Photo: Neil Palmer (CIAT) · CC BY-SA 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 17 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Nicaragua: Digital & Technology
How ready is a country to use, make and trade technology?
Nicaragua is placed joint 150th of 198 countries on digital & technology in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 4 key statistics. Readings behind it: Government AI Readiness Index 22.23 (2025); Government Cyber Security Capacity -0.861 (2025).
Share
Digital & Technology
joint150th
of 198 countries placed
Placed from 3 of 4 key statistics
- —GovTech Maturity Index, 2025No reading for this country
- 22.23Government AI Readiness Index, 2025AI readiness score (0–100)
- -0.861Government Cyber Security Capacity, 2025Original latent estimate (≈ −3.6 to +3.7); higher = more capacity
- 21.39Digitally-Deliverable Services Exports, 2024Digitally-deliverable services exports (% of services exports)
01The evidence
The 4 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Nicaragua on digital & technology — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
No reading
GTMI score (0–1)
Higher is better
World Bank Group publishes no 2025 figure for Nicaragua, so the standing rests on the other keys.
Across the 196 countries in this edition, values run from 0.01 (North Korea) to 0.997 (South Korea); the world median is 0.63.
- World median
- 0.63
- Best in Central America
- 0.825 Mexico
- Land neighbours
- Costa Rica 0.77 · Honduras 0.581
22.23
AI readiness score (0–100)
Higher is better
Ranked 163rd of 195 by Oxford Insights
Nicaragua: 22.23. Across the 195 countries in this edition, values run from 12.12 (Guinea-Bissau) to 88.36 (United States); the world median is 40.19.
- World median
- 40.19
- Best in Central America
- 48.33 Mexico
- Land neighbours
- Costa Rica 45.92 · Honduras 22.96
Key 3 of 4
Government Cyber Security Capacity
V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY-SA 4.0
-0.861
Original latent estimate (≈ −3.6 to +3.7); higher = more capacity
Higher is better
Nicaragua: -0.861. Across the 176 countries in this edition, values run from -2.66 (Liberia) to 3.715 (Estonia); the world median is 0.196.
- World median
- 0.196
- Best in Central America
- 0.231 Mexico
- Land neighbours
- Costa Rica -0.13 · Honduras -0.382
Key 4 of 4
Digitally-Deliverable Services Exports
UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
2024 edition · data for 2024 · CC BY 3.0 IGO
21.39
Digitally-deliverable services exports (% of services exports)
Higher is better
Nicaragua: 21.39. Across the 170 countries in this edition, values run from 0.377 (Gambia) to 87.15 (Ireland); the world median is 25.42.
- World median
- 25.42
- Best in Central America
- 57.16 Costa Rica
- Land neighbours
- Costa Rica 57.16 · Honduras 14.33
02Over time
Which way Nicaragua is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Government AI Readiness Index
AI readiness score (0–100) · higher is better
NicaraguaWorld median
Nicaragua fell from 30.24 in 2020 to 22.23 in 2025; the world median went from 39.58 to 40.19.
Every year’s figures
Year Nicaragua World median 2025 22.2 40.2 2024 28.5 43.3 2023 29.8 41.4 2022 28.3 40.3 2021 31.6 44.1 2020 30.2 39.6 Government Cyber Security Capacity
Original latent estimate (≈ −3.6 to +3.7); higher = more capacity · higher is better
NicaraguaWorld median
Nicaragua rose from -2.287 in 2000 to -0.861 in 2025; the world median went from -0.514 to 0.196.
