Nicaragua has a GDP of $19.7B compared to $282M for Palau, ranking 131/197 and 193/197 by economy size, respectively.
The chart below compares the two countries' GDP growth in both current (nominal) and constant dollars, accounting for inflation over time.
| Year | GDP | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Nicaragua
|
Palau
|
|||
| Current $ | Constant $ | Current $ | Constant $ | |
| 1960 | $227,223,322 | $2,980,615,374 | - | - |
| 1961 | $244,144,237 | $3,204,094,266 | - | - |
| 1962 | $269,283,804 | $3,553,045,711 | - | - |
| 1963 | $297,324,163 | $3,939,101,155 | - | - |
| 1964 | $347,119,918 | $4,399,916,078 | - | - |
| 1965 | $564,290,020 | $4,819,014,941 | - | - |
| 1966 | $607,140,010 | $4,978,097,197 | - | - |
| 1967 | $657,140,011 | $5,325,046,369 | - | - |
| 1968 | $692,859,985 | $5,396,559,615 | - | - |
| 1969 | $750,000,003 | $5,733,181,025 | - | - |
| 1970 | $778,569,939 | $5,810,798,354 | $11,563,041 | $145,352,813 |
| 1971 | $828,569,953 | $6,002,831,090 | $12,706,874 | $145,536,452 |
| 1972 | $878,570,045 | $6,136,137,334 | $13,956,474 | $146,033,169 |
| 1973 | $1,092,900,015 | $6,529,894,124 | $15,331,889 | $146,328,192 |
| 1974 | $1,521,400,012 | $7,456,644,457 | $16,848,759 | $146,482,619 |
| 1975 | $1,581,599,959 | $7,445,217,381 | $18,521,112 | $146,519,630 |
| 1976 | $1,836,899,999 | $7,833,072,593 | $20,364,420 | $146,458,790 |
| 1977 | $2,226,999,874 | $8,488,581,747 | $22,308,104 | $148,553,303 |
| 1978 | $2,127,699,979 | $7,823,178,770 | $24,530,015 | $147,827,479 |
| 1979 | $1,567,599,982 | $5,751,695,781 | $27,004,251 | $147,274,387 |
| 1980 | $2,144,300,006 | $6,016,948,592 | $29,728,054 | $146,723,368 |
| 1981 | $2,474,700,227 | $6,339,655,005 | $32,726,594 | $146,174,407 |
| 1982 | $2,454,499,872 | $6,287,900,476 | $36,027,583 | $145,627,496 |
| 1983 | $2,753,100,058 | $6,577,974,632 | $39,661,530 | $148,441,032 |
| 1984 | $3,117,599,872 | $6,474,957,371 | $44,814,259 | $155,301,972 |
| 1985 | $2,683,699,935 | $6,210,659,228 | $51,030,637 | $163,744,973 |
| 1986 | $2,885,799,994 | $6,147,477,622 | $58,109,314 | $172,646,979 |
| 1987 | $3,851,200,118 | $6,104,054,733 | $66,169,905 | $182,032,942 |
| 1988 | $2,630,900,096 | $5,344,110,782 | $75,348,615 | $191,929,175 |
| 1989 | $1,013,184,756 | $5,251,218,576 | $85,800,543 | $202,363,417 |
| 1990 | $1,009,455,484 | $5,248,461,701 | $97,702,303 | $213,364,917 |
| 1991 | $1,488,804,124 | $5,238,527,334 | $106,555,300 | $223,830,946 |
| 1992 | $1,792,800,000 | $5,258,766,205 | $104,771,300 | $209,505,677 |
| 1993 | $1,756,454,248 | $5,238,102,617 | $96,455,700 | $183,736,397 |
| 1994 | $3,863,185,119 | $5,412,936,136 | $106,138,500 | $197,149,210 |
| 1995 | $4,140,470,000 | $5,732,943,937 | $121,018,500 | $218,638,452 |
| 1996 | $4,308,351,903 | $6,096,657,285 | $137,494,600 | $241,376,946 |
| 1997 | $4,389,973,490 | $6,338,490,398 | $143,860,800 | $246,928,594 |
| 1998 | $4,635,347,386 | $6,573,754,971 | $149,079,600 | $251,867,130 |
| 1999 | $4,856,026,259 | $7,036,282,429 | $144,206,500 | $238,266,284 |
