 million cubic metres of fresh water a year (2022). That is 2.2% of the fresh water actually available to it, which FAO counts as no water stress. Of what is taken, farming takes 85%, homes and towns 15%, industry 0%. Source: FAO AQUASTAT.
What are the rules on Nicaragua beaches?
✕Tap water: Not drinkable.
✕Plastic rules: No comprehensive national ban; some municipal restrictions.
✕Solo travel: rated take care on the record for this destination.
✕Marine protection: 3.39% of the sea is protected. The 30x30 pledge for 2030 is not met yet.
How is the sea around Nicaragua doing?
One cross-section, every answer measured.
Surface
What the coast carries
Dry Nov–Apr; rainy May–Oct with volcano views at their clearest in the dry season.
Nearshore
Protected water
3.39% of territorial waters are protected, against the 30% pledged for 2030 under the Global Biodiversity Framework.
Cleanest
Where the water is cleanest
Laguna de Apoyo crater lake; the Corn Islands and Rio San Juan.
The record
Measured
Nicaragua holds Central America's largest freshwater body, Lake Cocibolca (Lake Nicaragua), alongside Lake Xolotlan and many rivers, so raw freshwater is abundant. Treatment and access lag behind: World Bank and WHO/UNICEF JMP data put safely managed drinking water at about 55.5 percent of the population in 2020, with rural and Caribbean coast communities worst served.
Sea protected
3.39%
Against the 30% pledged for 2030 under the Global Biodiversity Framework.
Threatened species
244 (mammals, birds, fish & plants)
Mammals, birds, fish and higher plants on the IUCN list.
Cleanest water
here
Laguna de Apoyo crater lake; the Corn Islands and Rio San Juan.
How hard is the water supply being pushed?
Of every 10 buckets nature refills, 0 are already taken. Withdrawals run at 0.8% of what Nicaragua renews internally each year (2022, World Bank / FAO AQUASTAT). That is inside the 25% mark generally treated as water stress, so the supply has headroom.
When is the best time to visit Nicaragua? Tap your month.
Tap your month.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
.
How much fresh water does Nicaragua actually have?
Nature renews about 23,209 cubic metres of fresh water per person per year here. That ranks Nicaragua 181 of 208 countries measured, placing it among the 30 best-watered countries measured. The UN treats anything under 1,000 cubic metres as water scarce, and this is above that line. World Bank / FAO AQUASTAT.
Agriculture underpins the economy and rural life, with beans, maize, rice, plantain, dairy, beef, coffee, sugar and tropical fruit produced domestically. The country is a net exporter of several of these and its everyday diet is built on home grown ingredients. Wheat and some processed goods are imported, but basic staple self sufficiency is high.
How often each food is on the plate
Share of people eating each one regularly. These overlap, so they do not add up to 100%.
Maize tortillas42%
Plantain33%
Beans24%
Squash15%
What is killing people in Nicaragua? The imported diet.
Cause of death, and the diet behind it.
Non-communicable diseases, all combined48.8%
Diabetes10.4%
Adults living with overweight or obesity. 67.2%.
Can Nicaragua feed itself?
12.5%
Arable land
42.3%
Agricultural land
1,011,445
Farmers
3,713,988
Arable acres
14.5%
Agriculture, share of GDP
Feeding itself
Agriculture underpins the economy and rural life, with beans, maize, rice, plantain, dairy, beef, coffee, sugar and tropical fruit produced domestically. The country is a net exporter of several of these and its everyday diet is built on home grown ingredients.
Certification
FiBL reports roughly 0.8 percent of Nicaragua's agricultural land was certified organic in 2020, about 39,000 hectares, concentrated in organic coffee, cacao and sesame for export. Certified organic remains a small share despite a strong smallholder base.
Water for crops
Nicaragua holds Central America's largest freshwater body, Lake Cocibolca (Lake Nicaragua), alongside Lake Xolotlan and many rivers, so raw freshwater is abundant. Treatment and access lag behind: World Bank and WHO/UNICEF JMP data put safely managed drinking water at about 55.5 percent of the population in 2020, with rural and Caribbean coast communities worst served.
Why the organic number looks like that. Certified-organic farmland is not separately reported for Nicaragua, and that is a certification gap rather than proof nothing is grown cleanly. What the official land record does show: 42.3% of the country is agricultural land and 12.5% is arable (2023, World Bank). Certification is paid for per farm per year by a foreign body, which prices out smallholders, so the organic number reads worse than the practice.
The plant-based kitchen here is not an import. By tonnage, the largest crops grown in Nicaragua are sugarcane, rice, oil palm fruit, maize and plantains and cooking bananas (FAO, FAOSTAT crop production, 2023). That is what the land itself puts on a plate.
Buy direct where residents buy: Antiguo Mercado de Rivas, Farmers Market Las Colinas, Mercado Campesino, Mercado De Artesania Masatepe, Mercado Ernesto Fernández, Mercado Municipal. Each is a mapped, named marketplace, so the money stays with the seller rather than the importer. OpenStreetMap.
About half of Nicaragua's electricity, close to 51% in 2023, came from low carbon sources including geothermal, wind, hydropower and biomass, one of the higher renewable shares in Central America after a decade of investment. Its carbon dioxide emissions are very low at around 0.81 tonnes per person in 2024, reflecting modest industrialisation and energy use.
Pollution
Ambient PM2.5 averaged about 17.6 micrograms per cubic metre (World Bank, 2017), moderate and well above the WHO guideline of 5. Plastic policy is partial, resting on scattered municipal restrictions rather than a comprehensive national single use ban, and open dumping and litter remain issues.
