Nicaragua: Bank liquid reserves to bank assets ratio (%)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Nicaragua's bank liquid reserves to bank assets ratio (%) fell 2.35 percentage points on 2023 (from 39.19% to 36.84%).

Across the 22 yearly changes before that (2002 to 2023), the average change was −2.88 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 8.5 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 10.39 percentage points in 2009 and the biggest yearly fall was 24.76 percentage points in 2003. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is upward, about 1.56 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 53% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, Nicaragua had the 6th highest value of the 21 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Nicaragua in the 2024 ranking

• Malawi — 3rd of 21: 48.7%
• Comoros — 4th of 21: 47.03%
• Vanuatu — 5th of 21: 40.33%
• Hungary — 7th of 21: 31.31%
• Gambia, The — 8th of 21: 28.22%
• Peru — 9th of 21: 28.13%

What this measures

Ratio of bank liquid reserves to bank assets is the ratio of domestic currency holdings and deposits with the monetary authorities to claims on other governments, nonfinancial public enterprises, the private sector, and other banking institutions. This indicator is expressed as a percentage (a÷b)*100.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a median.

All 24 values

Bank liquid reserves to bank assets ratio (%) in nearby economies

• Antigua and Barbuda — 11.58% (2025)
• Argentina — 23.76% (2025)
• Bahamas, The — 15.11% (2025)
• Barbados — 37.59% (2023)
• Belize — 24.03% (2025)
• Bolivia — 30.05% (2025)
• Brazil — 18.74% (2025)
• Chile — 8.78% (2025)
• Colombia — 4.2% (2025)
• Costa Rica — 23.6% (2025)

More financial sector data for Nicaragua

• GDP deflator (base year varies by country) — 367.43 (2025)
• DEC alternative conversion factor (LCU per US$) — US$36.62 (2025)
• Official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average) — US$36.62 (2025)
• Domestic credit to private sector by banks (% of GDP) — 29.05% (2024)
• Net domestic credit (current LCU) — 188.32 billion (2024)
• Net foreign assets (current LCU) — 161.92 billion (2024)
• Monetary sector credit to private sector (% of GDP) — 29.05% (2024)
• Claims on central government, etc. (% of GDP) — -3.32% (2024)
• Inflation, GDP deflator (annual % growth) — 7.6% (2025)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Nicaragua's bank liquid reserves to bank assets ratio (%)?

36.84% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2001?

It is down 65.67 percentage points from 102.51% in 2001. The highest value was 104.29% in 2002 and the lowest 22.72% in 2018.

How does Nicaragua rank?

6th highest of 21 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in bank liquid reserves to bank assets ratio (%) unusual for Nicaragua?

In 2024, Nicaragua's bank liquid reserves to bank assets ratio (%) fell 2.35 percentage points on 2023 (from 39.19% to 36.84%). Across the 22 yearly changes before that (2002 to 2023), the average change was −2.88 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 8.5 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator FD.RES.LIQU.AS.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.