Consular Offices - Nicaragua
820 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10017
E-Mail: cmercado@cancilleria.gob.ni
Phone: (212) 986-6562
Fax: (212) 983-2646
1627 New Hampshire Avenue, NW,
Washington DC 20009
E-Mail: mperalta@cancilleria.gob.ni
Phone: (202) 939-6570
Fax: (202) 939-6542
Kilómetro 5 1/2 (5,5) Carretera Sur,
Managua, Nicaragua
Phone: (505) 2252-7100
Fax: (505) 2252-7250
An estimated 464,000 Hispanics of Nicaraguan origin resided in the United States in 2017, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. Nicaraguans in this statistical profile are people who self-identified as Hispanics of Nicaraguan origin; this includes immigrants from Nicaragua and those who trace their family ancestry to Nicaragua.
Nicaraguans are the 12th-largest population of Hispanic origin living in the United States, accounting for less than 1% of the U.S. Hispanic population in 2017. Since 2000, the Nicaraguan-origin population has increased 128%, growing from 203,000 to 464,000 over the period. At the same time, the Nicaraguan foreign-born population living in the U.S. grew by 63%, up from 156,000 in 2000 to 255,000 in 2017. By comparison, Mexicans, the nation’s largest Hispanic origin group, constituted 36.6 million, or 62%, of the Hispanic population in 2017.
Immigration status
- Among Hispanics in the U.S., about 33% are foreign-born, compared with 55% of U.S. Nicaraguans.
- About 64% of foreign-born Nicaraguans have been in the U.S. for over 20 years, and 61% of foreign-born Nicaraguans are U.S. citizens.
Educational attainment
- About 16% of U.S. Hispanics ages 25 and older have obtained at least a bachelor’s degree, compared with 24% of Nicaraguans.
- Among Nicaraguans ages 25 and older, the U.S.-born are more likely than the foreign-born to have a bachelor’s degree or higher (31% vs. 21%).
Income
- Among U.S. Hispanics, the median annual personal earnings for those ages 16 and older was $25,000, compared with $30,000 for Nicaraguans.
- Looking at full-time, year-round workers, U.S. Hispanics earned about the same as Nicaraguans ($34,000 vs. $35,000).
Poverty status
- The share of U.S. Hispanics who live in poverty (19%) is greater than among Nicaraguans (13%).
- About 13% of U.S.-born Nicaraguans live in poverty, as do 12% of foreign-born Nicaraguans.
Homeownership
- The rate of homeownership among U.S. Hispanics is the same as the rate for Nicaraguans – 47%.
- Among Nicaraguans in the U.S., rates of homeownership are 44% for the U.S.-born and 48% for the foreign-born.
Top states of residence
- The Nicaraguan population is concentrated in Florida (36%), California (29%), and Texas (6%).
Age
- The median age of U.S. Hispanics (29) is lower than that of Nicaraguans (34) and the U.S. population (38).
Marital status
- About 46% of U.S. Hispanics ages 18 and older are married, compared with 43% of Nicaraguans.
- Among Nicaraguans ages 18 and older, those who are foreign-born are more likely to be married than the U.S.-born (51% vs. 24%).
Fertility
- Some 7% of U.S. Hispanic women ages 15 to 44 gave birth in the 12 months before the July 2017 American Community Survey. That was similar to the rate for Nicaraguan women (7%).
Language
- About 70% of U.S. Hispanics ages 5 and older speak only English at home or speak English at least “very well,” compared with 65% of Nicaraguans.
- Similarly, 64% of Hispanic adults are English proficient, as are 59% of Nicaraguan adults.
“Facts on Hispanics of Nicaraguan origin in the United States, 2017.” Pew Research Center, Washington, D.C. (September 16, 2019).