Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Nicaragua
Nicaragua: Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside was 12.0% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Nicaragua, 1960–2023
Source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of total merchandise imports.
Analysis
Nicaragua recorded 12.0% for merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in 2023.
The figure is down 35.3% on the previous year and down 22.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Nicaragua peaked at 21.5% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1984.
Nicaragua ranks 139th of 206 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Nicaragua, year by year
| Year | % of total merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.3% | — |
| 1961 | 0.7% | +141.4% |
| 1962 | 1.0% | +34.8% |
| 1963 | 1.0% | -4.6% |
| 1964 | 0.6% | -36.8% |
| 1965 | 0.7% | +17.7% |
| 1966 | 0.6% | -11.4% |
| 1967 | 0.5% | -29.0% |
| 1968 | 0.1% | -87.5% |
| 1969 | 0.4% | +684.9% |
| 1970 | 0.2% | -66.0% |
| 1971 | 0.1% | -47.0% |
| 1972 | 0.1% | +65.9% |
| 1973 | 0.3% | +112.5% |
| 1974 | 0.3% | +13.2% |
| 1975 | 0.2% | -50.8% |
| 1976 | 0.1% | -7.2% |
| 1977 | 0.6% | +308.5% |
| 1978 | 0.6% | -5.3% |
| 1979 | 0.6% | +13.1% |
| 1980 | 0.5% | -27.6% |
| 1981 | 0.2% | -49.7% |
| 1982 | 0.4% | +59.6% |
| 1983 | 0.0% | -95.2% |
| 1984 | 0.0% | -79.8% |
| 1985 | 1.8% | +48938.7% |
| 1986 | 1.6% | -11.0% |
| 1987 | 1.4% | -9.5% |
| 1988 | 3.7% | +159.5% |
| 1989 | 1.4% | -61.7% |
| 1990 | 2.5% | +77.4% |
| 1991 | 3.9% | +56.8% |
| 1992 | 3.1% | -22.3% |
| 1993 | 2.3% | -26.2% |
| 1994 | 2.5% | +12.9% |
| 1995 | 2.3% | -10.0% |
| 1996 | 1.6% | -31.9% |
| 1997 | 0.5% | -65.9% |
| 1998 | 0.5% | -3.4% |
| 1999 | 0.4% | -14.8% |
| 2003 | 7.4% | +1592.1% |
| 2004 | 8.2% | +10.1% |
| 2005 | 8.5% | +4.1% |
| 2006 | 10.0% | +17.7% |
| 2007 | 10.5% | +5.4% |
| 2008 | 12.1% | +15.1% |
| 2009 | 11.1% | -8.7% |
| 2010 | 12.4% | +12.4% |
| 2011 | 12.3% | -1.1% |
| 2012 | 13.5% | +9.5% |
| 2013 | 15.5% | +14.8% |
| 2014 | 21.2% | +36.7% |
| 2015 | 21.5% | +1.6% |
| 2016 | 21.2% | -1.5% |
| 2017 | 18.3% | -13.6% |
| 2018 | 15.4% | -15.7% |
| 2019 | 15.7% | +1.7% |
| 2020 | 17.1% | +9.1% |
| 2021 | 18.5% | +8.1% |
| 2022 | 18.5% | -0.0% |
| 2023 | 12.0% | -35.3% |
Nicaragua compared with similar countries
- Nicaragua's 12.0% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 29.9%, 40% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nicaragua's 12.0% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 20.2%, 59% of the median. (36 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | +48938.7% | 0.0% | 1.8% |
| 2003 | +1592.1% | 0.4% | 7.4% |
| 1969 | +684.9% | 0.1% | 0.4% |
| 1977 | +308.5% | 0.1% | 0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.6% | 0.1% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.1% | 0.0% | 3.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.0% | 0.4% | 3.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 9.7% | 7.4% | 12.1% | 7 |
| 2010s | 16.7% | 12.3% | 21.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.5% | 12.0% | 18.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Nicaragua
More private sector data for Nicaragua
- Merchandise trade 95.9% (2025)
- Food imports 16.6% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 68.6% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 12.43 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 42.6% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 37.0% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 8.89 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 1,269 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.3999 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 18.23 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Nicaragua?
- Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Nicaragua was 12.0% in 2023, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside recorded in Nicaragua?
- The highest recorded value was 21.5% in 2015.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside recorded in Nicaragua?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1984.
- How does Nicaragua rank for merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside?
- Nicaragua ranks 139th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside rising or falling in Nicaragua?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nicaragua data come from?
- The figures come from Staff estimates, World Bank (WB), published as part of Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside region (% of total merchandise imports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside region are the sum of merchandise imports by the reporting economy from other low- and middle-income economies in other World Bank regions according to the World Bank classification of economies. Data are expressed as a percentage of total merchandise imports by the economy. Data are computed only if at least half of the economies in the partner country group had non-missing data.