Out-of-pocket expenditure in Nicaragua
Nicaragua: Out-of-pocket expenditure was 37.6% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Out-of-pocket expenditure in Nicaragua, 2000–2023
Source: Global Health Expenditure Database, updated December 12th, 2025, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in % of current health expenditure.
Analysis
The most recent figure for out-of-pocket expenditure in Nicaragua is 37.6%, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of up 5.5% on the previous year and up 2.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-pocket expenditure in Nicaragua peaked at 45.3% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 30.8%, in 2021.
That places Nicaragua 63rd out of 193 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Out-of-pocket expenditure in Nicaragua, year by year
| Year | % of current health expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 43.9% | — |
| 2001 | 40.4% | -8.0% |
| 2002 | 45.3% | +12.2% |
| 2003 | 38.7% | -14.6% |
| 2004 | 41.6% | +7.4% |
| 2005 | 39.2% | -5.7% |
| 2006 | 42.0% | +7.2% |
| 2007 | 41.9% | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 40.9% | -2.5% |
| 2009 | 38.3% | -6.3% |
| 2010 | 37.5% | -2.2% |
| 2011 | 37.8% | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 37.6% | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 36.9% | -2.0% |
| 2014 | 35.3% | -4.2% |
| 2015 | 35.4% | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 35.0% | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 33.8% | -3.3% |
| 2018 | 33.2% | -2.0% |
| 2019 | 33.2% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 32.3% | -2.8% |
| 2021 | 30.8% | -4.5% |
| 2022 | 35.7% | +15.8% |
| 2023 | 37.6% | +5.5% |
Nicaragua compared with similar countries
- Nicaragua's 37.6% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 37.6%, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nicaragua's 37.6% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 29.3%, 1.3× the median. (33 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 41.2% | 38.3% | 45.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 35.6% | 33.2% | 37.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 34.1% | 30.8% | 37.6% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Nicaragua
More health data for Nicaragua
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.83 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.6599 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,175 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 215 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.3497 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0458 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.323 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is out-of-pocket expenditure in Nicaragua?
- Out-of-pocket expenditure in Nicaragua was 37.6% in 2023, according to Global Health Expenditure Database, updated December 12th, 2025, World Health Organization (WHO).
- What is the highest out-of-pocket expenditure recorded in Nicaragua?
- The highest recorded value was 45.3% in 2002.
- What is the lowest out-of-pocket expenditure recorded in Nicaragua?
- The lowest recorded value was 30.8% in 2021.
- How does Nicaragua rank for out-of-pocket expenditure?
- Nicaragua ranks 63rd out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
- Is out-of-pocket expenditure rising or falling in Nicaragua?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Nicaragua data come from?
- The figures come from Global Health Expenditure Database, updated December 12th, 2025, World Health Organization (WHO), published as part of Out-of-pocket expenditure (% of current health expenditure). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Share of out-of-pocket payments of total current health expenditures. Out-of-pocket payments are spending on health directly out-of-pocket by households.