Imports of goods and services in Nicaragua
Nicaragua: Imports of goods and services was 54.9% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Imports of goods and services in Nicaragua, 1960–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2025, imports of goods and services in Nicaragua stood at 54.9%.
That represents a change of down 5.7% on the previous year and down 5.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, imports of goods and services in Nicaragua peaked at 67.7% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 13.8%, in 1987.
Nicaragua ranks 68th of 193 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Imports of goods and services in Nicaragua, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 26.2% | — |
| 1961 | 24.6% | -6.2% |
| 1962 | 28.9% | +17.7% |
| 1963 | 30.2% | +4.6% |
| 1964 | 30.5% | +0.9% |
| 1965 | 32.4% | +6.3% |
| 1966 | 34.1% | +5.3% |
| 1967 | 35.0% | +2.7% |
| 1968 | 30.4% | -13.3% |
| 1969 | 27.2% | -10.6% |
| 1970 | 29.2% | +7.4% |
| 1971 | 28.5% | -2.2% |
| 1972 | 29.6% | +3.9% |
| 1973 | 37.8% | +27.5% |
| 1974 | 42.6% | +12.7% |
| 1975 | 36.9% | -13.3% |
| 1976 | 31.8% | -13.8% |
| 1977 | 37.4% | +17.5% |
| 1978 | 31.2% | -16.5% |
| 1979 | 28.1% | -10.0% |
| 1980 | 43.3% | +53.8% |
| 1981 | 41.8% | -3.4% |
| 1982 | 26.1% | -37.6% |
| 1983 | 30.0% | +15.1% |
| 1984 | 29.5% | -1.8% |
| 1985 | 21.8% | -25.9% |
| 1986 | 20.8% | -4.6% |
| 1987 | 13.8% | -33.9% |
| 1988 | 58.3% | +323.5% |
| 1989 | 65.2% | +11.9% |
| 1990 | 46.3% | -28.9% |
| 1991 | 52.5% | +13.3% |
| 1992 | 53.3% | +1.4% |
| 1993 | 47.9% | -10.2% |
| 1994 | 25.9% | -45.8% |
| 1995 | 27.9% | +7.7% |
| 1996 | 31.6% | +13.2% |
| 1997 | 38.6% | +22.0% |
| 1998 | 37.7% | -2.3% |
| 1999 | 44.0% | +16.8% |
| 2000 | 41.2% | -6.4% |
| 2001 | 38.9% | -5.5% |
| 2002 | 39.2% | +0.8% |
| 2003 | 41.5% | +5.7% |
| 2004 | 44.1% | +6.4% |
| 2005 | 47.3% | +7.1% |
| 2006 | 56.0% | +18.6% |
| 2007 | 60.0% | +7.0% |
| 2008 | 62.3% | +3.9% |
| 2009 | 53.0% | -14.9% |
| 2010 | 59.9% | +13.0% |
| 2011 | 66.8% | +11.5% |
| 2012 | 67.7% | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 65.8% | -2.9% |
| 2014 | 61.7% | -6.2% |
| 2015 | 58.1% | -5.8% |
| 2016 | 54.9% | -5.5% |
| 2017 | 55.0% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 51.7% | -6.1% |
| 2019 | 49.2% | -4.8% |
| 2020 | 46.9% | -4.8% |
| 2021 | 59.8% | +27.5% |
| 2022 | 65.6% | +9.6% |
| 2023 | 59.2% | -9.8% |
| 2024 | 58.2% | -1.7% |
| 2025 | 54.9% | -5.7% |
Nicaragua compared with similar countries
- Nicaragua's 54.9% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 41.9%, 1.3× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Nicaragua's 54.9% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 39.3%, 1.4× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Imports of goods and services in Nicaragua changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | +323.5% | 13.8% | 58.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 30.0% | 24.6% | 35.0% | 10 |
| 1970s | 33.3% | 28.1% | 42.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 35.0% | 13.8% | 65.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 40.6% | 25.9% | 53.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 48.4% | 38.9% | 62.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 59.1% | 49.2% | 67.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 57.4% | 46.9% | 65.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Nicaragua
- 65 Honduras 56.5% compare
- 66 El Salvador 56.1% compare
- 67 Mozambique 55.7% compare
- 69 Tunisia 54.8% compare
- 70 Mauritania 54.2% compare
- 71 Bosnia and Herzegovina 54.1% compare
More economy & growth data for Nicaragua
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 2.29 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 3.5 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 73.80 million BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0037 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 10.67 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 1.35 billion BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual 21.4 % change on previous year (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0687 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 195.53 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 36.36 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is imports of goods and services in Nicaragua?
- Imports of goods and services in Nicaragua was 54.9% in 2025, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs).
- What is the highest imports of goods and services recorded in Nicaragua?
- The highest recorded value was 67.7% in 2012.
- What is the lowest imports of goods and services recorded in Nicaragua?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.8% in 1987.
- How does Nicaragua rank for imports of goods and services?
- Nicaragua ranks 68th out of 193 countries with data for 2025.
- Is imports of goods and services rising or falling in Nicaragua?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nicaragua data come from?
- The figures come from Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs), published as part of Imports of goods and services (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Imports of goods includes change in the economic ownership of goods from non-residents to residents of the compiling economy, irrespective of physical movement of goods across national borders. Imports of services includes services provided by non-residents to residents. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.