Nicaragua Trade Balance
External balance on goods and services NE.RSB.GNFS.CD
Nicaragua's trade balance was $-4.0B in 2025, ranked 138th globally. This represents a 15.3% decrease from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 1960–2025.
Overview
Nicaragua's trade balance stood at $-4.0B in 2025, a decline of +$528.7M from 2024. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach $-4.0B by 2025. Nicaragua ranked 138th globally.
Nicaragua’s trade balance has deteriorated sharply, reaching a deficit of -3,994,774,331.96 in 2025, which places the country at rank 138 globally and marks the all‑time trough after 66 years of coverage. By contrast, the nation recorded a modest surplus of 217,774,398.33 in 1979, its historical peak, indicating that the current deficit is more than eighteen times larger than the highest surplus ever achieved. The persistent widening of the gap between exports and imports mirrors a pattern observed in other small, open economies such as Kosovo, which posted a deficit of -3,637,826,525.91 in the same year, and Namibia, with -4,089,527,314.16. The early 1960s baseline of -5,717,041.03 shows that Nicaragua has moved from a near‑balanced position to a deep and sustained deficit. Continued reliance on imported inputs and limited diversification of export markets suggest the deficit may persist unless structural reforms boost export competitiveness and reduce import dependence.
Data & projection
| Year | Trade Balance | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027* trend | $-5.2B | - | - |
| 2026* trend | $-4.6B | - | - |
| 2025* trend | $-4.0B | - | - |
| 2025 | $-4.0B | −$528.7M | #138 |
| 2024 | $-3.5B | −$1.1B | #39 |
| 2023 | $-2.4B | +$79.9M | #49 |
| 2022 | $-2.4B | −$545.0M | #60 |
| 2021 | $-1.9B | −$1.2B | #53 |
| 2020 | $-654.9M | −$91.9M | #78 |
| 2019 | $-563.0M | +$665.3M | #78 |
| 2018 | $-1.2B | +$660.7M | #68 |
| 2017 | $-1.9B | +$243.3M | #48 |
| 2016 | $-2.1B | +$167.2M | #52 |
| 2015 | $-2.3B | −$317.7M | #61 |
| 2014 | $-2.0B | +$275.7M | #65 |
| 2013 | $-2.3B | −$126.1M | #60 |
| 2012 | $-2.1B | −$1.4M | #59 |
| 2011 | $-2.1B | −$428.4M | #52 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Nicaragua matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 2024. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw trade balance improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Nicaragua's trade balance was $-4.0B in 2025. Ranked 138th globally. This represents a 15.3% decrease from the previous year.
Nicaragua's trade balance peaked at $217.8M in 1979.
The lowest trade balance in Nicaragua was $-4.0B in 2025.
Nicaragua ranks 138th globally in trade balance as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is NE.RSB.GNFS.CD. Data sourced from World Bank.
Nicaragua's trade balance is projected to reach $-4.0B by 2025 based on trend extrapolation.
The trade balance of Nicaragua in 2025 was $-4.0B. This ranks 138th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_nicaragua_trade-balance,
title = {Nicaragua Trade Balance},
url = {https://historysaid.com/nicaragua/trade-balance/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}