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

Health

live 4.9 years longer

In Turkmenistan, the average life expectancy is 70 years (67 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.

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be 37.9% less likely to die by suicide

Turkmenistan has a suicide rate of 6.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Nicaragua, it is 4.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 57.1% more likely to be obese

In Turkmenistan, 22.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Nicaragua, that number is 34.9% of people as of 2024.

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see 45.5% less spent on your healthcare

Turkmenistan spends $1,264 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Nicaragua spends $689 as of 2023.

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Economy

be 18.0% more likely to be unemployed

In Turkmenistan, 4.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Nicaragua, that number is 5.0% as of 2025.

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make 51.5% less money

Turkmenistan has a GDP per capita of $6,540 as of 2025, while in Nicaragua, the GDP per capita is $3,173 as of 2025.

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Life

be 69.1% less likely to die during infancy

In Turkmenistan, approximately 30.4 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.

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be 12.0 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Turkmenistan, approximately 5.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Nicaragua, 60.0 women do as of 2023.

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Basic Needs

be 2.4 times more likely to have internet access

In Turkmenistan, approximately 25.3% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Nicaragua, about 61.4% do as of 2024.

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be 11.7% less likely to have access to electricity

In Turkmenistan, 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.

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Expenditures

spend 33.1% less on education

Turkmenistan spends 4.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Nicaragua spends 2.9% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 50.9% more on healthcare

Turkmenistan spends 5.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Nicaragua, that number is 8.3% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 70.0% more likely to die in a road accident

In Turkmenistan, road accidents kill 8.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Nicaragua, they kill 13.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 10.7% more home broadband

Turkmenistan has 5.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Nicaragua has 5.8 as of 2024.

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live with 98.4% less strain on fresh water

Turkmenistan withdraws 135% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Nicaragua withdraws 2% as of 2022.

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use 76.9% less electricity

Turkmenistan uses 2,778 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Nicaragua uses 641 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

be 56.3% less likely to die from air pollution

In Turkmenistan, air pollution causes 87.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Nicaragua, it causes 38.0 as of 2019.

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emit 92.4% less CO2

Turkmenistan emits 10.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Nicaragua emits 0.8 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this

Nicaragua: At a glance

Nicaragua is a sovereign country in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 119,990 sq km. The Pacific coast of Nicaragua was settled as a Spanish colony from Panama in the early 16th century. Independence from Spain was declared in 1821 and the country became an independent republic in 1838. Britain occupied the Caribbean Coast in the first half of the 19th century, but gradually ceded control of the region in subsequent decades. Violent opposition to governmental manipulation and corruption spread to all classes by 1978 and resulted in a short-lived civil war that brought the Marxist Sandinista guerrillas to power in 1979. Nicaraguan aid to leftist rebels in El Salvador caused the US to sponsor anti-Sandinista contra guerrillas through much of the 1980s. After losing free and fair elections in 1990, 1996, and 2001, former Sandinista President Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra was elected president in 2006 and reelected in 2011. The 2008 municipal elections, 2010 regional elections, 2011 presidential elections, 2012 municipal elections, and 2013 regional elections were marred by widespread irregularities. Nicaragua's infrastructure and economy - hard hit by the earlier civil war and by Hurricane Mitch in 1998 - are slowly being rebuilt, but democratic institutions have been weakened under the ORTEGA administration.
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