Costa Rica vs Nicaragua
Costa Rica vs Nicaragua: GDP per person
GDP per person in 2025: $15,670 in Costa Rica and $2,372 in Nicaragua, by World Bank estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Costa Rica, by $13,298, or 6.61 times that in Nicaragua.
US dollars at 2015 prices · World Bank
What the numbers say
- Costa Rica has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1960.
- In 2025, Costa Rica ranked 58 and Nicaragua ranked 137 of 186 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: $12,130 in 2025.
Every year
US dollars at 2015 prices · World Bank
| Year | Costa Rica | Nicaragua | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $15,670 | $2,372 | $12,130 |
| 2024 | $15,050 | $2,290 | $11,890 |
| 2023 | $14,530 | $2,241 | $11,670 |
| 2022 | $13,930 | $2,176 | $11,450 |
| 2021 | $13,270 | $2,128 | $11,170 |
| 2020 | $12,320 | $1,950 | $10,580 |
| 2019 | $12,940 | $2,020 | $11,000 |
| 2018 | $12,710 | $2,107 | $10,820 |
| 2017 | $12,470 | $2,210 | $10,590 |
| 2016 | $12,080 | $2,140 | $10,360 |
| 2015 | $11,710 | $2,074 | $10,190 |
| 2014 | $11,420 | $2,007 | $10,000 |
| 2013 | $11,150 | $1,941 | $9,811 |
| 2012 | $11,000 | $1,876 | $9,654 |
| 2011 | $10,610 | $1,787 | $9,515 |
| 2010 | $10,290 | $1,704 | $9,322 |
| 2009 | $9,884 | $1,656 | $9,028 |
| 2008 | $10,100 | $1,737 | $9,266 |
| 2007 | $9,780 | $1,703 | $9,191 |
| 2006 | $9,160 | $1,644 | $8,913 |
| 2005 | $8,655 | $1,601 | $8,639 |
| 2004 | $8,446 | $1,556 | $8,409 |
| 2003 | $8,207 | $1,495 | $8,151 |
| 2002 | $7,990 | $1,475 | $8,011 |
| 2001 | $7,854 | $1,482 | $7,932 |
| 2000 | $7,727 | $1,458 | $7,880 |
| 1999 | $7,589 | $1,420 | $7,639 |
| 1998 | $7,440 | $1,346 | $7,479 |
| 1997 | $7,100 | $1,318 | $7,382 |
| 1996 | $6,885 | $1,289 | $7,203 |
| 1995 | $6,954 | $1,235 | $7,058 |
| 1994 | $6,839 | $1,190 | $6,944 |
| 1993 | $6,706 | $1,176 | $6,819 |
| 1992 | $6,420 | $1,207 | $6,801 |
| 1991 | $6,030 | $1,230 | $6,773 |
| 1990 | $6,049 | $1,261 | $6,804 |
| 1989 | $5,990 | $1,291 | $6,741 |
| 1988 | $5,814 | $1,345 | $6,620 |
| 1987 | $5,768 | $1,572 | $6,446 |
| 1986 | $5,653 | $1,620 | $6,326 |
| 1985 | $5,503 | $1,676 | $6,233 |
| 1984 | $5,616 | $1,789 | $6,120 |
| 1983 | $5,344 | $1,863 | $5,947 |
| 1982 | $5,340 | $1,829 | $5,903 |
| 1981 | $5,920 | $1,895 | $5,986 |
| 1980 | $6,224 | $1,850 | $5,980 |
| 1979 | $6,348 | $1,818 | $5,978 |
| 1978 | $6,214 | $2,540 | $5,843 |
| 1977 | $6,006 | $2,837 | $5,710 |
| 1976 | $5,662 | $2,697 | $5,591 |
| 1975 | $5,507 | $2,643 | $5,410 |
| 1974 | $5,534 | $2,729 | $5,467 |
| 1973 | $5,378 | $2,465 | $5,465 |
| 1972 | $5,122 | $2,384 | $5,236 |
| 1971 | $4,860 | $2,401 | $5,061 |
| 1970 | $4,674 | $2,398 | $4,964 |
| 1969 | $4,469 | $2,441 | $4,885 |
| 1968 | $4,357 | $2,371 | $4,707 |
| 1967 | $4,136 | $2,414 | $4,535 |
| 1966 | $4,037 | $2,329 | $4,461 |
| 1965 | $3,898 | $2,325 | $4,321 |
| 1964 | $3,725 | $2,189 | $4,176 |
| 1963 | $3,721 | $2,020 | $3,999 |
| 1962 | $3,608 | $1,878 | $3,889 |
| 1961 | $3,549 | $1,745 | $3,759 |
| 1960 | $3,616 | $1,672 | $3,667 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The value of everything produced in the country in a year, divided by its people, in 2015 US dollars so that years compare.
- Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators.
- Ranks count the 186 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Costa Rica vs Nicaragua
Health
- Life expectancyCosta Rica: 80.8 years in 2023Nicaragua: 75 years in 2023
- Child mortalityCosta Rica: 1 per 100 live births in 2024Nicaragua: 1.1 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityCosta Rica: 6.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023Nicaragua: 12.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterCosta Rica: 80.5% in 2022Nicaragua: 55.5% in 2020
- DepressionCosta Rica: 2.91% in 2017Nicaragua: 2.85% in 2017
- Suicide rateCosta Rica: 7.8 per 100,000 people in 2017Nicaragua: 5.9 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationCosta Rica: 5.11 million people in 2023Nicaragua: 6.82 million people in 2023
- Population growthCosta Rica: 0.49% a year in 2023Nicaragua: 1.36% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateCosta Rica: 1.33 births per woman in 2023Nicaragua: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationCosta Rica: 79.7% in 2025Nicaragua: 59.4% in 2025
- Median ageCosta Rica: 34.1 years in 2023Nicaragua: 25.3 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overCosta Rica: 11.7% in 2023Nicaragua: 5.4% in 2023
- Net migration rateCosta Rica: 0.2 per 1,000 people in 2023Nicaragua: -1.2 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingCosta Rica: 0% of GDP in 2025Nicaragua: 0.56% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsCosta Rica: $0 in 2025Nicaragua: $115M in 2025
- Military spending per personCosta Rica: $0 in 2025Nicaragua: $17 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingCosta Rica: 0% of government spending in 2025Nicaragua: 2.1% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelCosta Rica: 10,000 people in 2020Nicaragua: 12,000 people in 2020
- National powerCosta Rica: 0.03% of world capability in 2022Nicaragua: 0.04% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersCosta Rica: 0.41% of the labour force in 2020Nicaragua: 0.41% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsCosta Rica: 8 million TIV in 2019Nicaragua: 13 million TIV in 2019
- Arms exportsCosta Rica: 3 million TIV in 2009Nicaragua: 18 million TIV in 1993