Nicaragua
Last updated April 1, 2026
Composite GEFRI Score
Severely underprepared
Nicaragua is severely underprepared (22nd percentile worldwide). Key structural conditions limit capacity to plan, implement, and sustain forward-looking reforms. Higher scores indicate a system that is better prepared to anticipate and shape the future of learning.
- Global percentile
- 22nd
- Global rank
- #139
- Regional rank
- #26
- Viewing data for
Country profile
Nicaragua trails global peers in Human Capital (39, 28th percentile), Innovation (31, 29th percentile), Governance (24, 14th percentile), and School Access and Gender Parity (0, 14th percentile). A coordinated reform effort is needed to strengthen education futures readiness.
Wide gaps between dimensions reveal structural weaknesses that slow coordinated progress. Low internet adoption slows digital participation and constrains system-wide modernization. Literacy or tertiary enrollment gaps thin the talent pipeline and limit the country’s capacity to develop future-ready skills.
Sparse R&D investment and a small research workforce slow experimentation and delay new ideas from reaching learners. Policy execution and regulatory capacity remain weak, leaving reforms fragmented and hard to sustain. Gender parity across secondary pathways reflects sustained commitment to equitable participation.
Infrastructure and Human Capital present a near-term leapfrog opportunity: performance is just below the global average, backed by enough observed data to support forward planning.
Note: Several indicators use imputed values. Policymakers and planners should validate results further before committing to major initiatives.
Key insights
- Falls below many peers at the 22nd percentile.
- Places 139th worldwide.
- Holds a regional position of 26th within Latin America & Caribbean .
- Scores range from Infrastructure (56.3) to Access & Parity (0.0), reflecting variation across dimensions.
- Trails regional peers most clearly in Access & Parity.
Regional peers: Latin America & Caribbean
Composite GEFRI score
| Global rank | Regional rank | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | 1 | Chile | 69.22 |
| 41 | 2 | Argentina | 63.46 |
| 45 | 3 | Uruguay | 61.84 |
| — | — | BarbadosMicrostate | 61.53 |
| — | — | Cayman IslandsMicrostate | 60.64 |
| — | — | St. Kitts and NevisMicrostate | 59.49 |
| — | — | Antigua and BarbudaMicrostate | 58.12 |
| 61 | 4 | Peru | 57.90 |
| — | — | GrenadaMicrostate | 56.27 |
| — | — | Turks and Caicos IslandsMicrostate | 55.44 |
| 73 | 5 | Colombia | 55.23 |
| 75 | 6 | Mexico | 54.99 |
| 79 | 7 | Cuba | 53.32 |
| 81 | 8 | Puerto Rico (US) | 53.10 |
| 86 | 9 | Dominican Republic | 51.42 |
| — | — | DominicaMicrostate | 51.11 |
| 88 | 10 | Ecuador | 51.07 |
| 89 | 11 | Brazil | 51.03 |
| — | — | St. LuciaMicrostate | 50.66 |
| 93 | 12 | Bolivia | 50.30 |
| 94 | 13 | Costa Rica | 50.00 |
| — | — | St. Vincent and the GrenadinesMicrostate | 49.59 |
| — | — | ArubaMicrostate | 48.98 |
| — | — | British Virgin IslandsMicrostate | 48.56 |
| — | — | St. Martin (French part)Microstate | 47.36 |
| 100 | 14 | Jamaica | 46.92 |
| — | — | CuracaoMicrostate | 46.80 |
| — | — | Sint Maarten (Dutch part)Microstate | 46.76 |
| — | — | Virgin Islands (U.S.)Microstate | 46.46 |
| 101 | 15 | Panama | 46.26 |
| 102 | 16 | Bahamas, The | 46.13 |
| 103 | 17 | Belize | 44.33 |
| 104 | 18 | Trinidad and Tobago | 43.67 |
| 105 | 19 | Paraguay | 43.39 |
| 111 | 20 | Venezuela, RBFCS | 39.80 |
| 118 | 21 | El Salvador | 37.88 |
| 120 | 22 | Guyana | 37.09 |
| 123 | 23 | Suriname | 35.94 |
| 130 | 24 | Honduras | 33.08 |
| 133 | 25 | Guatemala | 32.18 |
| 139 | 26 | Nicaragua | 30.15 |
| 161 | 27 | HaitiFCS | 22.72 |