Specialist in Social and Gender Norms

Nicaragua has an estimated population of 6.7 million in 2022, 41% of whom live in rural areas. The country is multi-ethnic and multicultural; 8.6% of the population identifies as indigenous or of African descent (2005 census), and 57.1% of this group lives on the Caribbean Coast, a region with high climate vulnerability and higher poverty rates (39% in 2014). Poverty gaps are significant: while the overall rate fell from 48.3% to 29.6% between 2005 and 2014, rural poverty remained at 50.1%, in contrast to 14.8% in urban areas. Additionally, 10.3% of the population has a disability. Demographically, adolescents aged 10 to 19 make up 19.5% of the total population, representing an opportunity for a demographic dividend if appropriate investments are prioritized. Nicaragua faces a constant threat from climate change, having been ranked as the fourth most affected country by weather-related events between 1998 and 20171. Despite the recent impacts of hurricanes such as Eta, Iota, and Julia, and a three-year economic contraction caused by climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rebounded in 2021 with 10.3% growth. In 2022, GDP per capita stood at $2,327.32, and remittances from migration (Nicaragua is a country of origin and transit) accounted for 22% of GDP3. The human development environment is moderate, with a Human Development Index (HDI) of 0.667, which shrinks by 22.6% when adjusted for inequality. The economy is showing post-pandemic resilience, with projected growth of 3.4% by 2026, driven by remittances. However, vulnerability persists in rural areas due to high dependence on subsistence agriculture and inflation in the basic food basket. Nicaragua’s regulatory framework is aligned with the ICPD and the Montevideo Consensus; it constitutionally recognizes sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and sexual and reproductive rights, comprehensive sexuality education (CSE), and the prevention of gender-based violence (GBV) and early marriage4. While significant progress has been made in SRH, GBV, and CSE policies over the past decade, access to these services remains uneven. These gaps disproportionately affect women and adolescents in rural areas, Indigenous and Afro-descendant populations, and people with disabilities. The most critical manifestation of these disparities is the high adolescent fertility rate (82 per 1,000 adolescents aged 15 to 19), despite a low unmet need for family planning (5.8%) and a high contraceptive prevalence rate (77.3%). Adolescent pregnancy has multiple causes, and the opportunity cost is estimated at 0.4% of GDP. A key factor is early marriage, with 35% of girls married before the age of 18.