Water stress
Nicaragua holds Central America's largest freshwater body, Lake Cocibolca (Lake Nicaragua), alongside Lake Xolotlan and many rivers, so raw freshwater is abundant. Treatment and access lag behind: World Bank and WHO/UNICEF JMP data put safely managed drinking water at about 55.5 percent of the population in 2020, with rural and Caribbean coast communities worst served.
What pollutes most here
1The gridThe share of electricity still generated from fossil fuel.49%
2IndustryGold mining and cattle ranching driving deforestation in Bosawas and Indio Maiz.named
3AirModelled annual mean against a WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.17.6
4On the recordAmbient PM2.5 averaged about 17.6 micrograms per cubic metre (World Bank, 2017), moderate and well above the WHO guideline of 5.
What has Nicaragua promised on climate?
Electricity renewable today69.5% (2021)
Land protected, against a 30% target21.2% by 2025
Sea protected, against a 30% target3.6% by 2025
Measured on delivery, 69.5% of electricity is already renewable (2021, World Bank), so 30.5% of the grid is still to be converted. The pledge on file is measured here against what has actually been delivered, not taken on its own (UNFCCC NDC Registry, CBD Kunming-Montreal Target 3).
The biggest line item
One return flight against a whole year of living.
A resident's entire year0.83 t CO2e
Safe-climate budget, per year2 t CO2e
Singapore return, economy3.27 t CO2e
Dubai return, economy2.55 t CO2e
Sydney return, economy2.48 t CO2e
Johannesburg return, economy2.35 t CO2e
Frankfurt return, economy1.68 t CO2e
How much CO2 does flying to Nicaragua emit?
Tap where you would fly from. One return flight, economy.
Every prompt runs on a machine in a building on somebody’s grid. What that costs the planet depends less on the prompt than on what is burning to power it. Here is what would power one in Nicaragua.
Data centres
1
Registered colocation and interconnection facilities, PeeringDB, 2026
Cooling water. Every one of those halls runs on the national grid, which is 69.5% renewable today (World Bank). A data centre is only as clean as the electricity behind it, so the same figure that decides this country's climate score also decides the footprint of the AI running inside it. Cooling water use is not separately published by facility, and no operator here reports it.
The rules. Nicaragua has 1 colocation and interconnection facilities on the public PeeringDB register, concentrated in Masaya (1). Named sites include Navégalo Data Center Nicaragua (NI1).
Where the cables land. 2 landing points · Bluefields, Puerto Cabezas
83% residents to 17% visitors across a year. 1,455,000 international arrivals in 2019 against 7,007,502 people who live here (2025, World Bank / UN Tourism).
Where a visitor dollar goes in Nicaragua
474k
Visitors a year
0.1
Visitors per resident
How deep in debt is Nicaragua?· for every $100 Nicaragua earns in a year, it owes…
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · the 2002 peak
$ 110The worst year on the IMF record. Nicaragua owed $110 for every $100 it earned.
IMF World Economic Outlook, 2002signed, the creditors
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · today
$ 33What is owed now, for every $100 of national income (2026).
IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026signed, the creditors
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · projected 2031
$ 31The IMF's own forecast has this falling to $31 by 2031.
IMF World Economic Outlook projection, 2031signed, the forecast
For every $100 Nicaragua earns in a year, it owes $33 (2026, IMF World Economic Outlook). The interest on that is paid before schools, clinics or coastline get their turn.
Where does a tourist dollar actually go in Nicaragua?
Play one tourist dollar around the board. Every square is a measured fact from this page.
START!
1
GO: a visitor lands
$100 goes on the table. 1,455,000 international arrivals in 2019 against 7,007,502 residents, one visitor a year for every 5 residents (World Bank / UN Tourism).
$100 in play
2
The bed
Who owns the largest places to stay in Nicaragua is not published in the records we can check, so this square is left open rather than guessed. Where a listing names its owner, it is shown in the ownership table below.
not published
3
The plate
Food is 16.6% of everything Nicaragua imports (2024, World Bank), so a large part of every restaurant bill is paid to a supplier abroad. Eating what the land here actually grows, sugarcane, rice, oil palm fruit, maize, plantains, cassava, groundnuts, beans, keeps that money with the grower.
sails in
4
The power
69.5% of the electricity is renewable (2021, World Bank), so the energy on the bill is mostly generated inside the country rather than shipped in.
made at home
5
What actually stays
On the parts that can be measured, the plate leaves and the power stays. It is genuinely a coin toss, decided by what you book.
split
6
Pay the bank first
Nicaragua owes $33 for every $100 it earns (IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026 projection). The interest is paid before anything else on this board.
$33 per $100
7
A spread hand
The largest single export, knitted clothing, is 18.8% of the total (2023, UN Comtrade). No one shock can take the whole board.
top export 18.8%
8
Community chest
Tourism earns 15.2% of everything Nicaragua makes from exports (1999, World Bank / UN Tourism). That is how much of the economy depends on the game continuing.
15.2% of exports
9
The flight
Getting here is usually the biggest single line on the bill. From Singapore a return economy seat is 3.27 t CO2, on the UK Government's published conversion factors. It is the one part of the trip this board cannot reduce.
3.27 t CO2
10
Back to GO
The economy turns over about US$24 billion a year (IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026 projection). Every lap of this board is a choice about how much of it stays.
US$24bn
GDPUS$22.2bn
Agriculture, share of GDP14.5%
Visitors a year474,000
Visitors per resident0.1
Residents~7,007,502
Agriculture
Farming is 14.5% of the economy. Agriculture underpins the economy and rural life, with beans, maize, rice, plantain, dairy, beef, coffee, sugar and tropical fruit produced domestically.