| 2000 | $5,109,587,050 | $7,324,881,903 | $149,535,800 | $232,062,062 |
| 2001 | $5,351,752,034 | $7,541,760,192 | $159,453,500 | $247,147,106 |
| 2002 | $5,223,727,303 | $7,598,620,454 | $162,665,500 | $259,544,370 |
| 2003 | $5,322,228,351 | $7,790,161,380 | $154,559,900 | $251,178,536 |
| 2004 | $5,792,932,838 | $8,203,988,040 | $166,391,600 | $261,072,519 |
| 2005 | $6,321,324,279 | $8,555,315,487 | $191,048,400 | $269,985,444 |
| 2006 | $6,763,672,381 | $8,910,613,085 | $193,679,700 | $269,651,419 |
| 2007 | $7,423,375,015 | $9,362,947,173 | $200,903,600 | $274,381,188 |
| 2008 | $8,496,967,597 | $9,684,631,534 | $201,167,300 | $259,306,750 |
| 2009 | $8,298,702,489 | $9,365,749,046 | $189,998,000 | $240,479,586 |
| 2010 | $8,758,602,233 | $9,778,787,862 | $188,174,300 | $238,325,139 |
| 2011 | $9,774,329,333 | $10,396,483,140 | $198,873,900 | $250,523,288 |
| 2012 | $10,532,017,232 | $11,071,852,873 | $215,762,400 | $253,663,378 |
| 2013 | $10,982,988,249 | $11,617,373,487 | $225,345,700 | $245,961,582 |
| 2014 | $11,880,438,824 | $12,173,318,264 | $243,156,500 | $257,693,948 |
| 2015 | $12,756,696,261 | $12,756,696,261 | $278,824,800 | $278,824,800 |
| 2016 | $13,286,093,388 | $13,338,803,114 | $298,323,500 | $277,598,001 |
| 2017 | $13,785,893,007 | $13,956,550,775 | $285,600,000 | $268,548,255 |
| 2018 | $13,025,221,974 | $13,487,142,195 | $288,546,300 | $268,843,680 |
| 2019 | $12,699,023,614 | $13,096,437,236 | $281,941,600 | $269,381,408 |
| 2020 | $12,726,422,432 | $12,803,529,948 | $258,990,800 | $253,220,049 |
| 2021 | $14,209,020,362 | $14,142,060,837 | $235,752,900 | $218,291,145 |
| 2022 | $15,634,572,502 | $14,644,146,346 | $255,591,100 | $215,413,136 |
| 2023 | $17,805,842,284 | $15,292,551,635 | $281,849,100 | $219,456,509 |
| 2024 | $19,693,982,968 | $15,841,222,425 | - | - |
Economic indicators
|
Nicaragua
|
Palau
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Gross domestic product |
$19.7B
2024 |
$282M
2023 |
| GDP rank |
131/197
2024 |
193/197
2023 |
| GDP growth |
10.6%
2023-2024 |
10.3%
2022-2023 |
| GDP per capita |
$2,848
2024 |
$15,899
2023 |
| GDP per capita rank |
141/197
2024 |
67/197
2023 |
| GDP per capita, PPP |
$8,709
2024 |
$17,532
2023 |
| Government debt |
$7.7B
2024 |
n/a |
| Debt-to-GDP ratio |
38.4%
2025 |
n/a |
| Government debt per person |
$1,114
2024 |
n/a |
| Government debt per person rank |
139/185
2024 |
n/a |
| Average annual personal income after taxes |
$2,445
2025 |
$8,654
2025 |
| Income share by richest 10% |
37.2%
2014 |
n/a |
| Income share by poorest 10% |
2%
2014 |
n/a |
| Government expenditure, % of GDP |
27.2%
2025 |
53%
2025 |
| Consumer prices inflation |
2%
2024-2025 |
1.8%
2024-2025 |
| Central bank interest rate |
6.5%
2024 |
n/a |
| Unemployment rate |
5.2%
2018 |
0.77%
2020 |
| Population |
7079664
|
17663
|
GDP per capita in Nicaragua vs Palau
Nicaragua's GDP per capita is $2,848, ranking 141/197, compared to $15,899 in Palau, ranking 67/197. Adjusted for purchasing power (GDP per capita PPP), Nicaragua ranks 135th at $8,709, while Palau ranks 105th at $17,532.
