Financial Literacy in Nicaragua

Financial literacy is the ability to understand how money works, it refers to the set of skills and knowledge that allows an individual to make informed and effective decisions with all of their financial resources. Raising financial literacy levels is a major concern around the world, because it affects how people save, spend, and invest, as well as their ability to create and grow income. However, Nicaragua is far behind. I started working under the assumption that financial literacy levels in Nicaragua were very low, because of a series of factors. Among them, the macro and micro economic conditions –including poverty level and education-, the unawareness from the government of the importance of financial literacy in people’s lives, the lack of financial advisors nationwide, etc. To prove my theory, I decided to do a 25 question, online survey in Nicaragua. During a one week period, 343 people from all age ranges answered it and provided me with insights that allowed me to analyze their financial health, as well as their relationship with money. The three main objectives I was looking to accomplish with the survey were: to determine the current situation of financial literacy in Nicaragua, to evaluate the market’s needs regarding personal finance, and to assess the potential market for a personal finance in advisor. After reviewing the particular socio-economic conditions of the country, I guide you through the questionnaire Nicaraguans had to answer, and provide results and analysis based on them. The lack of financial culture in the country is evident from the beginning till the end of the questionnaire, but the results offer a starting point to increase financial literacy levels. Some of the main conclusions delivered by this analysis are that people tend to overestimate their financial knowledge and rate their performance and actions better than they actually are, and that most of them are eager to learn about personal finance and lead a healthier financial life