Nicaragua: Reserves and related items (current US$, BoP)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Nicaragua's reserves and related items (current US$, BoP) fell US$316.02 million on 2023 (from US$1.01 billion to US$698.32 million).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +US$67.78 million and a typical year strayed about US$349.74 million 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 US$647.81 million in 2023 and the biggest yearly fall was US$804.53 million in 2018. 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 US$98.79 million a year. A straight line explains 44% 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 5th highest value of the 28 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

• Côte d'Ivoire — 1st of 28: US$1.73 billion
• Jordan — 2nd of 28: US$1.71 billion
• Mauritius — 3rd of 28: US$1.08 billion
• Ethiopia — 5th of 28: US$632.14 million
• Namibia — 6th of 28: US$628.8 million
• Burkina Faso — 7th of 28: US$585.19 million

What this measures

Reserves and related items is the net change in a country's holdings of international reserves resulting from transactions on the current, capital, and financial accounts. Reserve assets are external assets, including monetary gold, that are readily available to and controlled by monetary authorities for meeting balance of payments financing needs, for intervention in exchange markets to affect the currency exchange rate, and for other related purposes (such as maintaining confidence in the currency and the economy, and serving as a basis for foreign borrowing). Reserve assets must be denominated and settled in foreign currency.Also included are net credit and loans from the IMF (excluding reserve position) and total exceptional financing. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.

All 48 values

Reserves and related items (current US$, BoP) in nearby economies

• Antigua and Barbuda — US$33.43 million (2025)
• Argentina — −US$7.22 billion (2025)
• Aruba — −US$145.5 million (2023)
• Bahamas, The — US$242.14 million (2024)
• Barbados — −US$249.49 million (2017)
• Belize — US$59.14 million (2025)
• Bolivia — −US$449.37 million (2025)
• Brazil — US$8.77 billion (2025)
• Chile — US$2.26 billion (2025)
• Colombia

More economic policy & debt data for Nicaragua

• General government final consumption expenditure (current US$) — US$2.53 billion (2025)
• General government final consumption expenditure (current LCU) — 92.55 billion (2025)
• General government final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) — US$2.07 billion (2025)
• General government final consumption expenditure (constant LCU) — 29.48 billion (2025)
• General government final consumption expenditure (% of GDP) — 11.36% (2025)
• Households and NPISHs final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$) — US$13.16 billion (2025)
• Households and NPISHs final consumption expenditure (constant LCU) — 195.05 billion (2025)
• Households and NPISHs final consumption expenditure per capita (constant 2015 US$)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Nicaragua's reserves and related items (current US$, BoP)?

US$698.32 million in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1977?

It is up 10,918% from US$6.34 million in 1977 (10.52% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$1.01 billion in 2023 and the lowest −US$1.52 billion in 1994.

How does Nicaragua rank?

5th highest of 28 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in reserves and related items (current US$, BoP) unusual for Nicaragua?

In 2024, Nicaragua's reserves and related items (current US$, BoP) fell US$316.02 million on 2023 (from US$1.01 billion to US$698.32 million). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +US$67.78 million and a typical year strayed about US$349.74 million 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.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator BN.RES.INCL.CD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, 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.

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