| Year | Current $ | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Nicaragua
|
Palau
|
|||
| GDP per capita | GDP per capita, PPP | GDP per capita | GDP per capita, PPP | |
| 1960 | $127.5 | - | - | - |
| 1961 | $132.9 | - | - | - |
| 1962 | $142.3 | - | - | - |
| 1963 | $152.5 | - | - | - |
| 1964 | $172.7 | - | - | - |
| 1965 | $272.3 | - | - | - |
| 1966 | $284 | - | - | - |
| 1967 | $297.9 | - | - | - |
| 1968 | $304 | - | - | - |
| 1969 | $319 | - | - | - |
| 1970 | $321 | - | $1,017 | - |
| 1971 | $331 | - | $1,081 | - |
| 1972 | $341 | - | $1,145 | - |
| 1973 | $413 | - | $1,221 | - |
| 1974 | $557 | - | $1,328 | - |
| 1975 | $561 | - | $1,464 | - |
| 1976 | $633 | - | $1,616 | - |
| 1977 | $744 | - | $1,781 | - |
| 1978 | $691 | - | $1,972 | - |
| 1979 | $495 | - | $2,189 | - |
| 1980 | $659 | - | $2,423 | - |
| 1981 | $740 | - | $2,639 | - |
| 1982 | $714 | - | $2,838 | - |
| 1983 | $780 | - | $3,049 | - |
| 1984 | $861 | - | $3,360 | - |
| 1985 | $724 | - | $3,728 | - |
| 1986 | $761 | - | $4,144 | - |
| 1987 | $992 | - | $4,616 | - |
| 1988 | $662 | - | $5,145 | - |
| 1989 | $249.2 | - | $5,741 | - |
| 1990 | $242.5 | $1,979 | $6,403 | $9,604 |
| 1991 | $350 | $1,995 | $6,824 | $10,179 |
| 1992 | $411 | $2,003 | $6,553 | $9,516 |
| 1993 | $394 | $1,998 | $5,892 | $8,344 |
| 1994 | $849 | $2,064 | $6,329 | $8,927 |
| 1995 | $892 | $2,187 | $7,038 | $9,858 |
| 1996 | $911 | $2,325 | $7,788 | $10,794 |
| 1997 | $913 | $2,418 | $7,945 | $10,951 |
| 1998 | $949 | $2,497 | $8,048 | $11,042 |
| 1999 | $980 | $2,672 | $7,630 | $10,382 |
| 2000 | $1,017 | $2,806 | $7,797 | $10,192 |
| 2001 | $1,052 | $2,917 | $8,240 | $10,999 |
| 2002 | $1,014 | $2,948 | $8,341 | $11,639 |
| 2003 | $1,021 | $3,046 | $7,862 | $11,395 |
| 2004 | $1,099 | $3,255 | $8,395 | $12,064 |
| 2005 | $1,183 | $3,456 | $9,640 | $12,868 |
| 2006 | $1,248 | $3,658 | $9,885 | $13,401 |
| 2007 | $1,350 | $3,891 | $10,408 | $14,216 |
| 2008 | $1,524 | $4,044 | $10,583 | $13,905 |
| 2009 | $1,467 | $3,880 | $10,155 | $13,183 |
| 2010 | $1,527 | $4,042 | $10,229 | $13,449 |
| 2011 | $1,680 | $4,325 | $11,001 | $14,683 |
| 2012 | $1,785 | $4,508 | $12,145 | $15,410 |
| 2013 | $1,835 | $4,711 | $12,769 | $15,298 |
| 2014 | $1,958 | $5,068 | $13,726 | $16,245 |
| 2015 | $2,074 | $5,449 | $15,691 | $17,685 |
| 2016 | $2,132 | $5,882 | $16,763 | $17,748 |
| 2017 | $2,183 | $6,225 | $16,034 | $17,462 |
| 2018 | $2,035 | $5,935 | $16,198 | $17,879 |
| 2019 | $1,959 | $5,981 | $15,841 | $18,227 |
| 2020 | $1,938 | $6,274 | $14,557 | $17,367 |
| 2021 | $2,138 | $7,119 | $13,257 | $15,663 |
| 2022 | $2,323 | $7,797 | $14,392 | $16,581 |
| 2023 | $2,609 | $8,320 | $15,899 | $17,532 |
| 2024 | $2,848 | $8,709 | - | - |
Government deficit by year
In 2023, Nicaragua's government surplus, the difference between spending and revenue, was $416M, equivalent to 2.33% of GDP. This compares to Palau's surplus of $2.88M, or 1.02% of GDP.
