Nicaragua: cities by population
Nicaragua has a population of 7,097,329 (UN estimate, 2026), with Managua as its capital. The 50 largest of its 140 recorded towns and cities, ranked.
+41%
since 2000 (5,022,633)
+23%
projected by 2050 (8,756,430)
59
people per km²
Figures are the latest available in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0), which draws on national censuses of varying dates — treat them as recent, not same-year. Country totals are UN World Population Prospects 2024 (medium variant) where the UN lists the country separately; the handful it reports under a parent state keep a GeoNames figure and are marked as such. Sources & method.
Largest cities in Nicaragua
| # | Place | Region | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Managua | Managua Department | 973,087 |
| 2 | León | León Department | 144,538 |
| 3 | Masaya | Masaya Department | 130,113 |
| 4 | Chinandega | Chinandega Department | 126,387 |
| 5 | Matagalpa | Matagalpa Department | 109,089 |
| 6 | Estelí | Estelí Department | 96,422 |
| 7 | Granada | Granada Department | 89,409 |
| 8 | Mateare | Managua Department | 61,234 |
| 9 | Jinotega | Jinotega Department | 55,000 |
| 10 | El Viejo | Chinandega Department | 53,504 |
| 11 | Nueva Guinea | South Caribbean Coast | 52,929 |
| 12 | Tipitapa | Managua Department | 50,000 |
| 13 | Juigalpa | Chontales Department | 50,000 |
| 14 | Ciudad Sandino | Managua Department | 50,000 |
| 15 | Bluefields | South Caribbean Coast | 44,373 |
| 16 | Diriamba | Carazo Department | 35,008 |
| 17 | Ocotal | Nueva Segovia Department | 33,928 |
| 18 | Puerto Cabezas | North Caribbean Coast | 33,635 |
| 19 | Chichigalpa | Chinandega Department | 33,137 |
| 20 | Rivas | Rivas Department | 30,000 |
| 21 | San Rafael del Sur | Managua Department | 29,836 |
| 22 | Jinotepe | Carazo Department | 29,507 |
| 23 | Boaco | Boaco Department | 29,046 |
| 24 | Nagarote | León Department | 26,270 |
| 25 | Jalapa | Nueva Segovia Department | 24,037 |
| 26 | La Paz Centro | León Department | 23,481 |
| 27 | San Marcos | Carazo Department | 23,347 |
| 28 | Masatepe | Masaya Department | 21,452 |
| 29 | Nandaime | Granada Department | 20,810 |
| 30 | Rama | South Caribbean Coast | 20,456 |
| 31 | Somoto | Madriz Department | 20,316 |
| 32 | Corinto | Chinandega Department | 19,183 |
| 33 | Río Blanco | Matagalpa Department | 17,018 |
| 34 | Camoapa | Boaco Department | 16,653 |
| 35 | El Crucero | Managua Department | 16,469 |
| 36 | Siuna | North Caribbean Coast | 16,056 |
| 37 | Somotillo | Chinandega Department | 15,385 |
| 38 | Santo Tomás | Chontales Department | 14,809 |
| 39 | Quilalí | Nueva Segovia Department | 13,590 |
| 40 | San Carlos | Río San Juan Department | 13,451 |
| 41 | Ciudad Darío | Matagalpa Department | 13,318 |
| 42 | Ticuantepe | Managua Department | 13,209 |
| 43 | El Sauce | León Department | 11,898 |
| 44 | Condega | Estelí Department | 11,000 |
| 45 | Acoyapa | Chontales Department | 10,563 |
| 46 | Matiguás | Matagalpa Department | 10,523 |
| 47 | Diriomo | Granada Department | 10,113 |
| 48 | Telica | León Department | 8,776 |
| 49 | San Lorenzo | Boaco Department | 8,694 |
| 50 | South End | South Caribbean Coast | 8,011 |
Twenty years earlier: Nicaragua in the 2005 World Gazetteer — population then 5,766,497.
Common questions
What is the population of Nicaragua?
Nicaragua has a population of 7,097,329, the UN World Population Prospects estimate for 2026. The UN's medium-variant projection for 2050 is 8,756,430 — a forecast, not a measurement.
What is the capital of Nicaragua?
Managua.