Natural materials
Living craft traditions keep natural materials in daily use, from the hammocks of Masaya, a national craft centre, to San Juan de Oriente pottery, basketry and cotton textiles. Cotton was historically a major crop and hand weaving persists.
Energy
About half of Nicaragua's electricity, close to 51% in 2023, came from low carbon sources including geothermal, wind, hydropower and biomass, one of the higher renewable shares in Central America after a decade of investment. Its carbon dioxide emissions are very low at around 0.81 tonnes per person in 2024, reflecting modest industrialisation and energy use.
Who owns the biggest hotels in Nicaragua?
By rooms · company records and press.
Hacienda Puerta Cielo · ~6 roomsIndependentnot published
Jicaro Island · ~9 roomsIndependentnot published
Morgan’s Rock · ~18 roomsIndependentnot published
Guacimo Eco-lodge · ~6 roomsIndependentnot published
Visitors, over time
20151,456k
20161,596k
20171,958k
20181,412k
20191,455k
2020474k
How much of your money actually stays here?
Tap the holiday you are planning.
All-inclusive resortForeign-owned hotel and tourist restaurantsLocally owned stay and local restaurantsGuesthouse, markets and public transport
Resort guest, villa renter, family, nomad or backpacker. The honest playbook for each, from the same sourced numbers.
Already booked a resort? · the rescue list
Five swaps that move your money back on-island
1. Eat where the country eats Choose kitchens cooking what the land here grows, sugarcane, rice, oil palm fruit, maize, plantains, cassava, groundnuts and beans, over an imported menu. The checked list →
2. Book with a local operator Never the lobby desk. The margin on a tour is the part that stays. Eco tours →
3. Stay somewhere locally owned Ownership decides where the room rate books. Eco stays →
4. Use the transport residents use Choose kitchens cooking what the land here grows, sugarcane, rice, oil palm fruit, maize, plantains, cassava, groundnuts and beans, over an imported menu.
5. Buy the craft, not the souvenir Natural-materials work made here pays the maker directly; imported gifts pay a shipping line.
swipe →
First time here
Nicaragua pairs Central America's largest freshwater lake and a chain of active volcanoes with strongly agricultural land and living indigenous communities on its Caribbean coast.
Best time: Dry season for reliable travel and volcano treks
Getting around
The everyday plate that actually grows here is sugarcane, rice, oil palm fruit, maize, plantains, cassava, groundnuts and beans. Ordering those keeps the money with the grower and cuts the imported share of the meal.
Transport is where the fare either stays or leaves.
Eating here
The everyday plate that actually grows here is sugarcane, rice, oil palm fruit, maize, plantains, cassava, groundnuts and beans. Ordering those keeps the money with the grower and cuts the imported share of the meal.
Eating what the country grows is the cheapest way to cut the import bill.
Good to know
Cash-heavy country; cordobas. Cards only in big hotels.
None of the 4 properties listed here publishes who ultimately owns it, so no claim is made either way. Ownership is what decides how much of a room rate stays in the country, which is why we show it when a listing states it.
Society and Governance in Nicaragua.
How well is Nicaragua actually run?
Governance, measured · World Bank WGI
Four measured answers, none of them opinion. Averaged across corruption control, delivery and accountability, Nicaragua scores 26 out of 100 (2024, World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators). That matters here because every pledge on this page is only as good as the machinery meant to deliver it.
How well is Nicaragua run? · each scored out of 100, higher is better
Clean government, scored 19 of 100
Control of corruption scores 18.9 out of 100 (2024, World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators). That is in the bottom quarter of governments measured.
19
Freedom and rights, scored 27 of 100
Voice and accountability, which measures free expression, free media and the ability to choose a government, scores 26.8 out of 100 (2024, World Bank WGI). Room to question the government publicly is limited.
27
Government effectiveness, scored 31 of 100
Government effectiveness, which measures the quality of public services and how well policy is actually delivered, scores 30.9 out of 100 (2024, World Bank WGI). Delivery is rated below average, so a pledge on paper is not the same as a pledge kept.
31
Income equality, scored 46 of 100
The Gini index of income inequality reads 46.2 (2014, World Bank). Zero is perfect equality and 100 is one person holding everything. Above 40 is the level usually treated as socially strained, and Nicaragua sits above it.
46
LGBTQ+ status: MixedSolo female travel: Take care87.3% adult literacyIndustry to avoid: Gold mining and cattle ranching driving deforestation in Bosawas and Indio Maiz
What is daily life in Nicaragua really like? Measured
Getting around, breathing, throwing away, learning. The honest checklist.
TransportAirWaterWastePower
✓How you get around Repurposed school buses (chicken buses) and shared taxis on the mainland; ferries to Ometepe and flights or pangas to the Corn Islands
✓Air quality, measured Modelled annual mean 17.6. The WHO guideline is 5 µg/m³.
✓Where the air is cleanest Highlands of Jinotega and Matagalpa; the Corn Islands
·Tap water Not drinkable
✓What to drink Bottled water everywhere; avoid ice from unknown sources outside tourist spots.
✓Plastic rules No comprehensive national ban; some municipal restrictions
✓Sockets and voltage Type A/B, 120V
87.3%
literacy. Public spending on education runs at 2.9% of GDP and 11.0% of all government spending, and secondary enrolment stands at 70.2% gross (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2023 to 2024).
Made in Nicaragua.
Living craft traditions keep natural materials in daily use, from the hammocks of Masaya, a national craft centre, to San Juan de Oriente pottery, basketry and cotton textiles. Cotton was historically a major crop and hand weaving persists. Every step of processing done at home is value that stops leaving the country.