Over the past 24 years, Nicaragua recorded a fiscal deficit in 10 of those years, while Palau ran a deficit in 13 years. On average, Nicaragua posted an annual surplus equal to +0.02% of GDP, compared to deficit of -2.44% of GDP for Palau.
| Year | Deficit/surplus, % of GDP | |
|---|---|---|
|
Nicaragua
|
Palau
|
|
| 1960 | -1.28% | - |
| 1961 | 0.04% | - |
| 1962 | -0.29% | - |
| 1963 | 0.75% | - |
| 1964 | 0.2% | - |
| 1965 | 0.3% | - |
| 1966 | -1.04% | - |
| 1967 | -2.11% | - |
| 1968 | -1.21% | - |
| 1969 | -1.57% | - |
| 1970 | -2.69% | - |
| 1971 | -2.33% | - |
| 1972 | -2.61% | - |
| 1973 | 1.21% | - |
| 1974 | -1.41% | - |
| 1975 | -3.53% | - |
| 1976 | -2.2% | - |
| 1977 | -5.91% | - |
| 1978 | -4.44% | - |
| 1979 | -5.89% | - |
| 1980 | -6.53% | - |
| 1981 | -10.6% | - |
| 1982 | -20.2% | - |
| 1983 | -15.6% | - |
| 1984 | -11.8% | - |
| 1985 | -11.3% | - |
| 1986 | -7.33% | - |
| 1987 | -7.33% | - |
| 1988 | -22.4% | - |
| 1989 | -9.25% | - |
| 1990 | -15.2% | - |
| 1991 | -3.45% | - |
| 1992 | -3.8% | - |
| 1993 | -4.66% | - |
| 1994 | -5.79% | - |
| 1995 | -4.62% | - |
| 1996 | -5% | - |
| 1997 | -3.31% | - |
| 1998 | -2.88% | - |
| 1999 | -6.86% | - |
| 2000 | 2.15% | -13.4% |
| 2001 | 0.34% | -16.7% |
| 2002 | 2.07% | -12.7% |
| 2003 | 1.3% | -3.17% |
| 2004 | 1.69% | -4.82% |
| 2005 | 1.72% | 1.38% |
| 2006 | 1.36% | 0.14% |
| 2007 | 1.88% | -2.08% |
| 2008 | 0.27% | -1.71% |
| 2009 | -0.9% | -2.14% |
| 2010 | 0.69% | -1.27% |
| 2011 | 0.59% | 1.29% |
| 2012 | 0.22% | 0.98% |
| 2013 | -0.3% | 0.54% |
| 2014 | -0.89% | 3.59% |
| 2015 | -1.64% | 5.08% |
| 2016 | -1.92% | 3.52% |
| 2017 | -1.75% | 4.76% |
| 2018 | -4.35% | 6.18% |
| 2019 | -1.12% | -0.36% |
| 2020 | -2.57% | -13% |
| 2021 | -1.26% | -9.94% |
| 2022 | 0.65% | -5.84% |
| 2023 | 2.33% | 1.02% |
| 2024 | 2.45% | 4.38% |
| 2025 | 0.86% | 2.29% |
Inflation comparison by year
Over the past 25 years, Nicaragua has recorded an average annual inflation rate of 6.72%, compared with 3.1% in Palau. In 2025, inflation was 2% in Nicaragua and 1.8% in Palau.
| Year | Inflation | ||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Nicaragua
|
Palau
|
Nicaragua
|
Palau
|
| 1996 | 11.7% | - | |
| 1997 | 9.2% | - | |
| 1998 | 13% | - | |
| 1999 | 11.2% | - | |
| 2000 | 11.5% | - | |
| 2001 | 7.4% | -0.7% | |
| 2002 | 3.8% | -0.3% | |
| 2003 | 5.3% | 0.6% | |
| 2004 | 8.5% | 0.5% | |
| 2005 | 9.6% | 3.6% | |
| 2006 | 9.1% | 4.2% | |
| 2007 | 11.1% | 3% | |
| 2008 | 19.8% | 9.9% | |
| 2009 | 3.7% | 4.7% | |
| 2010 | 5.5% | 1.1% | |
| 2011 | 8.1% | 2.6% | |
| 2012 | 7.2% | 5.4% | |
| 2013 | 7.1% | 2.8% | |
| 2014 | 6% | 4% | |
| 2015 | 4% | 2.2% | |
| 2016 | 3.5% | -1.3% | |
| 2017 | 3.9% | 1.1% | |
| 2018 | 4.9% | 2.4% | |
| 2019 | 5.4% | 0.4% | |
| 2020 | 3.7% | 0.7% | |
| 2021 | 4.9% | -0.5% | |
| 2022 | 10.5% | 13.2% | |
| 2023 | 8.4% | 12.4% | |
| 2024 | 4.6% | 3.6% | |
| 2025 | 2% | 1.8% | |
Balance of trade
|
Nicaragua
|
Palau
|
|
|---|---|---|
Current account balance
|
$818M
2024 |
-$135M
2022 |
| Current account balance ranking |
54/189
2024 |
89/189
2022 |
| Current account balance, % of GDP |
+4.15%
2024 |
-53%
2022 |
| Goods imports |
$10.1B
2024 |
$159M
2022 |
| Goods exports |
$6.84B
2024 |
$2.1M
2022 |
| Service imports |
$1.31B
2024 |
$58.2M
2022 |
| Service exports |
$1.3B
2024 |
$22.4M
2022 |
| Imports of goods and services, % of GDP |
58.1%
2024 |
74.3%
2022 |
| Exports of goods and services, % of GDP |
40.5%
2024 |
13.5%
2022 |
Economic freedom indices
The indices of economic freedom below are issued by the Heritage Foundation. Higher scores indicate stronger economic health.