Every year’s figures
Year Nicaragua World median 2025 -0.9 0.20 2024 -0.9 0.11 2023 -0.9 0.14 2022 -0.9 0.16 2021 -0.9 0.12 2020 -1.0 0.12 2019 -1.3 0.10 2018 -1.3 -0.05 2017 -1.3 -0.08 2016 -1.3 -0.10 2015 -1.3 -0.17 2014 -1.5 -0.21 2013 -1.5 -0.21 2012 -1.5 -0.25 2011 -1.5 -0.32 2010 -1.5 -0.31 2009 -1.7 -0.50 2008 -1.7 -0.51 2007 -1.7 -0.51 2006 -2.3 -0.55 2005 -2.3 -0.55 2004 -2.3 -0.55 2003 -2.3 -0.55 2002 -2.3 -0.51 2001 -2.3 -0.51 2000 -2.3 -0.51 Digitally-Deliverable Services Exports
Digitally-deliverable services exports (% of services exports) · higher is better
NicaraguaWorld median
Nicaragua rose from 15.39 in 2010 to 21.39 in 2024; the world median went from 19.88 to 25.42.
Every year’s figures
Year Nicaragua World median 2024 21.4 25.42 2023 19.6 26.03 2022 20.2 26.04 2021 24.5 29.80 2020 22.4 29.47 2019 15.5 18.36 2018 16.0 20.09 2017 12.0 18.32 2016 13.9 18.15 2015 13.5 19.57 2014 14.0 21.00 2013 14.9 20.50 2012 14.7 19.56 2011 14.2 19.21 2010 15.4 19.88
03In context
Nicaragua beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 198 countries on digital & technology, never a place within the region.
Nicaragua and the countries it borders
Standing among all 198; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.
| Country | Standing | GovTech Maturity IndexGTMI score (0–1) | Government AI Readiness IndexAI readiness score (0–100) | Government Cyber Security CapacityOriginal latent estimate (≈ −3.6 to +3.7); higher = more capacity | Digitally-Deliverable Services ExportsDigitally-deliverable services exports (% of services exports) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Costa Rica | 67th | 0.77 | 45.92 | -0.13 | 57.16 |
 Honduras | 136th | 0.581 | 22.96 | -0.382 | 14.33 |
| Nicaragua | =150th | — | 22.23 | -0.861 | 21.39 |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Central America
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 198.
Placed either side on digital & technology
The countries immediately above and below Nicaragua in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where Nicaragua is ahead of the world, and behind
17 more statistics filed under digital & technology, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Ahead of the world median2
Statistics on which Nicaragua does better than the middle country measured.
ICT Services ExportsUNCTAD · 2024 · world median 7.47419.447.474No real change since 2014
Nicaragua: 19.44 · world median 7.474 · ICT services exports (% of services exports). UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 56.25; higher is better.
Position 21st of 118 · derived.
Digital Services Trade Restrictiveness IndexOECD · 2025 · world median 0.2060.1840.206▲ Improved since 2015
Nicaragua: 0.184 · world median 0.206 · Digital STRI (0 = open, 1 = closed). OECD, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.021 to 0.649; lower is better.
Position 71st of 125 · derived, 1st = worst.
Behind the world median11
Statistics on which Nicaragua does worse than the middle country measured.
AI User Share of the Working-Age PopulationMicrosoft AI Economy Institute · 2026 · world median 15.4512.515.45No real change since 2025
Nicaragua: 12.5 · world median 15.45 · Generative-AI users (% of population aged 15–64). Microsoft AI Economy Institute, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 6.1 to 73.3; higher is better.
Smartphone OwnershipWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 78.7867.5178.78No earlier reading
Nicaragua: 67.51 · world median 78.78 · Adults whose main mobile phone is a smartphone (% of population aged 15+). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 8.663 to 97.36; higher is better.
Position 91st of 140 · derived.
Internet Use Among AdultsWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 83.0574.7283.05No earlier reading
Nicaragua: 74.72 · world median 83.05 · Adults who used the internet in the past three months (% of population aged 15+). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 11.06 to 99.12; higher is better.
Position 92nd of 140 · derived.
Frontier Technology Readiness IndexUNCTAD · 2023 · world median 0.4850.3290.485▲ Improved since 2013
Nicaragua: 0.329 · world median 0.485 · Frontier Technology Readiness Index (0–1). UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 1; higher is better.