What Nicaragua actually sells the world
The single biggest thing Nicaragua sells the world is knitted clothing, 18.8% of all exports in 2023 (about US$1.39 billion, UN Comtrade). The next four are pearls, gemstones and precious metals at 15.7%, electrical machinery and electronics at 11.5%, meat at 9.7%, coffee, tea and spices at 8.3%.
Made now · natural materials
Living craft traditions keep natural materials in daily use
Worked in Nicaragua from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Made now · natural materials
From the hammocks of Masaya
Worked in Nicaragua from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Made now · natural materials
National craft centre
Worked in Nicaragua from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Made now · natural materials
To San Juan de Oriente pottery
Worked in Nicaragua from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Made now · natural materials
Basketry
Worked in Nicaragua from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Made now · natural materials
Cotton textiles. Cotton was historically a major crop
Worked in Nicaragua from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Buys in · 14.1% of imports
Mineral fuels and oils
Nicaragua imported US$1.54 billion of mineral fuels and oils in 2023, 14.1% of everything it bought abroad, and sells none of it back. Every point of that is a business that could be built at home rather than shipped in. UN Comtrade.
Buys in · 6.6% of imports
Vehicles
Nicaragua imported US$0.72 billion of vehicles in 2023, 6.6% of everything it bought abroad, and sells none of it back. Every point of that is a business that could be built at home rather than shipped in. UN Comtrade.
Buys in · 5.7% of imports
Machinery and mechanical appliances
Nicaragua imported US$0.63 billion of machinery and mechanical appliances in 2023, 5.7% of everything it bought abroad, and sells none of it back. Every point of that is a business that could be built at home rather than shipped in. UN Comtrade.
Buys in · 4.6% of imports
Pharmaceuticals
Nicaragua imported US$0.50 billion of pharmaceuticals in 2023, 4.6% of everything it bought abroad, and sells none of it back. Every point of that is a business that could be built at home rather than shipped in. UN Comtrade.
The maths for an entrepreneur. Nicaragua produces about US$22 billion a year, which is roughly US$3,173 per person (2025, World Bank). Farming is 14.5% of that, while food is 16.6% of everything the country imports. The country buys in more food than its own farms contribute to the economy, and every point of that gap is a business someone could build here rather than ship in. With 12.5% of the land arable, the raw material for that is already in the ground.
A living tradition of Nicaragua, still practised rather than archived.
Palo de mayo
A living tradition of Nicaragua, still practised rather than archived.
Marimba
A living tradition of Nicaragua, still practised rather than archived.
Son nica
A living tradition of Nicaragua, still practised rather than archived.
Garifuna danceA living tradition of Nicaragua, still practised rather than archived.
MusicA living tradition of Nicaragua, still practised rather than archived.
Does Nicaragua protect its heritage by law?
Partly, and the gaps say as much as the protections.
What is kept alive. Nicaragua carries deep living heritage blending indigenous, mestizo and Afro-Caribbean roots. El Gueguense, a satirical dance drama from Diriamba, is recognised by UNESCO as a masterpiece of intangible heritage and is still performed at patron festivals. The Caribbean coast keeps the Garifuna and Creole traditions of palo de mayo dance and music alive, while indigenous Miskito, Mayangna and Rama peoples sustain their own languages and ancestral practice.
Who it belongs to. The Caribbean autonomous regions are home to living Miskito, Mayangna (Sumu), Rama, Garifuna and Creole communities with legal self governance, while Pacific Nicaragua carries deep mestizo and campesino traditions. Community based tourism runs through cooperatives, coffee fincas and the Solentiname islands, channelling some income directly to residents. Indigenous land rights are recognised even where pressures persist.
Only here. Freshwater bull sharks in Lake Cocibolca, which reach the lake from the sea up the Rio San Juan.
Three futures for Nicaragua, every one run forward from measured data.
Where the making actually happens
Named cultural and craft sites on the open map: Museum Adiact (León), Volcán Masaya Museum (Masaya), Sign pointing to museum (Chinandega), Chocolate Museum & Workshop (Granada), Museos El Ceibo (Rivas). OpenStreetMap. Named craft workshops on the open map: Mercado de Artesanías, Sorpresa, Tienda de Carpintería La Quince.
Every measured trend on one line
Run forward at the pace already recorded.