|
Nicaragua
|
Palau
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Economic freedom | 54 | 62 |
| Economic freedom ranking | 139/197 | 84/197 |
| Property rights | 28.2 | n/a |
| Government integrity | 13.6 | n/a |
| Judicial effectiveness | 9.1 | n/a |
| Tax burden | 77.7 | n/a |
| Government spending | 75.9 | n/a |
| Fiscal health | 95.8 | n/a |
| Business freedom | 55.8 | n/a |
| Labor freedom | 47.3 | n/a |
| Monetary freedom | 66.4 | n/a |
| Trade freedom | 68.2 | n/a |
| Investment freedom | 60 | n/a |
| Financial freedom | 50 | n/a |
More economic indicators
|
Nicaragua
|
Palau
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Services, % of GDP |
46.8%
2024 |
76.7%
2023 |
| Industry, % of GDP |
27.6%
2024 |
9.87%
2023 |
| Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, % of GDP |
14.4%
2024 |
2.99%
2023 |
|
GNI, Atlas method
|
$17.4B
2024 |
$249M
2023 |
| GNI per capita, PPP |
$8,270
2024 |
$16,500
2023 |
| Total reserves including gold |
$6.1B
2024 |
n/a |
| Total reserves ranking |
91/177
2024 |
n/a |
|
Net foreign direct investment
|
-$1.28B
2024 |
-$72M
2022 |
|
Net inflows of foreign direct investment
|
$1.35B
2024 |
$69.1M
2024 |
|
Net outflows of foreign direct investment
|
$73.8M
2024 |
-$38K
1998 |
|
Servicing debt to the IMF, % of GNI
|
13.8%
2023 |
n/a |
| Poverty at national poverty lines |
24.9%
2016 |
24.9%
2020 |
|
Gross capital formation, % of GDP
|
24.7%
2024 |
38.4%
2022 |
GDP per capita map
GDP per capita
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Economy comparisons
The current account balance is the sum of net trade in goods and services, net earnings from cross-border investments, and net transfer payments. It reflects a country's economic transactions with the rest of the world and is a fundamental component of the balance of payments. A surplus indicates that a country exports more than it imports, while a deficit shows the opposite.
Gross National Income (GNI) measures a country's total income. It encompasses income earned by residents, businesses, and foreign sources, defined as employee compensation and investment profits. GNI adds product taxes not included elsewhere and subtracts subsidies. It accounts for income from residents working abroad but excludes earnings from foreigners within the country.
A negative value for Net Foreign Direct Investment indicates a country is a net receiver of investments, as foreign inflows exceed outflows after Balance of Payments adjustments. A positive value indicates a net provider, with outflows exceeding inflows. Inflows are credits (increasing foreign claims on domestic assets), while outflows are debits (increasing domestic assets abroad).
Foreign direct investment (FDI, net inflows) shows how much capital foreign investors bring into a country after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of overseas companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in the reporting country. A positive number means more capital entered the country than was withdrawn, while a negative number means foreign investors pulled out more than they invested.
Foreign direct investment (FDI, net outflows) shows how much capital residents of a country invest abroad after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of domestic companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in other countries. A positive number means more capital was invested abroad than withdrawn, while a negative number means residents pulled back more than they invested.
Principal and interest payments to the IMF in currency, goods, or services on long-term debt expressed as a share of GNI.
Formerly gross domestic investment, gross capital formation measures the share of a country’s economic output invested in fixed assets, including buildings, machinery, and infrastructure. It indicates how much of the economy is devoted to building productive capacity.