Nicaragua Demographics Profile 2009

Population

5,891,199 (July 2009 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 33.8% (male 1,013,866/female 976,430)
15-64 years: 62.9% (male 1,847,756/female 1,857,264)
65 years and over: 3.3% (male 85,782/female 110,101) (2009 est.)

Median age

total: 22.1 years
male: 21.7 years
female: 22.5 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate

1.784% (2009 est.)

Birth rate

23.25 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)

Death rate

4.3 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)

Net migration rate

-1.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 57% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.8% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 25.02 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 28.09 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 21.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 71.5 years
male: 69.35 years
female: 73.75 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.57 children born/woman (2009 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.2% (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

7,700 (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

fewer than 500 (2007 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: dengue fever and malaria
water contact disease: leptospirosis (2009)

Nationality

noun: Nicaraguan(s)
adjective: Nicaraguan

Ethnic groups

mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 69%, white 17%, black 9%, Amerindian 5%

Religions

Roman Catholic 58.5%, Evangelical 21.6%, Moravian 1.6%, Jehovah's Witness 0.9%, other 1.7%, none 15.7% (2005 census)

Languages

Spanish 97.5% (official), Miskito 1.7%, other 0.8% (1995 census)
note: English and indigenous languages on Atlantic coast

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 67.5%
male: 67.2%
female: 67.8% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 11 years
male: 11 years
female: 11 years (2003)

Education expenditures

3.1% of GDP (2003)