-47%
Forest cover
1995: 49 % → 2023: 25.8 %
+53%
Renewable electricity
1995: 45.4 % → 2021: 69.5 %
+42%
CO2 per person
1995: 0.586 t → 2024: 0.83 t
+39%
Tourist arrivals
1995: 341 k → 2020: 474 k
-43%
Protected land
2013: 37.2 % → 2025: 21.2 %
-12%
Farm workforce
1995: 34.6 % → 2025: 30.5 %
+20%
Protected sea
2013: 3 % → 2025: 3.6 %
+12%
Agricultural land
1995: 37.8 % → 2023: 42.3 %
+9%
Urban population
1995: 54.4 % → 2025: 59.4 %
-20%
Air pollution
1995: 25.5 µg/m³ → 2023: 20.4 µg/m³
-31%
Fresh water per person
1995: 33644.7 m³ → 2022: 23208.7 m³
+42%
Adult overweight
1995: 47.5 % → 2022: 67.2 %
+27%
Electricity access
1995: 69.9 % → 2024: 88.7 %
+256%
GDP per person
1995: 892 → 2025: 3173
+51%
Population
1995: 4643 k → 2025: 7008 k
-22%
Renewable energy use
1995: 64.6 % → 2021: 50.4 %
+30%
Energy per person
1995: 486.3 kg → 2023: 632.8 kg
-35%
Protected area, total
2013: 15.5 % → 2025: 10.1 %
+16%
Life expectancy
1995: 64.9 yrs → 2024: 75.1 yrs
+50%
Cereal yield
1995: 1681 ha → 2023: 2515 ha
+242%
Fertiliser use
1995: 18.8 ha → 2023: 64.2 ha
-11%
Rural population
1995: 45.6 % → 2025: 40.6 %
+125%
Water productivity
1998: 5.1 $/m3 → 2022: 11.5 $/m3
+58%
Health spending
2000: 5.24 % → 2023: 8.3 %
-47%
Forest area
1995: 58993 km2 → 2023: 31075 km2
+120%
Electric power use
1995: 291.6 kWh → 2023: 640.6 kWh
+79%
Emissions: Agriculture
1990: 7.3 e → 2023: 13 e
+88%
Emissions: Building
1990: 1.05 e → 2023: 1.97 e
+179%
Emissions: Electricity/Heat
1990: 0.57 e → 2023: 1.59 e
+139%
Emissions: Energy
1990: 2.79 e → 2023: 6.68 e
+436%
Emissions: Industrial Processes
1990: 0.11 e → 2023: 0.59 e
+136%
Emissions: Manufacturing/Construction
1990: 0.33 e → 2023: 0.78 e
+193%
Emissions: Transportation
1990: 0.76 e → 2023: 2.23 e
World Bank open data, recorded series
How much forest is left?
Forest cover moved from 49.0% to 25.8% across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.LND.FRST.ZS
How clean is the grid?
Renewable electricity moved from 45.4% to 69.5% across 26 recorded years.
World Bank EG.ELC.RNEW.ZS
How much climate pollution per person?
CO2 per person moved from 0.6 t to 0.8 t across 29 recorded years.
World Bank EN.GHG.CO2.PC.CE.AR5
How many people visit?
Tourist arrivals moved from 341k to 474k across 25 recorded years.
World Bank ST.INT.ARVL
How much land is protected?
Protected land moved from 37.2% to 21.2% across 12 recorded years.
World Bank ER.LND.PTLD.ZS
How many people still farm?
Farm workforce moved from 34.6% to 30.5% across 30 recorded years.
World Bank SL.AGR.EMPL.ZS
How much sea is protected?
Protected sea moved from 3.0% to 3.6% across 12 recorded years.
World Bank ER.MRN.PTMR.ZS
How much land is farmed?
Agricultural land moved from 37.8% to 42.3% across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.LND.AGRI.ZS
How fast is it urbanising?
Urban population moved from 54.4% to 59.4% across 30 recorded years.
World Bank SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS
Is the air getting cleaner?
Air pollution moved from 25.5 µg/m³ to 20.4 µg/m³ across 28 recorded years.
World Bank EN.ATM.PM25.MC.M3
Is water getting scarcer?
Fresh water per person moved from 33644.7 m³ to 23208.7 m³ across 27 recorded years.
World Bank ER.H2O.INTR.PC
Is diet-related disease rising?
Adult overweight moved from 47.5% to 67.2% across 27 recorded years.
World Bank SH.STA.OWAD.ZS
Who has power?
Electricity access moved from 69.8% to 88.7% across 29 recorded years.
World Bank EG.ELC.ACCS.ZS
Is income rising?
GDP per person moved from 892 to 3173 across 30 recorded years.
World Bank NY.GDP.PCAP.CD
How fast is it growing?
Population moved from 4643k to 7008k across 30 recorded years.
World Bank SP.POP.TOTL
What share of all energy is renewable?
Renewable energy use moved from 64.6% to 50.4% across 26 recorded years.
World Bank EG.FEC.RNEW.ZS
How much energy does one person use?
Energy per person moved from 486.27 kg to 632.81 kg across 28 recorded years.
World Bank EG.USE.PCAP.KG.OE
How much land and sea is protected together?
Protected area, total moved from 15.5% to 10.1% across 12 recorded years.
World Bank ER.PTD.TOTL.ZS
How long do people live?
Life expectancy moved from 64.87 yrs to 75.1 yrs across 29 recorded years.
World Bank SP.DYN.LE00.IN
How much does a hectare of cereal produce?
Cereal yield moved from 1681 kg/ha to 2515 kg/ha across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.YLD.CREL.KG
How much fertiliser goes on the land?
Fertiliser use moved from 18.79 kg/ha to 64.22 kg/ha across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.CON.FERT.ZS
How many people still live rurally?
Rural population moved from 45.55% to 40.56% across 30 recorded years.
World Bank SP.RUR.TOTL.ZS
How much value per cubic metre of water?
Water productivity moved from 5.12 $/m3 to 11.5 $/m3 across 24 recorded years.
World Bank ER.GDP.FWTL.M3.KD
How much goes on health?
Health spending moved from 5.24% to 8.3% across 23 recorded years.
World Bank SH.XPD.CHEX.GD.ZS
How much forest is there in total?
Forest area moved from 58993 km2 to 31075 km2 across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.LND.FRST.K2
How much electricity per person?
Electric power use moved from 291.63 kWh to 640.57 kWh across 28 recorded years.
World Bank EG.USE.ELEC.KH.PC
How have agriculture emissions moved?
Agriculture emissions moved from 7.25 to 13.01 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have building emissions moved?
Building emissions moved from 1.05 to 1.97 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have electricity/heat emissions moved?
Electricity/Heat emissions moved from 0.57 to 1.59 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have energy emissions moved?
Energy emissions moved from 2.79 to 6.68 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have industrial processes emissions moved?
Industrial Processes emissions moved from 0.11 to 0.59 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have manufacturing/construction emissions moved?
