Primary, secondary and tertiary … Primary, secondary, tertiary in Nicaragua
Nicaragua: Primary, secondary and tertiary … Primary, secondary, tertiary was 109.5% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Nicaragua, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Nicaragua stood at 109.5%.
The figure is down 8.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Nicaragua peaked at 123.0% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 69.6%, in 1970.
That places Nicaragua 42nd out of 217 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 40 years of available data.
Primary, secondary and tertiary … Primary, secondary, tertiary in Nicaragua, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 69.6% | — |
| 1971 | 71.5% | +2.8% |
| 1972 | 70.5% | -1.4% |
| 1973 | 71.8% | +1.8% |
| 1974 | 71.0% | -1.0% |
| 1975 | 72.6% | +2.2% |
| 1976 | 74.6% | +2.9% |
| 1977 | 73.6% | -1.4% |
| 1978 | 71.6% | -2.7% |
| 1979 | 77.2% | +7.9% |
| 1980 | 85.8% | +11.2% |
| 1982 | 86.9% | +1.2% |
| 1983 | 88.8% | +2.2% |
| 1984 | 85.8% | -3.4% |
| 1985 | 87.6% | +2.1% |
| 1986 | 84.5% | -3.5% |
| 1987 | 86.4% | +2.1% |
| 1988 | 86.6% | +0.3% |
| 1989 | 84.0% | -3.0% |
| 1990 | 87.3% | +3.9% |
| 1991 | 91.1% | +4.4% |
| 1992 | 93.4% | +2.5% |
| 1993 | 96.3% | +3.1% |
| 1994 | 98.5% | +2.4% |
| 1995 | 97.0% | -1.5% |
| 1996 | 95.6% | -1.5% |
| 1997 | 96.9% | +1.3% |
| 1998 | 97.0% | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 102.5% | +5.7% |
| 2000 | 103.3% | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 107.0% | +3.6% |
| 2002 | 114.2% | +6.7% |
| 2003 | 115.3% | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 117.8% | +2.2% |
| 2005 | 119.2% | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 123.0% | +3.2% |
| 2007 | 121.7% | -1.1% |
| 2008 | 121.1% | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 119.7% | -1.2% |
| 2023 | 109.5% | -8.5% |
Nicaragua compared with similar countries
- Nicaragua's 109.5% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 102.7%, 1.1× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Nicaragua's 109.5% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 99.5%, 1.1× the median. (39 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 72.4% | 69.6% | 77.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 86.3% | 84.0% | 88.8% | 9 |
| 1990s | 95.6% | 87.3% | 102.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 115.9% | 103.3% | 123.0% | 9 |
| 2010s | 119.7% | 119.7% | 119.7% | 1 |
| 2020s | 109.5% | 109.5% | 109.5% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Nicaragua
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 primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Nicaragua?
- Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Nicaragua was 109.5% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates recorded in Nicaragua?
- The highest recorded value was 123.0% in 2006.
- What is the lowest primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates recorded in Nicaragua?
- The lowest recorded value was 69.6% in 1970.
- How does Nicaragua rank for primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates?
- Nicaragua ranks 42nd out of 217 countries with data for 2023.
- Is primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates rising or falling in Nicaragua?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.5%. 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 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of children of any age group who are enrolled in primary education, expressed as a percentage of the total population of the official primary school age.