Costa Rica vs Nicaragua
Costa Rica vs Nicaragua: Government debt
Government debt in 2025: 60.4% of GDP in Costa Rica and 34.6% of GDP in Nicaragua, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Costa Rica, by 25.8 percentage points, or 1.74 times that in Nicaragua.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Costa Rica has been higher since 2011, when it overtook Nicaragua.
- In 2025, Costa Rica ranked 55 and Nicaragua ranked 117 of 149 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Costa Rica at 62.4% of GDP and Nicaragua at 26.8% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Costa Rica | Nicaragua |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 60.4 | 34.6 |
| 2024 | 58.9 | 37.9 |
| 2023 | 60.4 | 42.4 |
| 2022 | 61.4 | 45.9 |
| 2021 | 67 | 48.4 |
| 2020 | 66.5 | 49.2 |
| 2019 | 56.1 | 44.2 |
| 2018 | 51.7 | 39.1 |
| 2017 | 47.1 | 34.7 |
| 2016 | 44.1 | 30.9 |
| 2015 | 39.8 | 28.9 |
| 2014 | 37.4 | 28.7 |
| 2013 | 35.1 | 28.8 |
| 2012 | 33.7 | 27.9 |
| 2011 | 29.5 | 28.8 |
| 2010 | 28.1 | 30.4 |
| 2009 | 26 | 29.3 |
| 2008 | 24 | 26 |
| 2007 | 27 | 30.9 |
| 2006 | 33 | 51.2 |
| 2005 | 37.3 | 66.6 |
| 2004 | 41 | 84.1 |
| 2003 | 40.6 | 109.5 |
| 2002 | 41.4 | 110.4 |
| 2001 | 39.6 | 87.5 |
| 2000 | 38.9 | 95.2 |
| 1999 | 39 | 99.8 |
| 1998 | 40.7 | 86.5 |
| 1997 | 30.6 | 86.4 |
| 1996 | 33.7 | – |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Costa Rica | Nicaragua |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 61.8 | 31.7 |
| 2027 | 62.8 | 28.8 |
| 2028 | 63.3 | 28.4 |
| 2029 | 63.3 | 27.9 |
| 2030 | 63 | 27 |
| 2031 | 62.4 | 26.8 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the government owes, as a share of the economy’s yearly output.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 149 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
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