Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 3.7 years longer

In Nicaragua, the average life expectancy is 75 years (73 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2022. In Uruguay, that number is 78 years (75 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2022.

be 17.7% more likely to be obese

In Nicaragua, 23.7% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Uruguay, that number is 27.9% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 4.2 times more money

Nicaragua has a GDP per capita of $7,300 as of 2023, while in Uruguay, the GDP per capita is $30,700 as of 2023.

be 60.2% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Nicaragua, 24.9% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Uruguay, however, that number is 9.9% as of 2022.

be 74.0% more likely to be unemployed

In Nicaragua, 4.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Uruguay, that number is 8.3% as of 2023.

Life

be 75.6% less likely to die during childbirth

In Nicaragua, approximately 78.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Uruguay, 19.0 women do as of 2020.

be 19.6% more likely to be literate

In Nicaragua, the literacy rate is 82.6% as of 2015. In Uruguay, it is 98.8% as of 2019.

be 56.5% 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 Uruguay, on the other hand, 8.3 children do as of 2022.

have 23.2% fewer children

In Nicaragua, there are approximately 16.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Uruguay, there are 12.6 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 Uruguay, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

be 57.9% more likely to have internet access

In Nicaragua, approximately 57.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Uruguay, about 90.0% do as of 2021.

be 20.2% 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 Uruguay, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Geography

see 27.5% less coastline

Nicaragua has a total of 910 km of coastline. In Uruguay, that number is 660 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Uruguay: At a glance

Uruguay is a sovereign country in South America, with a total land area of approximately 175,015 sq km. Montevideo, founded by the Spanish in 1726 as a military stronghold, soon took advantage of its natural harbor to become an important commercial center. Claimed by Argentina but annexed by Brazil in 1821, Uruguay declared its independence four years later and secured its freedom in 1828 after a three-year struggle. The administrations of President Jose BATLLE in the early 20th century launched widespread political, social, and economic reforms that established a statist tradition. A violent Marxist urban guerrilla movement named the Tupamaros, launched in the late 1960s, led Uruguay's president to cede control of the government to the military in 1973. By yearend, the rebels had been crushed, but the military continued to expand its hold over the government. Civilian rule was not restored until 1985. In 2004, the left-of-center Frente Amplio Coalition won national elections that effectively ended 170 years of political control previously held by the Colorado and Blanco parties. Uruguay's political and labor conditions are among the freest on the continent.
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How big is Uruguay compared to Nicaragua? See an in-depth size comparison.

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