Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Spain instead of Nicaragua, you would:

Health

live 7.8 years longer

In Nicaragua, the average life expectancy is 75 years (73 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2022. In Spain, that number is 83 years (80 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 6.4 times more money

Nicaragua has a GDP per capita of $7,300 as of 2023, while in Spain, the GDP per capita is $46,400 as of 2023.

be 18.9% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Nicaragua, 24.9% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Spain, however, that number is 20.2% as of 2022.

be 2.5 times more likely to be unemployed

In Nicaragua, 4.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Spain, that number is 12.1% as of 2023.

pay a 50.0% higher top tax rate

Nicaragua has a top tax rate of 30.0% as of 2016. In Spain, the top tax rate is 45.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 96.2% less likely to die during childbirth

In Nicaragua, approximately 78.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Spain, 3.0 women do as of 2020.

be 19.4% more likely to be literate

In Nicaragua, the literacy rate is 82.6% as of 2015. In Spain, it is 98.6% as of 2020.

be 87.1% less likely to die during infancy

In Nicaragua, approximately 19.1 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Spain, on the other hand, 2.5 children do as of 2022.

have 56.7% fewer children

In Nicaragua, there are approximately 16.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Spain, there are 7.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 15.6% more likely to have access to electricity

In Nicaragua, approximately 86% of the population has electricity access as of 2022. In Spain, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

be 64.9% more likely to have internet access

In Nicaragua, approximately 57.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Spain, about 94.0% do as of 2021.

be 20.1% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Nicaragua, approximately 83% of people have improved drinking water access (98% in urban areas, and 63% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Spain, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 24.4% more on healthcare

Nicaragua spends 8.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Spain, that number is 10.7% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 5.5 times more coastline

Nicaragua has a total of 910 km of coastline. In Spain, that number is 4,964 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: General Directorate of Revenues, The World Factbook, Agencia Tributaria, Spain.

Spain: At a glance

Spain is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 498,980 sq km. Spain's powerful world empire of the 16th and 17th centuries ultimately yielded command of the seas to England. Subsequent failure to embrace the mercantile and industrial revolutions caused the country to fall behind Britain, France, and Germany in economic and political power. Spain remained neutral in World War I and II but suffered through a devastating civil war (1936-39). A peaceful transition to democracy following the death of dictator Francisco FRANCO in 1975, and rapid economic modernization (Spain joined the EU in 1986) gave Spain a dynamic and rapidly growing economy and made it a global champion of freedom and human rights. More recently the government has had to focus on measures to reverse a severe economic recession that began in mid-2008. Austerity measures implemented to reduce a large budget deficit and reassure foreign investors have led to one of the highest unemployment rates in Europe.
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How big is Spain compared to Nicaragua? See an in-depth size comparison.

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