Labor force participation rate in Nicaragua

Nicaragua: Labor force participation rate was 66.1% in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
66.1%
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
54th
of 186 countries
All-time high
66.1%
in 2025
All-time low
57.7%
in 1993
Years of data
36
1990–2025

Labor force participation rate in Nicaragua, 1990–2025

02040601990200720251990: 58 %1991: 57.9 %1992: 57.8 %1993: 57.7 %1994: 57.8 %1995: 57.9 %1996: 58.5 %1997: 59 %1998: 59.5 %1999: 59.8 %2000: 60.2 %2001: 60.5 %2002: 60.9 %2003: 61.2 %2004: 61.6 %2005: 61.9 %2006: 62.3 %2007: 62.6 %2008: 62.9 %2009: 63.3 %2010: 63.6 %2011: 64 %2012: 64.3 %2013: 64.6 %2014: 65 %2015: 65.1 %2016: 65.2 %2017: 65.3 %2018: 65.2 %2019: 65 %2020: 64.4 %2021: 65.3 %2022: 65.6 %2023: 65.9 %2024: 66 %2025: 66.1 %

Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Nicaragua recorded 66.1% for labor force participation rate in 2025. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 1.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, labor force participation rate in Nicaragua peaked at 66.1% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 57.7%, in 1993.

That places Nicaragua 54th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 58.4% 57.7% 59.8% 10
2000s 61.7% 60.2% 63.3% 10
2010s 64.7% 63.6% 65.3% 10
2020s 65.5% 64.4% 66.1% 6

Countries ranked near Nicaragua

  1. 51 Panama 66.3% compare
  2. 52 Malaysia 66.1% compare
  3. 53 Laos 66.1% compare
  4. 55 Norway 65.6% compare
  5. 56 Israel 65.5% compare
  6. 57 Cameroon 65.2% compare

See the full ranking of 186 places →

More work & labour data for Nicaragua

All data for Nicaragua →

Frequently asked questions

What is labor force participation rate in Nicaragua?
Labor force participation rate in Nicaragua was 66.1% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest labor force participation rate recorded in Nicaragua?
The highest recorded value was 66.1% in 2025.
What is the lowest labor force participation rate recorded in Nicaragua?
The lowest recorded value was 57.7% in 1993.
How does Nicaragua rank for labor force participation rate?
Nicaragua ranks 54th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
Is labor force participation rate rising or falling in Nicaragua?
Over the last ten years it is up 1.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Nicaragua data come from?
The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Labor force participation rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Labor force participation rate
Unit
%
Source
ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
186 places, 6,682 data points, 1990–2025
Last refreshed

Share of the working-age population (ages 15 and over) who are economically active (employed or unemployed).