Economy - overview:
Nicaragua, the poorest country in Central America and the second poorest in the Western Hemisphere, has widespread underemployment and poverty. Textiles and agriculture combined account for nearly 50% of Nicaragua's exports.The Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) has been in effect since April 2006 and has expanded export opportunities for many agricultural and manufactured goods.In 2013, the government granted a 50-year concession to a newly formed Chinese-run company to finance and build an inter-oceanic canal and related projects, at an estimated cost of $50 billion. The canal construction has been delayed until the end of 2016.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$31.18 billion (2015 est.) $29.98 billion (2014 est.) $28.63 billion (2013 est.)
note: data are in 2015 US dollars
country comparison to the world: 127
[see also: GDP country ranks ]

GDP (official exchange rate):
$12.32 billion (2015 est.)
[see also: GDP (official exchange rate) country ranks ]

GDP - real growth rate:
4% (2015 est.) 4.7% (2014 est.) 4.5% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 62
[see also: GDP - real growth rate country ranks ]

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$5,000 (2015 est.) $4,800 (2014 est.) $4,600 (2013 est.)
note: data are in 2015 US dollars
country comparison to the world: 169
[see also: GDP - per capita country ranks ]

Gross national saving:
20.9% of GDP (2015 est.) 19.6% of GDP (2014 est.) 17.6% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 80
[see also: Gross national saving country ranks ]

GDP - composition, by end use:
household consumption: 82.7%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - household consumption country ranks ]
government consumption: 6.5%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - government consumption country ranks ]
investment in fixed capital: 28.8%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in fixed capital country ranks ]
investment in inventories: 0%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in inventories country ranks ]
exports of goods and services: 40.7%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - exports of goods and services country ranks ]
imports of goods and services: -58.7% (2015 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - imports of goods and services country ranks ]

GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture: 18.1%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 22.9%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - industry country ranks ]
services: 58.9% (2015 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - services country ranks ]

Agriculture - products:
coffee, bananas, sugarcane, rice, corn, tobacco, cotton, sesame, soya, beans; beef, veal, pork, poultry, dairy products; shrimp, lobsters

Industries:
food processing, chemicals, machinery and metal products, knit and woven apparel, petroleum refining and distribution, beverages, footwear, wood, electric wire harness manufacturing, mining

Industrial production growth rate:
4% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 53
[see also: Industrial production growth rate country ranks ]

Labor force:
2.98 million (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 104
[see also: Labor force country ranks ]

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 31%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 18%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - industry country ranks ]
services: 50% (2011 est.)
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - services country ranks ]

Unemployment rate:
6.1% (2015 est.) 6% (2014 est.)
note: underemployment was 46.5% in 2008
country comparison to the world: 69
[see also: Unemployment rate country ranks ]

Population below poverty line:
42.5% (2009 est.)
[see also: Population below poverty line country ranks ]

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.4%
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10% country ranks ]
highest 10%: 41.8% (2005)
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - highest 10% country ranks ]

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
40.5 (2010) 60.3 (1998)
country comparison to the world: 59
[see also: Distribution of family income - Gini index country ranks ]

Budget:
revenues: $3.218 billion
[see also: Budget revenues country ranks ]
expenditures: $3.504 billion (2015 est.)
[see also: Budget expenditures country ranks ]

Taxes and other revenues:
26.1% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 113
[see also: Taxes and other revenues country ranks ]

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
-2.3% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 84
[see also: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) country ranks ]

Public debt:
49.5% of GDP (2015 est.) 49.4% of GDP (2014 est.)
note: official data; data cover general Government Debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by Government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as retirement, medical care, and unemployment, debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions; Nicaragua rebased its GDP figures in 2012, which reduced the figures for debt as a percentage of GDP
country comparison to the world: 80
[see also: Public debt country ranks ]

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.2% (2015 est.) 6% (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 160
[see also: Inflation rate (consumer prices) country ranks ]

Central bank discount rate:
3% (31 December 2010)
country comparison to the world: 105
[see also: Central bank discount rate country ranks ]

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
13.5% (31 December 2015 est.) 13.54% (31 December 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 52
[see also: Commercial bank prime lending rate country ranks ]

Stock of narrow money:
$1.033 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $943.8 million (31 December 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 152
[see also: Stock of narrow money country ranks ]

Stock of broad money:
$4.453 billion (31 December 2013 est.) $4.136 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137
[see also: Stock of broad money country ranks ]

Stock of domestic credit:
$5.265 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $5.146 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 122
[see also: Stock of domestic credit country ranks ]

Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
[see also: Market value of publicly traded shares country ranks ]

Current account balance:
-$807 million (2015 est.) -$838 million (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 112
[see also: Current account balance country ranks ]

Exports:
$3.263 billion (2015 est.) $3.622 billion (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 126
[see also: Exports country ranks ]

Exports - commodities:
coffee, beef, gold, sugar, peanuts, shrimp and lobster, tobacco, cigars, automobile wiring harnesses, textiles, apparel, cotton

Exports - partners:
US 52.3%, Mexico 11.8%, Venezuela 6.8%, Canada 5.9% (2014)

Imports:
$6.163 billion (2015 est.) $6.024 billion (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 117
[see also: Imports country ranks ]

Imports - commodities:
consumer goods, machinery and equipment, raw materials, petroleum products

Imports - partners:
US 16.2%, Venezuela 15.9%, Mexico 13.6%, China 9.1%, Guatemala 8.2%, Costa Rica 8%, El Salvador 5.4% (2014)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$2.32 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $2.276 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 116
[see also: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold country ranks ]

Debt - external:
$10.19 billion (31 December 2014 est.) $9.631 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 105
[see also: Debt - external country ranks ]

Exchange rates:
cordobas (NIO) per US dollar - 27.31 (2015 est.) 26.01 (2014 est.) 26.01 (2013 est.) 23.55 (2012 est.) 22.42 (2011 est.)