Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Nicaragua
Nicaragua: Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP was 2.9% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Nicaragua, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Nicaragua recorded 2.9% for initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in 2023.
That represents a change of down 24.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Nicaragua peaked at 5.4% in 1987 and was at its lowest, 1.6%, in 2003.
That places Nicaragua 140th out of 185 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 16 years of available data.
Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Nicaragua, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 2.0% | — |
| 1971 | 2.5% | +22.2% |
| 1987 | 5.4% | +114.8% |
| 1992 | 3.0% | -44.2% |
| 1998 | 2.2% | -25.4% |
| 1999 | 2.9% | +31.3% |
| 2000 | 3.0% | +2.7% |
| 2002 | 2.4% | -20.3% |
| 2003 | 1.6% | -31.6% |
| 2010 | 3.8% | +134.1% |
| 2014 | 3.8% | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 3.9% | +2.8% |
| 2016 | 3.7% | -4.6% |
| 2017 | 4.0% | +8.0% |
| 2018 | 4.1% | +1.8% |
| 2023 | 2.9% | -29.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.3% | 2.0% | 2.5% | 2 |
| 1980s | 5.4% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 1 |
| 1990s | 2.7% | 2.2% | 3.0% | 3 |
| 2000s | 2.3% | 1.6% | 3.0% | 3 |
| 2010s | 3.9% | 3.7% | 4.1% | 6 |
| 2020s | 2.9% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Nicaragua
- 137 Lao People's Democratic Republic 2.9% compare
- 138 Trinidad and Tobago 2.9% compare
- 139 San Marino 2.9% compare
- 141 Anguilla 2.8% compare
- 142 Turks and Caicos Islands 2.8% compare
- 143 Saint Kitts and Nevis 2.8% compare
More education data for Nicaragua
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 12,739 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 85,306 (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 132,281 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 131,337 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 463,660 (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 880,080 (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.9095 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.129 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Nicaragua?
- Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Nicaragua was 2.9% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Nicaragua?
- The highest recorded value was 5.4% in 1987.
- What is the lowest initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Nicaragua?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.6% in 2003.
- How does Nicaragua rank for initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp?
- Nicaragua ranks 140th out of 185 countries with data for 2023.
- Is initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp rising or falling in Nicaragua?
- Over the last ten years it is down 24.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nicaragua data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release