Manufacturing/Construction emissions moved from 0.33 to 0.78 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have transportation emissions moved?
Transportation emissions moved from 0.76 to 2.23 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
Worst caseCurrent pathBest case
Worst case
Every measured decline continues at the pace already recorded. The weakest pillar, natural fibres at 2/5, is the one that gives way first.
Computed from: recorded series extended with no policy change
Current path
Every line above is a recorded World Bank series for this country. The current path is simply those series continuing at the pace already measured.
Computed from: recorded series, no policy change assumed
Best case
The pledges are met on their own stated timetables and the weakest pillars are lifted to match the strongest. Nicaragua already shows it can do this: heritage scores 5/5.
Computed from: each published target delivered on its own date
What the best case actually asks for
Lift natural fibres
It scores 2 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of Nicaragua's record. Living craft traditions keep natural materials in daily use, from the hammocks of Masaya, a national craft centre, to San Juan de Oriente pottery, basketry and cotton textiles. Cotton was historically a major crop and hand weaving persists. These skills remain working trades rather than museum pieces. Lifting it toward the 5/5 the strongest pillars already reach is what the best case turns on.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Lift organic farming
It scores 2 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of Nicaragua's record. FiBL reports roughly 0.8 percent of Nicaragua's agricultural land was certified organic in 2020, about 39,000 hectares, concentrated in organic coffee, cacao and sesame for export. Certified organic remains a small share despite a strong smallholder base. Lifting it toward the 5/5 the strongest pillars already reach is what the best case turns on.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Lift recycling
It scores 2 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of Nicaragua's record. There is no comprehensive municipal recycling system, and material recovery is largely informal, led by waste pickers such as those historically at Managua's La Chureca dump. Formal recycling rates are very low. Lifting it toward the 5/5 the strongest pillars already reach is what the best case turns on.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Government and Goals in Nicaragua.
Who is in charge of Nicaragua now · office-holders and institutions as published by the state itself; scores from the World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators 2024
Daniel Ortega
President
Daniel Ortega is the head of government of Nicaragua, in office since 10 January 2007. Every climate, protection and energy pledge on this page is delivered, or not, under this administration.
Public opinion, measured
Voice and accountability, the freedom to question government: 26.8 / 100. Below the halfway mark of governments measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Control of corruption: 18.9 / 100. In the bottom quarter measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Political stability and absence of violence: 64.7 / 100. Above the halfway mark of governments measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Rule of law: 29.1 / 100. Below the halfway mark of governments measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Regulatory quality: 39.2 / 100. Below the halfway mark of governments measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Daniel OrtegaPresident
National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional)Legislature, unicameral
Next election1 November 2026
Last election7 November 2021
Constitutioncurrent text dates from 1986
Government typepresidential republic
Nicaragua national goals: what has been pledged, and how far it has got · each pledge measured against this country's own recorded delivery
2030
30% of land protected
! close
Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted by more than 190 parties in December 2022. Nicaragua currently protects 21.4% of its land, which is 71% of the way to the pledge. ↗
2030
30% of sea protected
✕ far behind
The marine half of the same 30x30 pledge. Nicaragua currently protects 3.39% of its territorial waters, which is 11% of the way there. ↗
2030
Paris Agreement pledge
on record
Nicaragua has a Nationally Determined Contribution lodged with the UNFCCC. The registry holds the current text, its target year and the sectors it covers. ↗
Plastic policy
no national ban
No comprehensive national ban; some municipal restrictions.
Grid, as it stands
51% renewable
Recorded renewable share of electricity output, the number every energy pledge is measured against. ↗
Plain Answers About Nicaragua.
The questions people actually type, answered in full sentences from the sourced data above.
swipe →
Is Nicaragua sustainable?
Nicaragua scores 68 out of 100 on the Throne Eco Index, across twelve equally weighted pillars. Nicaragua pairs Central America's largest freshwater lake and a chain of active volcanoes with strongly agricultural land and living indigenous communities on its Caribbean coast.
Is the water in Nicaragua safe and plentiful?
Nicaragua holds Central America's largest freshwater body, Lake Cocibolca (Lake Nicaragua), alongside Lake Xolotlan and many rivers, so raw freshwater is abundant. Treatment and access lag behind: World Bank and WHO/UNICEF JMP data put safely managed drinking water at about 55.5 percent of the population in 2020, with rural and Caribbean coast communities worst served. Lake Xolotlan at Managua remains heavily polluted, while Lake Cocibolca is the strategic reserve.
Can Nicaragua feed itself?
Agriculture underpins the economy and rural life, with beans, maize, rice, plantain, dairy, beef, coffee, sugar and tropical fruit produced domestically. The country is a net exporter of several of these and its everyday diet is built on home grown ingredients. Wheat and some processed goods are imported, but basic staple self sufficiency is high.
Is it easy to eat plant-based in Nicaragua?
The national dish, gallo pinto, is rice and beans, and maize tortillas, plantain, squash and abundant tropical fruit make unprocessed plant eating easy and cheap across the country. Markets in Masaya, Granada and Leon overflow with fresh produce. Meat and dairy feature, but a whole food plant diet is straightforward.
How much of Nicaragua is actually protected?
Terrestrial protected areas cover about 21.4 percent of the land (World Bank, 2021), anchored by the Bosawas and Indio Maiz biosphere reserves, two of Central America's largest rainforest blocks. Enforcement is the weakness: both reserves have suffered serious illegal settlement, cattle ranching and logging, so protection on paper outruns protection on the ground. Marine protection is limited at about 3.4 percent of territorial waters.
What wildlife is left in Nicaragua?
