Nicaragua's unemployment, female (% of female labor force) (national estimate) was 5.3% in 2018, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is down 1.6 percentage points from 6.9% in 2008.
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 5.3% | 2018 |
| Five years earlier | 5.45% | 2013 |
| Ten years earlier | 6.9% | 2008 |
| Highest | 11.71% | 1989 |
| Lowest | 3.4% | 2017 |
| Average since 2012 | 5.01% | 2012–2018 |
| First recorded | 4.6% | 1985 |
What the numbers say
In 2018, Nicaragua's unemployment, female (% of female labor force) (national estimate) rose 1.9 percentage points on 2017 (from 3.4% to 5.3%).
Across the 14 yearly changes before that (1986 to 2017), the average change was +0.28 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.45 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.1 standard deviations above 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 3.41 percentage points in 1989 and the biggest yearly fall was 2.11 percentage points in 2005. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
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.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Nicaragua | 5.3% | 2018 |
| Latin America & Caribbean | 6.29% | 2025 |
| Lower middle income | 4.65% | 2024 |
Closest to Nicaragua in the 2018 ranking
- Cuba — 2nd of 2: 1.8%
What this measures
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.
Limitations: The criteria for people considered to be seeking work, and the treatment of people temporarily laid off or seeking work for the first time, vary across countries. In many cases it is especially difficult to measure employment and unemployment in agriculture. The timing of a survey can maximize the effects of seasonal unemployment in agriculture. And informal sector employment is difficult to quantify where informal activities are not tracked.
Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.
All 19 values
| Year | Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) (national estimate) |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 5.3 |
| 2017 | 3.4 |
| 2016 | 4.2 |
| 2015 | 5.4 |
| 2014 | 5.61 |
| 2013 | 5.45 |
| 2012 | 5.73 |
| 2011 | no data |
| 2010 | no data |
| 2009 | no data |
| 2008 |
Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) (national estimate) in nearby economies
- Argentina — 8.2% (2025)
- Bahamas, The — 8.43% (2024)
- Barbados — 5.38% (2024)
- Belize — 13.58% (2019)
- Bolivia — 3.05% (2025)
- Brazil — 7.16% (2025)
- Cayman Islands — 5.2% (2015)
- Chile — 9.56% (2025)
- Colombia — 10.66% (2025)
More social protection & labor data for Nicaragua
- Net migration — -8,371 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of origin — 35,341 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum — 311 (2023)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 32.42% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 72% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 52.47% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate) — 54.64% (2025)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Nicaragua's unemployment, female (% of female labor force) (national estimate)?
- 5.3% in 2018, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1985?
- It is up 0.7 percentage points from 4.6% in 1985. The highest value was 11.71% in 1989 and the lowest 3.4% in 2017.
- Is the latest change in unemployment, female (% of female labor force) (national estimate) unusual for Nicaragua?
- In 2018, Nicaragua's unemployment, female (% of female labor force) (national estimate) rose 1.9 percentage points on 2017 (from 3.4% to 5.3%). Across the 14 yearly changes before that (1986 to 2017), the average change was +0.28 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.45 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.1 standard deviations above 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 SL.UEM.TOTL.FE.NE.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), uri: https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/bulk/, publisher: ILOSTAT, type: external database, date accessed: September 28, 2026 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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