Nicaragua

Level moderateupdated 5 min ago
Open alert types
Epidemic
What governments advise19 states tracked
8 nothing to report8 increased caution3 advise against non-essential travel
Mira Safe's take

A country you can visit normally, with the usual precautions.

2alerts in progress3 / 19states advise against travel11.3homicides / 100,000 inhab.23events over 12 months
HighCritical

What are the main risks in Nicaragua?

Over the last 12 months, our sensors recorded 23 events there, including 1 severe. The most frequent: Earthquake, Volcano, Wildfire.

Is there a government travel advisory for Nicaragua?

Yes — of the 19 governments we track, 3 advise against travel and 8 urge extra caution. The detail is in the security section below.

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Nicaragua: current alerts and safety news

The alerts open right now, all sources combined — weather, seismic, satellite, health and state advisories.

CDC health alert (level 2) — Chikungunya (Nicaragua)

2 months ago · CDC

High

US travel advisory — Nicaragua - Level 3: Reconsider Travel

5 months ago · 12 sources

High

Last 90 days

  • Calm
  • Moderate / High
  • Critical
  • N/A
July 14October 11

Colour = the country level observed that day (highest of the day). N/A: before our records began.

Is it safe to travel to Nicaragua?

France's foreign ministry advises against all but essential travel to some areas of Nicaragua, a level equal to “reconsider travel”. It is limited to certain areas: the notice names the city of Bluefields and its immediate surroundings, over a high level of insecurity linked to drug and human trafficking. The country sits at level 3 on a 0 to 4 scale. Over the last 12 months we recorded 13 events, 3 of them severe. Volcanoes come up most, 5 records with one severe, then wildfires with 3 and floods with 2, plus one earthquake and one epidemic. Floods, wildfires and epidemics are the hazards that follow a season here; volcanoes and earthquakes follow none. All hazards combined, May holds 4 records, April and July 2 each, January, February and June 1 each. Homicides run at 11.3 per 100,000 people against a world median of 2.1, and that figure covers homicide only.

What it changes for a nomad

Where you settle matters more than when you arrive, because the official notice targets some areas rather than the whole country. Read it for your own district before you sign anything. The homicide figure of 11.3 per 100,000, against a world median of 2.1, says something about violent crime and nothing about theft or scams; for daily security the official notice is the honest guide. On the natural side, volcanoes are the most recorded hazard and they keep no calendar, so ash and closed roads can land in any month. Floods and wildfires do follow a season, and both cut power and roads for a few days at a time. Month counts are thin, all hazards mixed together: 4 records in May, 2 in April and July, 1 in January, February and June. Treat that as a hint about workload, not a planning calendar.

Written with the help of AI from Mira Safe's sourced data on August 23, 2026 · does not replace local guidance How this analysis is produced →

1 earlier analysis

  1. August 21, 2026

    Over the last 12 months, Nicaragua has experienced a mix of natural hazards. Volcano activity is notable, with five events, including one severe eruption. Floods and wildfires also occurred, with two and three events respectively, but none were severe. An epidemic and a travel advisory were recorded, both with a high severity. The country’s busiest months for hazards are May, April, and July, mainly due to multiple hazards occurring together. The homicide rate is 11.3 per 100k, which is above the world median of 2.1. No recent major earthquakes or armed conflict have been reported. Official travel advisories from the US State Department suggest reconsidering travel, especially in certain areas. The country remains vulnerable to natural hazards, especially volcanoes, epidemics, and floods.

To watch right now

  • Three alerts are live at the same time, which is not the ordinary state here: an epidemic, a volcano and the security notice, each at severity 3.
  • The epidemic alert is current, so expect health services and public messaging to be under more pressure than usual.
  • The volcano alert is current too: ash fall, closed roads and cancelled local transport can follow in the days ahead.
  • The travel notice is active and limited to certain areas, among them the city of Bluefields and its immediate surroundings.

