Nicaragua — Education spending
Government Education Spending (% of GDP) for Nicaragua, 1970–2023.
Education spending for Nicaragua was 2.87% in 2023, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 20 years, from 1970 to 2023. The highest recorded value was 5.35% in 1987. The lowest was 2.04% in 1970 (about 1.4× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.65% per year.
Nicaragua ranks 140 of 172 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 81%. The median for Latin America & Caribbean is 4.27%, so Nicaragua sits below it. It peaked in 1987 and has fallen 46% since. Over the last decade (2014–2023) the figure moved down 30%. Within Latin America & Caribbean it ranks 33 of 36 economies; Bahamas, The (2.74%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 115% in 1987. That is 30% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
From its 1970 level: doubled by 1987. Doubling roughly every 107 years at that pace.
World ranking. Slipped: 24th of 31 in 1970 → 82nd of 116 in 2000 → 61st of 130 in 2010 → 68th of 157 in 2020 → 77th of 107 in 2023.
Key figures
Full history — 1970 to 2023
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2.87% | -0.9 pp |
| 2022 | 3.8% | -0.3 pp |
| 2021 | 4.09% | -0.5 pp |
| 2020 | 4.58% | -0.0 pp |
| 2019 | 4.6% | +0.1 pp |
| 2018 | 4.47% | +0.1 pp |
| 2017 | 4.36% | +0.3 pp |
| 2016 | 4.08% | +0.0 pp |
| 2015 | 4.08% | -0.0 pp |
| 2014 | 4.08% | -0.4 pp |
| 2010 | 4.48% | +2.1 pp |
| 2003 | 2.42% | +0.0 pp |
| 2002 | 2.39% | -0.6 pp |
| 2000 | 3% | +0.1 pp |
| 1999 | 2.92% | +0.7 pp |
| 1998 | 2.23% | -0.8 pp |
| 1992 | 2.98% | -2.4 pp |
| 1987 | 5.35% | +2.9 pp |
| 1971 | 2.49% | +0.5 pp |
| 1970 | 2.04% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Nicaragua’s Education spending in 1971?
2.49% (1971). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in % of GDP, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Nicaragua’s Education spending growing or shrinking?
Between 1970 and 2023 the series was growing overall: +40.8% in total — about 0.6% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2023: 2.87%; 2022: 3.8%; 2021: 4.09%; 2020: 4.58%; 2019: 4.6%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS — Government Education Spending (% of GDP). Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.