Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Nicaragua instead of Guatemala, you would:
Health
live 2.3 years longer
In Guatemala, the average life expectancy is 73 years (70 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024. In Nicaragua, that number is 75 years (72 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2024.
have 18.6% more access to essential health services
Guatemala scores 59 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Nicaragua scores 70 as of 2021.
be 14.2% less likely to die by suicide
Guatemala has a suicide rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Nicaragua, it is 4.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 24.7% more likely to be obese
In Guatemala, 28.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Nicaragua, that number is 34.9% of people as of 2024.
see 26.4% less spent on your healthcare
Guatemala spends $935 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Nicaragua spends $689 as of 2023.
have 46.8% fewer doctors per person
Guatemala has 12.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2020. Nicaragua has 6.8 as of 2018.
Economy
be 93.8% more likely to be unemployed
In Guatemala, 2.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Nicaragua, that number is 5.0% as of 2025.
make 51.9% less money
Guatemala has a GDP per capita of $6,598 as of 2025, while in Nicaragua, the GDP per capita is $3,173 as of 2025.
Life
be 36.2% less likely to die during childbirth
In Guatemala, approximately 94.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Nicaragua, 60.0 women do as of 2023.
be 45.3% less likely to die during infancy
In Guatemala, approximately 17.2 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 11.7% less likely to have access to electricity
In Guatemala, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Nicaragua, that number is 88% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 71% in rural areas) as of 2023.
Expenditures
spend 22.1% more on healthcare
Guatemala spends 6.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Nicaragua, that number is 8.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 2.3 times more coastline
Guatemala has a total of 400 km of coastline. In Nicaragua, that number is 910 km.
Safety
be 51.4% less likely to be murdered
Guatemala has a homicide rate of 23.4 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Nicaragua, that number is 11.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 61.3% less strain on fresh water
Guatemala withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Nicaragua withdraws 2% as of 2022.
use 12.6% less electricity
Guatemala uses 733 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Nicaragua uses 641 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 25.2% less CO2
Guatemala emits 1.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Nicaragua emits 0.8 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2018–2025), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Guatemala vs. Nicaragua
Nicaragua: At a glance
How big is Nicaragua compared to Guatemala? See an in-depth size comparison.