A Decade Without Official Poverty Figures in Nicaragua, Households Struggle on Lower Incomes
Nicaragua has not published official poverty figures since 2016. Since then, the country lacks up-to-date information on one of the key social indicators; this is unlike the rest of the Central American nations, which report on these results periodically. Experts warn that, without this information, it is impossible to assess the evolution of poverty or the effect of the Sandinista regime’s public policies.
TL;DR
- Nicaragua's official poverty data has not been updated since 2016, with the last available figures showing 24.9% overall poverty and 6.9% extreme poverty.
- The lack of recent official statistics hinders the assessment of social well-being, policy guidance, and government accountability.
- A National Population and Housing Survey conducted from April 2024 to January 2025 has yet to release its results, leaving demographic and socioeconomic data outdated.
- International reports, such as from the FAO, indicate concerning trends in food security, with 19.6% of the population lacking sufficient food and 27.3% unable to afford a healthy diet.
- Independent surveys suggest that 72.1% of households cannot cover monthly expenses with regular income, and over 78% cannot afford basic goods.
- Remittances play a crucial role in subsistence, with 49.3% of households reporting receiving money from abroad.
- In contrast to Nicaragua, neighboring Central American countries regularly publish updated poverty figures.
- Experts state that the absence of accessible data is often a strategy of autocratic governments to avoid public scrutiny.