Unemployment Rate: Nicaragua
Nicaragua's unemployment rate is currently 3.4% as of 2026. # Nicaragua Unemployment Rate Nicaragua's unemployment rate stands at 3.
Current (2026)
3.4%
+0.0% y/y
Peak (1994)
17.1%
Low (2017)
3.3%
Source
IMF World Economic Outlook
1980–2026 · 51 pts
Unemployment Rate — Nicaragua
1980 — 2026
Unemployment Rate — Nicaragua
Analysis# Nicaragua Unemployment Rate
Nicaragua's unemployment rate stands at 3.4% in 2026, near its all-time low of 3.3% recorded in 2017. The country has achieved dramatic improvement since 1980, when unemployment was substantially higher, with a total decline of 74.6% over the past four decades. The 1994 peak of 17.1% represents a stark contrast to current conditions, underscoring the long-term stabilization of Nicaragua's labor market.
The most significant turning point occurred in the mid-1990s, when unemployment began a sustained downward trajectory. After reaching the 1994 peak, rates declined steadily through the 2000s and 2010s. A temporary spike to 5.3% in 2018 marked a brief disruption, but the rate quickly recovered to around 3.4-3.5% by 2021 and has remained stable since. Projections suggest continued stability through 2026.
Historical Data
51 Rows| Year | Value | Change % |
|---|---|---|
| 2030 | 3.4% | +0.00% |
| 2029 | 3.4% | +0.00% |
| 2028 | 3.4% | +0.00% |
| 2027 | 3.4% | +0.00% |
| 2026 | 3.4% | +0.00% |
| 2025 | 3.4% | +0.00% |
| 2024 | 3.4% | +0.00% |
| 2023 | 3.4% | -2.86% |
| 2022 | 3.5% | -5.41% |
| 2021 | 3.7% | -22.92% |
| 2020 | 4.8% | -2.04% |
| 2019 | 4.9% | -7.55% |
| 2018 | 5.3% | +60.61% |
| 2017 | 3.3% | -13.16% |
| 2016 | 3.8% | -19.15% |
| 2015 | 4.7% | -28.79% |
| 2014 | 6.6% | +15.79% |
| 2013 | 5.7% | -3.39% |
| 2012 | 5.9% | +0.00% |
| 2011 | 5.9% | -24.36% |
Show all 51 rows
| Year | Value | Change % |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 7.8% | -4.88% |
| 2009 | 8.2% | +34.43% |
| 2008 | 6.1% | +3.39% |
| 2007 | 5.9% | +13.46% |
| 2006 | 5.2% | -7.14% |
| 2005 | 5.6% | -13.85% |
| 2004 | 6.5% | -7.14% |
| 2003 | 7.0% | -42.62% |
| 2002 | 12.2% | +90.62% |
| 2001 | 6.4% | -34.69% |
| 2000 | 9.8% | -8.41% |
| 1999 | 10.7% | -18.94% |
| 1998 | 13.2% | -7.69% |
| 1997 | 14.3% | -10.62% |
| 1996 | 16.0% | -5.33% |
| 1995 | 16.9% | -1.17% |
| 1994 | 17.1% | +14.00% |
| 1993 | 15.0% | +4.17% |
| 1992 | 14.4% | -3.36% |
| 1991 | 14.9% | -3.87% |
| 1990 | 15.5% | +3.33% |
| 1989 | 15.0% | +5.63% |
| 1988 | 14.2% | +1.43% |
| 1987 | 14.0% | +6.87% |
| 1986 | 13.1% | +4.80% |
| 1985 | 12.5% | +4.17% |
| 1984 | 12.0% | +9.09% |
| 1983 | 11.0% | -11.29% |
| 1982 | 12.4% | +5.08% |
| 1981 | 11.8% | -11.94% |
| 1980 | 13.4% | — |
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