Position 120th of 170 · derived.
Mobile Phone OwnershipWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 91.6885.391.68No earlier reading
Nicaragua: 85.3 · world median 91.68 · Adults who own a mobile phone (% of population aged 15+). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 45.83 to 100; higher is better.
Position 99th of 140 · derived.
Firms with Their Own WebsiteWorld Bank Group · 2026 · world median 62.3940.0662.39No earlier reading
Nicaragua: 40.06 · world median 62.39 · Firms with their own website (%). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 1.824 to 97.88; higher is better.
Position 144th of 181 · derived.
Government Internet ShutdownsV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 1.023-1.0821.023▼ Worsened since 2015
Nicaragua: -1.082 · world median 1.023 · Original latent estimate (≈ −4 to +2); higher = fewer shutdowns. V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from -3.547 to 2.081; higher is better.
Position 149th of 176 · derived.
ICT Goods ExportsUNCTAD · 2024 · world median 0.9750.050.975▼ Worsened since 2014
Nicaragua: 0.05 · world median 0.975 · ICT goods exports (% of total goods exports). UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 61.45; higher is better.
Position 105th of 119 · derived.
Government Social Media CensorshipV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 0.505-2.2590.505▼ Worsened since 2015
Nicaragua: -2.259 · world median 0.505 · Original latent estimate (≈ −4.5 to +2.4); higher = less censorship. V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from -3.721 to 2.295; higher is better.
Position 168th of 176 · derived.
Government Dissemination of False Information (Domestic)V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median -0.114-2.786-0.114▼ Worsened since 2015
Nicaragua: -2.786 · world median -0.114 · Original latent estimate (≈ −3.6 to +3.2); higher = less disinformation. V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from -3.392 to 2.93; higher is better.
Position 172nd of 176 · derived.
Made or Received a Digital PaymentWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 51.6516.3951.65▼ Worsened since 2014
Nicaragua: 16.39 · world median 51.65 · Adults who made or received a digital payment in the past year (% of population aged 15+). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 12.26 to 94.91; higher is better.
Position 96th of 98 · derived.
No better end4
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
GitHub RepositoriesGitHub · 2026 · world median 141,454119,942141,454No real change since 2020
Nicaragua: 119,942 · world median 141,454 · Public repositories located in the economy (as of quarter end). GitHub, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 142 to 77,284,974.
GitHub DevelopersGitHub · 2026 · world median 84,67069,80784,670No real change since 2020
Nicaragua: 69,807 · world median 84,670 · Developer accounts located in the economy (as of quarter end). GitHub, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 110 to 32,410,529.
GitHub Git PushesGitHub · 2025 · world median 148,71470,801148,714Moved since 2020
Nicaragua: 70,801 · world median 148,714 · Git pushes during the quarter. GitHub, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 1,967 to 40,768,192.
Share of Graduates from ICT ProgrammesUIS · 2023 · world median 5.6012.4645.601No earlier reading
Nicaragua: 2.464 · world median 5.601 · Tertiary graduates from ICT programmes (% of all graduates). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 17.19.
No current reading for Nicaragua
Anthropic AI Usage Index, Firms Experiencing Internet Disruptions, GovTech Maturity Index (last 2022), Primary Schools with Internet for Teaching (last 2022) and Share of Firms' Payments Made Electronically. Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing
05Country Index 2026
Digital & Technology among Nicaragua’s 15 topics
Digital & Technology is Nicaragua’s 11th best-placed topic of 15. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Environment & Sustainabilityjoint 15th of 1862/4 keys
- Work & Labourjoint 78th of 1824/4 keys
- Energy73rd of 1653/3 keys
- Health & Wellbeingjoint 90th of 2002/4 keys
- Gender & Equality87th of 1834/4 keys
- Risk & Resiliencejoint 116th of 1934/4 keys
- Economy & Innovation119th of 1764/4 keys
- Development & Human Capital135th of 1963/3 keys
- Education & Knowledge146th of 1984/4 keys
- Peace & Securityjoint 132nd of 1774/4 keys
- Digital & Technologyjoint 150th of 1983/4 keys
- Mobility & Trade147th of 1774/4 keys
- Poverty & Inequalityjoint 138th of 1592/3 keys
- Governance & Institutions181st of 1944/4 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties193rd of 1984/4 keys
No standing on Food & Agriculture: too few of those topics’ key statistics are published for this country.
