Unemployment rate (annual) in Nicaragua

International Monetary Fund · Annual · Importance

IMF forecast (WEO): 2026: 2.7% 2027: 2.7% 2028: 2.7% 2029: 2.7% 2030: 2.7% 2031: 3.0%

10.7% (1999) ANUAL · % · Annual · CSV

Period	%
Jan 1999	10.7%
Jan 1998	13.2%
Jan 1997	14.3%
Jan 1996	16.0%
Jan 1995	16.9%
Jan 1994	17.1%
Jan 1993	15.0%
Jan 1992	14.4%
Jan 1991	14.9%
Jan 1990	15.5%

About this indicator

Source

International Monetary Fund

Frequency

Annual

Release

Published annually, covering the full year and subject to revision.

What it is

Measures the share of Nicaragua's labour force that is jobless and actively seeking work. Compiled from official employment surveys, it is the benchmark indicator of the Nicaraguan labour market.

How it's calculated

Derived as the unemployed divided by the labour force, in per cent, following ILO criteria, from a household survey. The figure is annual and national in coverage.

Market implications

In a small economy with very high informality and reliance on remittances, open unemployment tends to be low but a poor proxy for labour welfare. Its trend matters to investors and multilateral bodies as context rather than as a policy driver.

Limitations

Informality dominates the market, so the unemployment rate sharply understates underemployment and precarious work. Annual survey data carry sampling error, delayed release and comparability concerns.