Nicaragua

Nicaragua has a population of 4.5 million with a growth rate of 3.1% per year, and with a GNI per capita of $710 is the second lowest income level (after Haiti) in the whole of Latin America.

Following the Sandinista revolution, society is considered by many to be more equal than elsewhere in Central America, but despite this impression it has a highly inequitable income distribution, its’ poor economic performance means that 50% of people still live in poverty and 19% in extreme poverty.

About four-fifths of all the extreme poor are rural. On the isolated Atlantic coast the number of people living in poverty or extreme poverty continues to grow.

We aim to maximise the strategic impact of our activities in Nicaragua through our new Regional Assistance Plan (RAP) that has set the framework for DFID’s involvement in Latin America.

By placing much greater emphasis on working with other partners and enhancing the effectiveness of assistance provided by multilateral donors, the new strategy marks a significant shift in DFID’s approach towards the region, and one which DFID believes will have a much greater impact. 

DFID will continue with a bilateral Nicaragua programme from our sub regional office in Managua that will be responsible for  activities in Central America. Throughout Latin America there are new opportunities for implementing DFID’s broader strategy of partnership with civil society.

We are currently working on programmes that focus on governance, public sector reform as well as social and economic inclusion, which contribute to our commitment to poverty reduction in Nicaragua.

DFID’s policy will focus on supporting pro-poor alliances, building local capacity with project partners at a number of levels.

Last updated: 17 November 2004