Nicaragua's forests and coasts hold jaguar, Baird's tapir, manatee, howler and spider monkeys and quetzals, and its Pacific beaches at La Flor and Chacocente host mass olive ridley turtle arribadas. The World Bank and IUCN record about 9 threatened mammal and 19 threatened bird species in 2022, so biodiversity is notable rather than exceptionally endemic. Intact rainforest in Indio Maiz remains a stronghold.
Is Nicaragua on clean energy?
About half of Nicaragua's electricity, close to 51% in 2023, came from low carbon sources including geothermal, wind, hydropower and biomass, one of the higher renewable shares in Central America after a decade of investment. Its carbon dioxide emissions are very low at around 0.81 tonnes per person in 2024, reflecting modest industrialisation and energy use. The country set out to raise renewable generation sharply, though formal climate governance is limited and grid reliability and imports remain concerns.
How polluted is Nicaragua?
Ambient PM2.5 averaged about 17.6 micrograms per cubic metre (World Bank, 2017), moderate and well above the WHO guideline of 5. Plastic policy is partial, resting on scattered municipal restrictions rather than a comprehensive national single use ban, and open dumping and litter remain issues. Low industrialisation keeps overall pollution moderate.
Does recycling work in Nicaragua?
There is no comprehensive municipal recycling system, and material recovery is largely informal, led by waste pickers such as those historically at Managua's La Chureca dump. Formal recycling rates are very low.
Is the farming in Nicaragua organic?
FiBL reports roughly 0.8 percent of Nicaragua's agricultural land was certified organic in 2020, about 39,000 hectares, concentrated in organic coffee, cacao and sesame for export. Certified organic remains a small share despite a strong smallholder base.
Are there natural materials and craft in Nicaragua?
Living craft traditions keep natural materials in daily use, from the hammocks of Masaya, a national craft centre, to San Juan de Oriente pottery, basketry and cotton textiles. Cotton was historically a major crop and hand weaving persists. These skills remain working trades rather than museum pieces.
Is there living culture in Nicaragua?
The Caribbean autonomous regions are home to living Miskito, Mayangna (Sumu), Rama, Garifuna and Creole communities with legal self governance, while Pacific Nicaragua carries deep mestizo and campesino traditions. Community based tourism runs through cooperatives, coffee fincas and the Solentiname islands, channelling some income directly to residents. Indigenous land rights are recognised even where pressures persist.
What heritage does Nicaragua keep alive?
Nicaragua carries deep living heritage blending indigenous, mestizo and Afro-Caribbean roots. El Gueguense, a satirical dance drama from Diriamba, is recognised by UNESCO as a masterpiece of intangible heritage and is still performed at patron festivals. The Caribbean coast keeps the Garifuna and Creole traditions of palo de mayo dance and music alive, while indigenous Miskito, Mayangna and Rama peoples sustain their own languages and ancestral practice.
So is Nicaragua actually green? The measured answer
What is working: renewable electricity at 69.5%.
What is not: sea protected at 3.6% against a 30% mark.
Where Nicaragua sits on the Eco Index, against its regional neighbours and the 0 destinations scored worldwide.
What is Nicaragua particularly good at?
✓Culture, scored 5/5. The Caribbean autonomous regions are home to living Miskito, Mayangna (Sumu), Rama, Garifuna and Creole communities with legal self governance, while Pacific Nicaragua carries deep mestizo and campesino traditions. Community based tourism runs through cooperatives, coffee fincas and the Solentiname islands, channelling some income directly to residents. Indigenous land rights are recognised even where pressures persist.
✓Food and farming, scored 5/5. Agriculture underpins the economy and rural life, with beans, maize, rice, plantain, dairy, beef, coffee, sugar and tropical fruit produced domestically. The country is a net exporter of several of these and its everyday diet is built on home grown ingredients. Wheat and some processed goods are imported, but basic staple self sufficiency is high.
✓Heritage, scored 5/5. Nicaragua carries deep living heritage blending indigenous, mestizo and Afro-Caribbean roots. El Gueguense, a satirical dance drama from Diriamba, is recognised by UNESCO as a masterpiece of intangible heritage and is still performed at patron festivals. The Caribbean coast keeps the Garifuna and Creole traditions of palo de mayo dance and music alive, while indigenous Miskito, Mayangna and Rama peoples sustain their own languages and ancestral practice. Marimba music and syncretic festivals such as La Purisima and La Griteria remain central to community life.
Where does Nicaragua score worst?
✕Natural fibres, scored 2/5. Living craft traditions keep natural materials in daily use, from the hammocks of Masaya, a national craft centre, to San Juan de Oriente pottery, basketry and cotton textiles. Cotton was historically a major crop and hand weaving persists. These skills remain working trades rather than museum pieces.
✕Organic farming, scored 2/5. FiBL reports roughly 0.8 percent of Nicaragua's agricultural land was certified organic in 2020, about 39,000 hectares, concentrated in organic coffee, cacao and sesame for export. Certified organic remains a small share despite a strong smallholder base.
✕Recycling, scored 2/5. There is no comprehensive municipal recycling system, and material recovery is largely informal, led by waste pickers such as those historically at Managua's La Chureca dump. Formal recycling rates are very low.
Similar countries doing it better and worse
PanamaScored on the same twelve pillars as Nicaragua.77
GuatemalaScored on the same twelve pillars as Nicaragua.73
Costa RicaScored on the same twelve pillars as Nicaragua.73
HondurasScored on the same twelve pillars as Nicaragua.68
A note from the lens of mother natureswipe →
Energy, 4/5
About half of Nicaragua's electricity, close to 51% in 2023, came from low carbon sources including geothermal, wind, hydropower and biomass, one of the higher renewable shares in Central America after a decade of investment. Its carbon dioxide emissions are very low at around 0.81 tonnes per person in 2024, reflecting modest industrialisation and energy use.