To watch as a rule

  • Volcanoes are the most recorded hazard, 5 over 12 months with one severe, and they arrive with no season.
  • Floods and wildfires follow a season here, and both take out roads and power for a few days.
  • One earthquake was recorded over the window; the ground moves without any seasonal pattern.
  • Day-to-day security, with the official notice singling out some areas and homicides at 11.3 per 100,000 against a world median of 2.1.

Good reflexes

  • Read the French ministry notice for the exact area you plan to live in before you pay a deposit.
  • Keep a charged power bank and several litres of drinking water at home.
  • Download an offline map of your district and one road out of it.
  • If ash is falling, keep windows shut and cover water containers and laundry.
  • Carry only the cash you need and keep a scan of your papers in your own cloud.

Nicaragua: travel advisories and areas to avoid

What the 19 tracked governments officially advise for this country — converging or not. The everyday reference.

Reconsider travel
Converging advisories fromAustraliaAustriaCanadaFinlandFrance (Quai d'Orsay)IrelandJapanSouth KoreaNetherlandsNew ZealandPolandUS State Department

Avoid unless essential (French advisory)

  • The city of Bluefields and its immediate surroundings are not recommended except for imperative reasons due to a high level of insecurity. Numerous drug and human trafficking activities take place there in particular.

Translated from the French advisory — hover a line to read the official wording.

Read the official notice ↗

Nicaragua: quality of life and safety in figures

Everyday living conditions, on the few indicators published for every country in the world. Background for a stay — not what is happening today.

Favourable vs the world median

  • New displacements, conflict: 0.04 per 1,000 people (median 0.48)
  • New displacements, disasters: 0.09 per 1,000 people (median 0.73)

Watch out vs the world median

  • Homicides: 11.3 per 100,000 people (median 2.3)
  • Air quality (PM2.5): 20.4 µg/m³ (median 17.3)
  • Road deaths: 16.9 per 100,000 people (median 15.2)
  • Physicians: 0.68 per 1,000 people (median 1.7)
  • Hospital beds: 0.97 per 1,000 people (median 2.4)
Air quality (PM2.5)
20.4µg/m³ · 2023

Above the world median (17.3) · lower is better

WHO guideline: 5 µg/m³

Road deaths
16.9per 100,000 people · 2019

Above the world median (15.2) · lower is better

Physicians
0.68per 1,000 people · 2018

Below the world median (1.7) · higher is better

Hospital beds
0.97per 1,000 people · 2022

Below the world median (2.4) · higher is better

Life expectancy at birth
75.1years · 2024

Close to the world median (74.7) · higher is better

New displacements, conflict
0.04per 1,000 people · 2023

Below the world median (0.48) · lower is better

280 people in total

New displacements, disasters
0.09per 1,000 people · 2023

Below the world median (0.73) · lower is better

660 people in total

Security and violence

Structural risk (INFORM) · 2026

4.3/10 — medium

Composite index by the JRC (European Commission): hazards & exposure, vulnerability, coping capacity. Structural background — not today's alerts.

11.3homicides per 100,000 people (2021)

Above the world median (2.3).

Source: UNODC, via the World Bank (CC BY 4.0)

Homicides are the only crime figure that exists worldwide under an open licence. It says nothing about theft or scams — no reliable worldwide data exists for those; official state advisories are the honest day-to-day reference.

National figures, published once a year and often a few years behind: an order of magnitude for daily life, never the situation right now. Sources: World Bank (CC BY 4.0)

Nicaragua: natural disasters and risks in figures

Last 30 days · 10 events

Eventsof which severe
  • Earthquake9
  • Volcano1

Last 12 months · 23 events

Eventsof which severe
  • Earthquake10
  • Volcano6
  • Wildfire3
  • Flood2
  • Epidemic11 1 severe
  • Travel advisory1

By month

Eventsof which severe
11
12
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
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What travellers lived

What people who stayed there report. A feeling is not a risk level: these figures complement official data, they don't replace it.

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Mira informs you. Mira is not an emergency service — in an emergency, call local emergency services. Some of this page's content is generated with the help of AI from sourced, quantified data.

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