Nicaragua Health Spending
Current health expenditure as % of GDP SH.XPD.CHEX.GD.ZS
Nicaragua's health spending was 8.78% in 2025, ranked 49th globally. This represents a 5.9% increase from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 2000–2025.
Overview
Nicaragua's health spending stood at 8.78% in 2025, a rise of +0.49% from 2023. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach 8.78% by 2025. Nicaragua ranked 49th globally.
Nicaragua’s health‑spending share of gross domestic product has risen steadily over the 25‑year series, moving from an all‑time trough of 5.24 % in 2000 to a peak of 9.55 % in 2021, before settling at 8.78 % in 2025, which places the country 49th globally. This upward trajectory reflects successive policy pushes to expand public health services and to meet the demands of a growing population, while the modest decline from the 2021 high suggests fiscal constraints or reallocation of resources amid broader macro‑economic pressures. The 2025 level is comparable to Uruguay’s 8.77 % and Paraguay’s 8.77 %, indicating that Nicaragua now aligns with other upper‑middle‑income economies in the region. Continued improvements will likely depend on the government’s ability to sustain fiscal space for health, manage external debt, and integrate preventive care, all of which could either reinforce the current upward trend or reverse it if economic shocks intensify.
Data & projection
| Year | Health Spending | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* trend | 8.79% | - | - |
| 2025* trend | 8.78% | - | - |
| 2025 | 8.78% | +0.49% | #49 |
| 2023 | 8.30% | −0.68% | #134 |
| 2022 | 8.98% | −0.57% | #150 |
| 2021 | 9.55% | +0.99% | #152 |
| 2020 | 8.56% | +0.06% | #132 |
| 2019 | 8.50% | +0.00% | #147 |
| 2018 | 8.50% | +0.17% | #151 |
| 2017 | 8.33% | +0.28% | #150 |
| 2016 | 8.05% | +0.09% | #140 |
| 2015 | 7.96% | −0.01% | #139 |
| 2014 | 7.98% | +0.34% | #141 |
| 2013 | 7.64% | +0.15% | #134 |
| 2012 | 7.49% | +0.04% | #127 |
| 2011 | 7.45% | −0.26% | #127 |
| 2010 | 7.71% | +0.02% | #133 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Nicaragua matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 2024. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw health spending improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Nicaragua's health spending was 8.78% in 2025. Ranked 49th globally. This represents a 5.9% increase from the previous year.
Nicaragua's health spending peaked at 9.55% in 2021.
The lowest health spending in Nicaragua was 5.24% in 2000.
Nicaragua ranks 49th globally in health spending as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is SH.XPD.CHEX.GD.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
Nicaragua's health spending is projected to reach 8.78% by 2025 based on trend extrapolation.
The health spending of Nicaragua in 2025 was 8.78%. This ranks 49th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_nicaragua_health-spending,
title = {Nicaragua Health Spending},
url = {https://historysaid.com/nicaragua/health-spending/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}