Nicaragua Demographics

Population of Nicaragua (2026)

View live population, charts & trends: Population of Nicaragua

Nicaragua Population
7,097,329
see live
Yearly Change
+1.28%
Global Share
0.09%
Global Rank
108

Median Age

The median age in Nicaragua is 26.3 years (2026).

Fertility in Nicaragua

A Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.1 represents the Replacement-Level Fertility : the average number of children per woman needed for each generation to exactly replace itself without needing international immigration. A value below 2.1 will cause the native population to decline


Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
2.16
(Live Births per Woman, 2026)

Life Expectancy in Nicaragua

See also: Countries in the world ranked by Life Expectancy

Both Sexes
75.4
(life expectancy at birth, both sexes combined)
Females
77.9
(life expectancy at birth, females)
Males
72.8
(life expectancy at birth, males)


Infant Mortality Rate and Deaths of Children under 5 Years Old in Nicaragua


Infant Mortality
10.2
(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
Deaths under age 5
12.4
(per 1,000 live births)


Nicaragua Urban Population

Currently, 59.6% of the population of Nicaragua is urban (4,232,577 people in 2026)


Population Density

The 2026 population density in Nicaragua is 59 people per km² (153 people per mi2), calculated on a total land area of 119,990 km² (46,328 sq. miles).

Largest Cities and Towns in Nicaragua

The 30 largest of 69 cities and towns, ranked by population estimates for June 30, 2023 (by National Institute of Statistics and Censuses, Nicaragua).

RankCity or TownPopulation
1Managua1,055,111
2León177,270
3Tipitapa150,597
4Masaya140,721
5Ciudad Sandino130,357
6Chinandega115,687
7Matagalpa114,120
8Estelí112,132
9Granada106,719
10Puerto Cabezas86,279
11Mateare63,771
12Jinotega57,605
13Bluefields56,421
14Juigalpa54,124
15El Viejo53,382
16Ocotal49,538
17Diriamba44,661
18Chichigalpa44,281
19Jalapa43,757
20Nueva Guinea40,913
21Jinotepe40,612
22San Rafael del Sur37,965
23Rivas35,968
24Nindirí30,165
25Boaco26,398
26Nagarote26,070
27Sébaco25,849
28Siuna25,014
29El Rama23,939
30La Paz Centro23,834
See all 69 cities and towns in Nicaragua

See also

Sources

Definitions

Population Pyramid

A Population pyramid (also called "Age-Sex Pyramid") is a graphical representation of the age and sex of a population.

Types:

  • Expansive - pyramid with a wide base (larger percentage of people in younger age groups, indicating high birth rates and high fertility rates) and narrow top (high death rate and lower life expectancies). It suggests a growing population. Example: Nigeria Population Pyramid
  • Constrictive - pyramid with a narrow base (lower percentage of younger people, indicating declining birth rates with each succeeding age group getting smaller than the previous one). Example: United States
  • Stationary - with a somewhat equal proportion of the population in each age group. The population is stable, neither increasing nor decreasing.

Stages:

Population pyramid stages

Dependency Ratio

There are three types of age dependency ratio: Youth, Elderly, and Total. All three ratios are commonly multiplied by 100.

Youth Dependency Ratio

Definition: population ages 0-15 divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 0-15] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Elderly dependency ratio

Definition: population ages 65-plus divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 65-plus] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Total dependency ratio

Definition: sum of the youth and old-age ratios.

Formula: (([Population ages 0-15] + [Population ages 65-plus]) ÷ [Population ages 16-64] ) × 100

NOTE: Dependency Ratio does not take into account labor force participation rates by age group. Some portion of the population counted as "working age" may actually be unemployed or not in the labor force whereas some portion of the "dependent" population may be employed and not necessarily economically dependent.