Consequence: It is the lowest-scoring part of Nicaragua's record, so it is where the score moves first.
Food and farming, 5/5
Agriculture underpins the economy and rural life, with beans, maize, rice, plantain, dairy, beef, coffee, sugar and tropical fruit produced domestically. The country is a net exporter of several of these and its everyday diet is built on home grown ingredients.
Consequence: It is the lowest-scoring part of Nicaragua's record, so it is where the score moves first.
Heritage, 5/5
Nicaragua carries deep living heritage blending indigenous, mestizo and Afro-Caribbean roots. El Gueguense, a satirical dance drama from Diriamba, is recognised by UNESCO as a masterpiece of intangible heritage and is still performed at patron festivals.
Consequence: It is the lowest-scoring part of Nicaragua's record, so it is where the score moves first.
The Nicaragua Directory.
Everything on Hold The Throne that sits in Nicaragua, checked and listed.
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Government effectiveness
30.9 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Rule of law
29.1 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Political stability
64.7 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Voice and accountability
26.8 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Environmental Performance Index
47.4 / 100 · 76 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 76 of 180 countries assessed.
Ecosystem vitality
58.5 / 100 · 53 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 53 of 180 countries assessed.
Biodiversity and habitat
65.5 / 100 · 30 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 30 of 180 countries assessed.
Air pollution
82.4 / 100 · 57 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 57 of 180 countries assessed.
Terrestrial biomes protected
69.5 / 100 · 59 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 59 of 180 countries assessed.
Marine protected areas
100.0 / 100 · 21 of 131
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 21 of 131 countries assessed.
How Nicaragua Is Scored. The Throne Standard.
Every destination on the index is scored the same way, so a 4 in Barbados means exactly what a 4 means in Iceland. No self-declared data and no brochure claims are accepted. Every figure on this page carries its named source and year, and the history on each page names what empire took as plainly as it scores the present.
The 12 pillars every destination is scored on, equally weighted
01
Conservation
Land and sea actually protected, not pledged
02
Wildlife
What survives, what is endemic, what is lost
03
Water
Fresh water per person, and the ocean’s health
04
Food & farming
Whether the place can feed itself
05
Organic & clean
Certified land and pesticide reality
06
Climate & energy
Emissions per person, how the grid is powered
07
Waste
Where the rubbish goes, what comes back
08
Health
What people eat and die of
09
Heritage
Living culture, and what the law keeps standing
10
Ownership
Who owns the economy, how much of a dollar stays
11
Governance
Freedom, honesty, promises kept
12
Future
Measured trends run forward, pledges against pace
What each 0 to 5 pillar score means, in plain words
The institutions above are the ones cited on this page, ranked by how many of its figures they carry. This same sectioned page renders for all 77 scored destinations, each with its own researched history, comparison charts and three-way future. Read the full methodology
Every figure on this page, and where it came from: 35 sources across 17 institutions
World Bank15 FIGURES
Terrestrial protected areas (percent of total land area) ER.LND.PTLD.ZS, 2021. check
Marine protected areas (% of territorial waters) ER.MRN.PTMR.ZS, 2025 check
PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure (micrograms per cubic metre) EN.ATM.PM25.MC.M3, 2017. check
Threatened species (mammals EN.MAM.THRD.NO, birds EN.BIR.THRD.NO, fish EN.FSH.THRD.NO, higher plants EN.HPT.THRD.NO), 2022 check
Renewable electricity output (% of total) EG.ELC.RNEW.ZS, 2021 check
CO2 emissions per capita EN.GHG.CO2.PC.CE.AR5, 2024 check
BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC3 FIGURES
UN SDG Global Database, terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas covered by protected areas (%) ER_PTD_TERR, Nicaragua, 2025 (67.9%), country-reported check
UN SDG Global Database, marine Key Biodiversity Areas covered by protected areas (%) ER_MRN_MPA, Nicaragua, 2025 (41.2%), country-reported check
UN SDG Global Database, freshwater Key Biodiversity Areas covered by protected areas (%) ER_PTD_FRHWTR, Nicaragua, 2025 (65.8%), country-reported check
FAO, Global Forest Resources Assessment3 FIGURES
UN SDG Global Database, forest area (% of land area) AG_LND_FRST, Nicaragua, 2025 (39.7%), country-reported check
UN SDG Global Database, forest area under a long-term management plan (%) AG_LND_FRSTMGT, Nicaragua, 2025 (9.4%), country-reported check
UN SDG Global Database, forest area inside legally established protected areas (%) AG_LND_FRSTPRCT, Nicaragua, 2025 (9.3%), country-reported check
CBD1 FIGURE
Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework Target 3 check
Ember1 FIGURE
Global Electricity Review, national generation mix check
FAO and World Bank1 FIGURE
Forest area (percent of land area) AG.LND.FRST.ZS, 2022. check
FiBL1 FIGURE
The World of Organic Agriculture 2022 (2020 data), organic farmland share. check
IEA, World Energy Balances1 FIGURE
UN SDG Global Database, renewable share of total final energy consumption (%) EG_FEC_RNEW, Nicaragua, 2023 (51.6%), modelled estimate check
PanamaScored on the same twelve pillars as Nicaragua.77
GuatemalaScored on the same twelve pillars as Nicaragua.73
Costa RicaScored on the same twelve pillars as Nicaragua.73
HondurasScored on the same twelve pillars as Nicaragua.68
