Costa Rica vs Nicaragua

Costa Rica vs Nicaragua: Military spending

Military spending in 2025: 0% of GDP in Costa Rica and 0.56% of GDP in Nicaragua, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Nicaragua, by 0.56 percentage points.

Watch it change on the map

% of GDP · SIPRI

Costa Rica vs Nicaragua: Military spendingMilitary spending in 2025: 0% of GDP in Costa Rica and 0.56% of GDP in Nicaragua, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Nicaragua, by 0.56 percentage points.
Costa RicaNicaragua

What the numbers say

  • Nicaragua has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1968.

Every year

% of GDP · SIPRI

YearCosta RicaNicaragua
202500.56
202400.55
202300.55
202200.54
202100.55
202000.63
201900.61
201800.63
201700.63
201600.64
201500.78
201400.69
201300.68
201200.67
201100.53
201000.51
200900.5
200800.5
200700.53
200600.55
200500.7
200400.73
200300.86
200200.87
200100.68
200000.78
199900.72
199800.74
199700.89
199600.95
199501.1
199401.19
199302.1
199202.63
199104
19900–
19890–
19880–
19870–
19860–
19850–
19840–
19830–
19820–
198104.34
198003.35
197903.11
197803.22
197702.47
197602.07
197501.75
197401.45
197301.42
197201.87
197101.51
197001.58
196901.38
196801.46
19670–
19660–
19650–
19640–
19630–
19620–
19610–
19600–
19590–
19580–
19570–
19560–
19550–
19540–
19530–
19520–
19510–
19500–
19490–

Each country on its own

Good to know

  • What the country spends on its armed forces and defence, as a share of its economy, 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 151 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

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