06The top of the list
Who leads on digital & technology
The three countries placed highest of 198, and the leaders Nicaragua can most readily be measured against.
=1
EstoniaNorthern Europe
Joint 1st of 198 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Andrus Uuetalu derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0 ee, greyscale
=1
South KoreaEastern Asia
Joint 1st of 198 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Unknown author · CC BY-SA 2.0, greyscale
3
SingaporeSouth-eastern Asia
3rd of 198 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Khairul Nizam . · CC BY 2.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest in Americas
Brazil4th4/4 keysHighest in Central America
Costa Rica67th4/4 keysThis page
Nicaragua=150th3/4 keys
Positions out of 198 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Questions
Nicaragua on digital & technology: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does Nicaragua rank on digital & technology?
Nicaragua is placed joint 150th of 198 countries on Digital & Technology in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 4 key statistics (Government AI Readiness Index, Government Cyber Security Capacity and Digitally-Deliverable Services Exports). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest Government AI Readiness Index figure for Nicaragua?
22.23 in 2025 (aI readiness score (0–100)), according to Oxford Insights. The world median in the same edition was 40.19.
What is the latest Government Cyber Security Capacity figure for Nicaragua?
-0.861 in 2025 (original latent estimate (≈ −3.6 to +3.7); higher = more capacity), according to V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg. The world median in the same edition was 0.196.
How does Nicaragua compare with Honduras on digital & technology?
Honduras is placed 136th of 198, and Nicaragua joint 150th. Government AI Readiness Index: Honduras 22.96, Nicaragua 22.23; Government Cyber Security Capacity: Honduras -0.382, Nicaragua -0.861; Digitally-Deliverable Services Exports: Honduras 14.33, Nicaragua 21.39.
How have Nicaragua’s digital & technology figures changed?
Government AI Readiness Index fell from 30.24 in 2020 to 22.23 in 2025; Government Cyber Security Capacity rose from -2.287 in 2000 to -0.861 in 2025; Digitally-Deliverable Services Exports rose from 15.39 in 2010 to 21.39 in 2024.
Which digital & technology statistics are missing for Nicaragua?
No current reading is published for Nicaragua on Anthropic AI Usage Index, Firms Experiencing Internet Disruptions, GovTech Maturity Index, Primary Schools with Internet for Teaching and Share of Firms' Payments Made Electronically. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
08Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
Broadband and mobile subscriptions, connection speeds and the cost of getting online are absent, for the licence reason above; internet use and phone ownership, from the World Bank’s own household survey, and firms’ websites and internet disruptions, from its Enterprise Surveys, are published here as context. The ICT share of goods exports votes under Mobility & Trade. Digital public services and data-protection law are not held yet. Research and development spending is filed under Education & Knowledge, and what an economy knows how to make is under Economy & Innovation.
How the Digital & Technology standing is decided
A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 4 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 4 keys to be placed.
The digital & technology method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built
The key statistics and their licences
- GovTech Maturity Index — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Government AI Readiness Index — Oxford Insights, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Government Cyber Security Capacity — V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Digitally-Deliverable Services Exports — UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), CC BY 3.0 IGO
The other 17 statistics on this page come from 7 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
Nicaragua’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Nicaragua (banner) — Neil Palmer (CIAT), CC BY-SA 2.0
- Estonia — Andrus Uuetalu derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0 ee
- South Korea — Unknown author, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Singapore — Khairul Nizam ., CC BY 2.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Nicaragua: Digital & Technology — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/nicaragua/digital