Nicaragua: Permanent cropland (% of land area)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Nicaragua's permanent cropland (% of land area) did not change 0 percentage points on 2022 (from 2.46% to 2.46%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +0.03 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.02 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.1 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 0.07 percentage points in 1996. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2014 to 2023 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains less than 1% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

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

How it compares

See how every economy compares in the full ranking.

What this measures

Permanent cropland is land cultivated with crops that occupy the land for long periods and need not be replanted after each harvest, such as cocoa, coffee, and rubber. This category includes land under flowering shrubs, fruit trees, nut trees, and vines, but excludes land under trees grown for wood or timber.

Limitations: The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) tries to impose standard definitions and reporting methods, but complete consistency across countries and over time is not possible. Thus, data on agricultural land in different climates may not be comparable. For example, permanent pastures are quite different in nature and intensity in African countries and dry Middle Eastern countries. True comparability of the data is limited by variations in definitions, statistical methods, and quality of data. Countries use different definitions of land use.

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

All 63 values

Permanent cropland (% of land area) in nearby economies

• Antigua and Barbuda — 2.95% (2024)
• Argentina — 0.77% (2024)
• Bahamas, The — 0.3% (2024)
• Barbados — 2.32% (2024)
• Belize — 1.4% (2024)
• Bolivia — 0.24% (2024)
• Brazil — 0.97% (2024)
• British Virgin Islands — 6.62% (2024)
• Cayman Islands — 2.08% (2024)
• Chile — 0.67% (2024)
• Colombia

More environment data for Nicaragua

• Population in largest city — 1.12 million (2025)
• Population in the largest city (% of urban population) — 26.91% (2025)
• Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million — 1.12 million (2025)
• Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million (% of total population) — 16% (2025)
• Rural population — 2.84 million (2025)
• Rural population (% of total population) — 40.56% (2025)
• Urban population — 4.17 million (2025)
• Urban population (% of total population) — 59.44% (2025)
• Aquaculture production (metric tons) — 18,005 (2024)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Nicaragua's permanent cropland (% of land area)?

2.46% in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1961?

It is up 1.21 percentage points from 1.25% in 1961. The highest value was 2.46% in 2011 and the lowest 1.25% in 1961.

Is the latest change in permanent cropland (% of land area) unusual for Nicaragua?

In 2023, Nicaragua's permanent cropland (% of land area) did not change 0 percentage points on 2022 (from 2.46% to 2.46%). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +0.03 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.02 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.1 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Where does this data come from?

The World Bank's World Development Indicators, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator AG.LND.CROP.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) 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.

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