Value of imported goods as a share of GDP (International Monetary) in Nicaragua
Nicaragua: Value of imported goods as a share of GDP (International Monetary) was 42.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Value of imported goods as a share of GDP in Nicaragua, 1960–2025
Source: International Monetary Fund (2026); National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, value of imported goods as a share of gdp in Nicaragua stood at 42.5%.
The figure is down 7.1% on the previous year and down 1.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, value of imported goods as a share of gdp in Nicaragua peaked at 56.2% in 1989 and was at its lowest, 18.2%, in 1987.
That places Nicaragua 63rd out of 201 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Value of imported goods as a share of GDP (International Monetary) in Nicaragua, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 27.8% | — |
| 1961 | 26.9% | -3.4% |
| 1962 | 32.3% | +20.2% |
| 1963 | 33.4% | +3.3% |
| 1964 | 35.2% | +5.4% |
| 1965 | 25.6% | -27.3% |
| 1966 | 26.7% | +4.6% |
| 1967 | 28.3% | +5.8% |
| 1968 | 24.3% | -14.0% |
| 1969 | 21.1% | -13.2% |
| 1970 | 23.6% | +11.8% |
| 1971 | 23.1% | -2.2% |
| 1972 | 22.9% | -0.9% |
| 1973 | 27.4% | +19.5% |
| 1974 | 33.6% | +22.9% |
| 1975 | 30.5% | -9.4% |
| 1976 | 26.9% | -11.6% |
| 1977 | 31.7% | +17.8% |
| 1978 | 26.2% | -17.5% |
| 1979 | 21.9% | -16.3% |
| 1980 | 39.5% | +80.5% |
| 1981 | 37.4% | -5.3% |
| 1982 | 30.0% | -20.0% |
| 1983 | 28.0% | -6.4% |
| 1984 | 25.3% | -9.9% |
| 1985 | 38.2% | +51.4% |
| 1986 | 24.0% | -37.2% |
| 1987 | 18.2% | -24.2% |
| 1988 | 27.8% | +52.6% |
| 1989 | 56.2% | +102.4% |
| 1990 | 52.5% | -6.6% |
| 1991 | 45.9% | -12.6% |
| 1992 | 46.1% | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 40.3% | -12.5% |
| 1994 | 19.9% | -50.7% |
| 1995 | 22.0% | +10.6% |
| 1996 | 25.4% | +15.5% |
| 1997 | 31.7% | +24.7% |
| 1998 | 30.6% | -3.3% |
| 1999 | 36.2% | +18.2% |
| 2000 | 31.3% | -13.7% |
| 2001 | 29.2% | -6.5% |
| 2002 | 28.9% | -1.0% |
| 2003 | 35.3% | +22.0% |
| 2004 | 38.1% | +7.9% |
| 2005 | 41.4% | +8.8% |
| 2006 | 44.4% | +7.3% |
| 2007 | 49.2% | +10.8% |
| 2008 | 50.3% | +2.2% |
| 2009 | 41.7% | -17.0% |
| 2010 | 47.7% | +14.3% |
| 2011 | 52.5% | +10.1% |
| 2012 | 55.5% | +5.8% |
| 2013 | 51.1% | -8.0% |
| 2014 | 45.3% | -11.4% |
| 2015 | 43.2% | -4.6% |
| 2016 | 42.2% | -2.4% |
| 2017 | 41.8% | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 38.4% | -8.1% |
| 2019 | 35.4% | -7.7% |
| 2020 | 35.8% | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 46.1% | +28.9% |
| 2022 | 50.1% | +8.7% |
| 2023 | 45.3% | -9.6% |
| 2024 | 45.8% | +1.1% |
| 2025 | 42.5% | -7.1% |
Nicaragua compared with similar countries
- Nicaragua's 42.5% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 28.5%, 1.5× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nicaragua's 42.5% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 29.0%, 1.5× the median. (36 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Value of imported goods as a share of GDP (International Monetary) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | +102.4% | 27.8% | 56.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 28.2% | 21.1% | 35.2% | 10 |
| 1970s | 26.8% | 21.9% | 33.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 32.5% | 18.2% | 56.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 35.1% | 19.9% | 52.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 39.0% | 28.9% | 50.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 45.3% | 35.4% | 55.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 44.3% | 35.8% | 50.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Nicaragua
More economy & growth data for Nicaragua
- Real gdp growth, annual growth rate 37.5 % change on previous year (2025)
- 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)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 4.16 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0168 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 53.46 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate -0.8097 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0123 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 39.04 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate -11.79 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is value of imported goods as a share of gdp in Nicaragua?
- Value of imported goods as a share of gdp in Nicaragua was 42.5% in 2025, according to International Monetary Fund (2026); National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest value of imported goods as a share of gdp recorded in Nicaragua?
- The highest recorded value was 56.2% in 1989.
- What is the lowest value of imported goods as a share of gdp recorded in Nicaragua?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.2% in 1987.
- How does Nicaragua rank for value of imported goods as a share of gdp?
- Nicaragua ranks 63rd out of 201 countries with data for 2025.
- Is value of imported goods as a share of gdp rising or falling in Nicaragua?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nicaragua data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund (2026); National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Value of imported goods as a share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Value of a country’s total goods imports, including freight and insurance costs, as a percentage of a country’s gross domestic product (GDP).