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

Health

be 34.1% less likely to be obese

In Nicaragua, 34.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Venezuela, that number is 23.0% of people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

have 2.4 times more doctors per person

Nicaragua has 6.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2018. Venezuela has 16.6 as of 2017.

View global rankings →

live 2.4 years less

In Nicaragua, the average life expectancy is 75 years (72 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2024. In Venezuela, that number is 73 years (69 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2024.

View global rankings →

see 73.0% less spent on your healthcare

Nicaragua spends $689 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Venezuela spends $186 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 2.0 times more likely to die by suicide

Nicaragua has a suicide rate of 4.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Venezuela, it is 8.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Economy

make 10.1% more money

Nicaragua has a GDP per capita of $3,173 as of 2025, while in Venezuela, the GDP per capita is $3,495 as of 2025.

View global rankings →

be 32.9% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Nicaragua, 24.9% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Venezuela, however, that number is 33.1% as of 2015.

View global rankings →

Life

be 3.8 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Nicaragua, approximately 60.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Venezuela, 227.0 women do as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 2.3 times more likely to die during infancy

In Nicaragua, approximately 9.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Venezuela, on the other hand, 21.2 children do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

have 20.4% fewer children

In Nicaragua, there are approximately 19.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Venezuela, there are 15.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Basic Needs

be 13.3% more likely to have access to electricity

In Nicaragua, approximately 88% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 71% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Venezuela, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 24.9% more likely to have internet access

In Nicaragua, approximately 61.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Venezuela, about 76.7% do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Expenditures

spend 54.5% less on healthcare

Nicaragua spends 8.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Venezuela, that number is 3.8% of GDP as of 2023.

View global rankings →

Geography

see 3.1 times more coastline

Nicaragua has a total of 910 km of coastline. In Venezuela, that number is 2,800 km.

View global rankings →

Safety

be 11.5% more likely to be murdered

Nicaragua has a homicide rate of 11.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Venezuela, that number is 12.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.

View global rankings →

Infrastructure

find 2.2 times more home broadband

Nicaragua has 5.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Venezuela has 12.9 as of 2024.

View global rankings →

use 3.0 times more electricity

Nicaragua uses 641 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Venezuela uses 1,953 kWh as of 2023.

View global rankings →

live with 3.4 times more strain on fresh water

Nicaragua withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Venezuela withdraws 8% as of 2022.

View global rankings →

Environment

be 15.8% less likely to die from air pollution

In Nicaragua, air pollution causes 38.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Venezuela, it causes 32.0 as of 2019.

View global rankings →

emit 4.1 times more CO2

Nicaragua emits 0.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Venezuela emits 3.4 tonnes as of 2024.

View global rankings →


Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators (2019). How we calculate this

Venezuela: At a glance

Venezuela is a sovereign country in South America, with a total land area of approximately 882,050 sq km. Venezuela was one of three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others being Ecuador and New Granada, which became Colombia). For most of the first half of the 20th century, Venezuela was ruled by generally benevolent military strongmen, who promoted the oil industry and allowed for some social reforms. Democratically elected governments have held sway since 1959. Hugo CHAVEZ, president from 1999 to 2013, sought to implement his "21st Century Socialism," which purported to alleviate social ills while at the same time attacking capitalist globalization and existing democratic institutions. His hand-picked successor, President Nicolas MADURO, continues CHAVEZ's socialist programs. Current concerns include: a weakening of democratic institutions, political polarization, a politicized military, rampant violent crime, overdependence on the petroleum industry with its price fluctuations, foreign exchange controls that discourage private-sector investment, high inflation, a decline in the quality of fundamental houman rights, and widespread scarcity of consumer goods.
Read more

How big is Venezuela compared to Nicaragua? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Venezuela or Nicaragua. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.