Costa Rica vs Nicaragua
Costa Rica vs Nicaragua: Military share of state spending
Military share of state spending in 2025: 0% of government spending in Costa Rica and 2.1% of government spending in Nicaragua, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Nicaragua, by 2.1 percentage points.
% of government spending · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Nicaragua has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2000.
Every year
% of government spending · SIPRI
| Year | Costa Rica | Nicaragua |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0 | 2.1 |
| 2024 | 0 | 2 |
| 2023 | 0 | 2.1 |
| 2022 | 0 | 1.9 |
| 2021 | 0 | 1.8 |
| 2020 | 0 | 2.2 |
| 2019 | 0 | 2.2 |
| 2018 | 0 | 2.3 |
| 2017 | 0 | 2.3 |
| 2016 | 0 | 2.4 |
| 2015 | 0 | 3 |
| 2014 | 0 | 2.8 |
| 2013 | 0 | 2.8 |
| 2012 | 0 | 2.8 |
| 2011 | 0 | 2.2 |
| 2010 | 0 | 2.2 |
| 2009 | 0 | 2.2 |
| 2008 | 0 | 2.3 |
| 2007 | 0 | 2.5 |
| 2006 | 0 | 2.6 |
| 2005 | 0 | 2.5 |
| 2004 | 0 | 2.7 |
| 2003 | 0 | 3.2 |
| 2002 | 0 | 3.6 |
| 2001 | 0 | 2.7 |
| 2000 | 0 | 2.9 |
| 1999 | 0 | – |
| 1998 | 0 | – |
| 1997 | 0 | – |
| 1996 | 0 | – |
| 1995 | 0 | – |
| 1994 | 0 | – |
| 1993 | 0 | – |
| 1992 | 0 | – |
| 1991 | 0 | – |
| 1990 | 0 | – |
| 1989 | 0 | – |
| 1988 | 0 | – |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The part of everything the government spends that goes on its armed forces and defence, by SIPRI’s count.
- Source: Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Military Expenditure Database, https://doi.org/10.55163/CQGC9685.
- Ranks count the 150 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
- 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