Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Nicaragua instead of Cambodia, you would:
Health
live 4.3 years longer
In Cambodia, the average life expectancy is 71 years (68 years for men, 73 years for women) as of 2024. In Nicaragua, that number is 75 years (72 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2024.
see 96.7% more spent on your healthcare
Cambodia spends $350 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Nicaragua spends $689 as of 2023.
have 3.2 times more doctors per person
Cambodia has 2.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2019. Nicaragua has 6.8 as of 2018.
have 20.7% more access to essential health services
Cambodia scores 58 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Nicaragua scores 70 as of 2021.
be 7.1 times more likely to be obese
In Cambodia, 4.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Nicaragua, that number is 34.9% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 10.5% more money
Cambodia has a GDP per capita of $2,872 as of 2025, while in Nicaragua, the GDP per capita is $3,173 as of 2025.
be 19.4 times more likely to be unemployed
In Cambodia, 0.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Nicaragua, that number is 5.0% as of 2025.
be 50.9% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Cambodia, 16.5% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Nicaragua, however, that number is 24.9% as of 2016.
Life
be 56.2% less likely to die during childbirth
In Cambodia, approximately 137.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Nicaragua, 60.0 women do as of 2023.
be 42.7% less likely to die during infancy
In Cambodia, approximately 16.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Nicaragua, on the other hand, 9.4 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 10.3% less likely to have internet access
In Cambodia, approximately 68.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Nicaragua, about 61.4% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 31.7% more on education
Cambodia spends 2.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Nicaragua spends 2.9% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 79.7% more on healthcare
Cambodia spends 4.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Nicaragua, that number is 8.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 2.1 times more coastline
Cambodia has a total of 443 km of coastline. In Nicaragua, that number is 910 km.
Safety
be 27.7% less likely to die in a road accident
In Cambodia, road accidents kill 18.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Nicaragua, they kill 13.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 39.3% more home broadband
Cambodia has 4.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Nicaragua has 5.8 as of 2024.
live with 2.1 times more strain on fresh water
Cambodia withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Nicaragua withdraws 2% as of 2022.
use 31.3% less electricity
Cambodia uses 932 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Nicaragua uses 641 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 36.7% less likely to die from air pollution
In Cambodia, air pollution causes 60.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Nicaragua, it causes 38.0 as of 2019.
emit 24.5% less CO2
Cambodia emits 1.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Nicaragua emits 0.8 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2016–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2016), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Cambodia vs. Nicaragua
Nicaragua: At a glance
How big is Nicaragua compared to Cambodia? See an in-depth size comparison.