Employee compensation as share of government spending in Nicaragua
Nicaragua: Employee compensation as share of government spending was 32.0% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Employee compensation as share of government spending in Nicaragua, 1990–2023
Source: International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of expense.
Analysis
Nicaragua recorded 32.0% for employee compensation as share of government spending in 2023.
That represents a change of down 4.8% on the previous year and down 13.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employee compensation as share of government spending in Nicaragua peaked at 48.2% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 21.3%, in 1997.
That places Nicaragua 58th out of 155 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Employee compensation as share of government spending in Nicaragua, year by year
| Year | % of expense | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 22.0% | — |
| 1991 | 48.2% | +119.1% |
| 1992 | 36.4% | -24.5% |
| 1993 | 30.1% | -17.2% |
| 1994 | 28.3% | -6.0% |
| 1995 | 25.4% | -10.5% |
| 1996 | 21.5% | -15.2% |
| 1997 | 21.3% | -1.2% |
| 1998 | 24.0% | +12.8% |
| 1999 | 23.1% | -3.5% |
| 2000 | 22.9% | -0.9% |
| 2001 | 21.8% | -4.8% |
| 2002 | 37.9% | +73.7% |
| 2003 | 36.3% | -4.3% |
| 2004 | 35.0% | -3.4% |
| 2005 | 34.5% | -1.6% |
| 2006 | 34.1% | -0.9% |
| 2007 | 36.0% | +5.5% |
| 2008 | 36.2% | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 38.9% | +7.6% |
| 2010 | 38.0% | -2.3% |
| 2011 | 36.4% | -4.2% |
| 2012 | 36.1% | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 37.1% | +2.8% |
| 2014 | 38.5% | +3.7% |
| 2015 | 37.1% | -3.5% |
| 2016 | 36.5% | -1.7% |
| 2017 | 37.4% | +2.6% |
| 2018 | 38.7% | +3.4% |
| 2019 | 39.9% | +3.1% |
| 2020 | 39.1% | -2.1% |
| 2021 | 34.2% | -12.4% |
| 2022 | 33.6% | -1.9% |
| 2023 | 32.0% | -4.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 28.0% | 21.3% | 48.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 33.4% | 21.8% | 38.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 37.6% | 36.1% | 39.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 34.7% | 32.0% | 39.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Nicaragua
More work & labour data for Nicaragua
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 1.36 % change on previous year (2024)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 1.41 % change on previous year (2023)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 1.36 % change on previous year (2023)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate 0.2248 % change on previous year (2023)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 1.45 % change on previous year (2023)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 3,954 1000 No (2023)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 2,653 1000 No (2023)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 3,468 1000 No (2023)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 3,356 1000 No (2023)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 6,916 1000 No (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employee compensation as share of government spending in Nicaragua?
- Employee compensation as share of government spending in Nicaragua was 32.0% in 2023, according to International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employee compensation as share of government spending recorded in Nicaragua?
- The highest recorded value was 48.2% in 1991.
- What is the lowest employee compensation as share of government spending recorded in Nicaragua?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.3% in 1997.
- How does Nicaragua rank for employee compensation as share of government spending?
- Nicaragua ranks 58th out of 155 countries with data for 2023.
- Is employee compensation as share of government spending rising or falling in Nicaragua?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nicaragua data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Employee compensation as share of government spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Employee compensation includes wages, in-kind payments, and government contributions to social insurance schemes such as social security and pensions.