Water withdrawals per capita in Nicaragua
Nicaragua: Water withdrawals per capita was 186.79 cubic meters per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
186.79 cubic meters per person
Change on year
down 1.4%
World rank
112th
of 180 countries
All-time high
283.04 cubic meters per person
in 2004
All-time low
186.79 cubic meters per person
in 2023
Years of data
26
1998–2023
Water withdrawals per capita in Nicaragua, 1998–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – AQUASTAT (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in cubic meters per person.
Analysis
The most recent figure for water withdrawals per capita in Nicaragua is 186.79 cubic meters per person, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 26 years on record.
The figure is down 1.4% on the previous year and down 22.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, water withdrawals per capita in Nicaragua peaked at 283.04 cubic meters per person in 2004 and was at its lowest, 186.79 cubic meters per person, in 2023.
That places Nicaragua 112th out of 180 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.
Water withdrawals per capita in Nicaragua, year by year
| Year | cubic meters per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 263.12 cubic meters per person | — |
| 1999 | 269.78 cubic meters per person | +2.5% |
| 2000 | 276.35 cubic meters per person | +2.4% |
| 2001 | 282.93 cubic meters per person | +2.4% |
| 2002 | 282.94 cubic meters per person | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 283.02 cubic meters per person | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 283.04 cubic meters per person | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 282.68 cubic meters per person | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 280.7 cubic meters per person | -0.7% |
| 2007 | 278.7 cubic meters per person | -0.7% |
| 2008 | 276.71 cubic meters per person | -0.7% |
| 2009 | 270.17 cubic meters per person | -2.4% |
| 2010 | 263.77 cubic meters per person | -2.4% |
| 2011 | 257.52 cubic meters per person | -2.4% |
| 2012 | 249.19 cubic meters per person | -3.2% |
| 2013 | 241.07 cubic meters per person | -3.3% |
| 2014 | 233.18 cubic meters per person | -3.3% |
| 2015 | 225.48 cubic meters per person | -3.3% |
| 2016 | 217.98 cubic meters per person | -3.3% |
| 2017 | 210.66 cubic meters per person | -3.4% |
| 2018 | 203.53 cubic meters per person | -3.4% |
| 2019 | 196.49 cubic meters per person | -3.5% |
| 2020 | 194.15 cubic meters per person | -1.2% |
| 2021 | 191.82 cubic meters per person | -1.2% |
| 2022 | 189.38 cubic meters per person | -1.3% |
| 2023 | 186.79 cubic meters per person | -1.4% |
Nicaragua compared with similar countries
- Nicaragua's 186.79 cubic meters per person is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 178.62 cubic meters per person, 1.0× the median. (44 countries reporting)
- Nicaragua's 186.79 cubic meters per person is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 323.09 cubic meters per person, 58% of the median. (33 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 266.45 cubic meters per person | 263.12 cubic meters per person | 269.78 cubic meters per person | 2 |
| 2000s | 279.72 cubic meters per person | 270.17 cubic meters per person | 283.04 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 229.89 cubic meters per person | 196.49 cubic meters per person | 263.77 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 190.53 cubic meters per person | 186.79 cubic meters per person | 194.15 cubic meters per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Nicaragua
- 109 Brunei 200.46 cubic meters per person compare
- 110 Sweden 195.99 cubic meters per person compare
- 111 Switzerland 195.34 cubic meters per person compare
- 113 Guatemala 183.4 cubic meters per person compare
- 114 Bolivia 180.08 cubic meters per person compare
- 115 Somalia 179.64 cubic meters per person compare
More environment data for Nicaragua
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 3.64 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 4.53 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Standard Deviation 0.243 °C (2024)
- Temperature change 1.89 °C (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.0617 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) (Mt CO2e) 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is water withdrawals per capita in Nicaragua?
- Water withdrawals per capita in Nicaragua was 186.79 cubic meters per person in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – AQUASTAT (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest water withdrawals per capita recorded in Nicaragua?
- The highest recorded value was 283.04 cubic meters per person in 2004.
- What is the lowest water withdrawals per capita recorded in Nicaragua?
- The lowest recorded value was 186.79 cubic meters per person in 2023.
- How does Nicaragua rank for water withdrawals per capita?
- Nicaragua ranks 112th out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
- Is water withdrawals per capita rising or falling in Nicaragua?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Nicaragua data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – AQUASTAT (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Water withdrawals per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Water withdrawn each year for agriculture, industry, and municipal uses, divided by the population.