Costa Rica vs Nicaragua
Costa Rica vs Nicaragua: National power
National power in 2022: 0.03% of world capability in Costa Rica and 0.04% of world capability in Nicaragua, by Correlates of War estimates. In 2022 the value was higher in Nicaragua, by 0.01 percentage points, or 1.42 times that in Costa Rica.
% of world capability · Correlates of War
What the numbers say
- Nicaragua has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1920.
- In 2022, Costa Rica ranked 136 and Nicaragua ranked 129 of 195 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of world capability · Correlates of War
| Year | Costa Rica | Nicaragua |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 0.03 | 0.04 |
| 2021 | 0.03 | 0.04 |
| 2020 | 0.03 | 0.04 |
| 2019 | 0.03 | 0.04 |
| 2018 | 0.03 | 0.04 |
| 2017 | 0.03 | 0.04 |
| 2016 | 0.03 | 0.03 |
| 2015 | 0.03 | 0.03 |
| 2014 | 0.03 | 0.03 |
| 2013 | 0.03 | 0.04 |
| 2012 | 0.03 | 0.03 |
| 2011 | 0.03 | 0.04 |
| 2010 | 0.03 | 0.03 |
| 2009 | 0.03 | 0.04 |
| 2008 | 0.03 | 0.04 |
| 2007 | 0.03 | 0.04 |
| 2006 | 0.03 | 0.04 |
| 2005 | 0.03 | 0.04 |
| 2004 | 0.03 | 0.04 |
| 2003 | 0.03 | 0.04 |
| 2002 | 0.03 | 0.04 |
| 2001 | 0.03 | 0.04 |
| 2000 | 0.03 | 0.04 |
| 1999 | 0.03 | 0.04 |
| 1998 | 0.03 | 0.04 |
| 1997 | 0.03 | 0.04 |
| 1996 | 0.03 | 0.04 |
| 1995 | 0.03 | 0.04 |
| 1994 | 0.03 | 0.04 |
| 1993 | 0.03 | 0.04 |
| 1992 | 0.03 | 0.04 |
| 1991 | 0.02 | 0.05 |
| 1990 | 0.02 | 0.05 |
| 1989 | 0.03 | 0.08 |
| 1988 | 0.02 | 0.07 |
| 1987 | 0.02 | 0.08 |
| 1986 | 0.02 | 0.08 |
| 1985 | 0.02 | 0.08 |
| 1984 | 0.02 | 0.08 |
| 1983 | 0.02 | 0.06 |
| 1982 | 0.02 | 0.06 |
| 1981 | 0.02 | 0.05 |
| 1980 | 0.02 | 0.04 |
| 1979 | 0.02 | 0.03 |
| 1978 | 0.02 | 0.03 |
| 1977 | 0.02 | 0.03 |
| 1976 | 0.02 | 0.03 |
| 1975 | 0.02 | 0.03 |
| 1974 | 0.02 | 0.03 |
| 1973 | 0.02 | 0.03 |
| 1972 | 0.02 | 0.03 |
| 1971 | 0.02 | 0.03 |
| 1970 | 0.02 | 0.03 |
| 1969 | 0.02 | 0.02 |
| 1968 | 0.02 | 0.02 |
| 1967 | 0.01 | 0.02 |
| 1966 | 0.01 | 0.02 |
| 1965 | 0.01 | 0.02 |
| 1964 | 0.01 | 0.02 |
| 1963 | 0.01 | 0.02 |
| 1962 | 0.01 | 0.02 |
| 1961 | 0.01 | 0.02 |
| 1960 | 0.01 | 0.02 |
| 1959 | 0.01 | 0.02 |
| 1958 | 0.01 | 0.02 |
| 1957 | 0.01 | 0.02 |
| 1956 | 0.01 | 0.02 |
| 1955 | 0.01 | 0.02 |
| 1954 | 0.01 | 0.02 |
| 1953 | 0.01 | 0.02 |
| 1952 | 0.01 | 0.02 |
| 1951 | 0.01 | 0.02 |
| 1950 | 0.01 | 0.02 |
| 1949 | 0.01 | 0.02 |
| 1948 | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| 1947 | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| 1946 | 0.01 | 0.02 |
| 1945 | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| 1944 | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| 1943 | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| 1942 | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| 1941 | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| 1940 | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| 1939 | 0.01 | 0.02 |
| 1938 | 0.01 | 0.02 |
| 1937 | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| 1936 | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| 1935 | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| 1934 | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| 1933 | 0.01 | 0.02 |
| 1932 | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| 1931 | 0.01 | 0.02 |
| 1930 | 0.01 | 0.02 |
| 1929 | 0.01 | 0.02 |
| 1928 | 0.01 | 0.02 |
| 1927 | 0.01 | 0.02 |
| 1926 | 0.01 | 0.02 |
| 1925 | 0.01 | 0.02 |
| 1924 | 0.01 | 0.02 |
| 1923 | 0.01 | 0.02 |
| 1922 | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| 1921 | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| 1920 | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| 1919 | – | 0.01 |
| 1918 | – | 0.01 |
| 1917 | – | 0.01 |
| 1916 | – | 0.01 |
| 1915 | – | 0.01 |
| 1914 | – | 0.02 |
| 1913 | – | 0.02 |
| 1912 | – | 0.02 |
| 1911 | – | 0.02 |
| 1910 | – | 0.02 |
| 1909 | – | 0.02 |
| 1908 | – | 0.02 |
| 1907 | – | 0.02 |
| 1906 | – | 0.02 |
| 1905 | – | 0.01 |
| 1904 | – | 0.02 |
| 1903 | – | 0.02 |
| 1902 | – | 0.01 |
| 1901 | – | 0.02 |
| 1900 | – | 0.02 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The Correlates of War’s Composite Index of National Capability: the country’s share of the world’s military spending, soldiers, iron and steel, energy use, people and city dwellers, averaged.
- Source: Correlates of War Project, National Material Capabilities v7.0; Singer, Bremer and Stuckey (1972), “Capability Distribution, Uncertainty, and Major Power War, 1820–1965”, in Bruce Russett (ed.), Peace, War, and Numbers, Sage, 19–48.
- Ranks count the 195 countries with a value in 2022, 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
- 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