Military expenditure in Nicaragua
Nicaragua: Military expenditure was 0.5% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
0.5%
Change on year
down 1.7%
World rank
153rd
of 165 countries
All-time high
4.3%
in 1981
All-time low
0.5%
in 2008
Years of data
48
1968–2024
Military expenditure in Nicaragua, 1968–2024
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2024, military expenditure in Nicaragua stood at 0.5%.
The figure is down 1.7% on the previous year and down 20.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in Nicaragua peaked at 4.3% in 1981 and was at its lowest, 0.5%, in 2008.
That places Nicaragua 153rd out of 165 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Military expenditure in Nicaragua, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 1.5% | — |
| 1969 | 1.4% | -5.7% |
| 1970 | 1.6% | +15.0% |
| 1971 | 1.5% | -5.0% |
| 1972 | 1.9% | +24.0% |
| 1973 | 1.4% | -23.9% |
| 1974 | 1.5% | +2.3% |
| 1975 | 1.7% | +20.1% |
| 1976 | 2.1% | +18.4% |
| 1977 | 2.5% | +19.3% |
| 1978 | 3.2% | +30.7% |
| 1979 | 3.1% | -3.6% |
| 1980 | 3.3% | +7.8% |
| 1981 | 4.3% | +29.6% |
| 1991 | 4.0% | -7.7% |
| 1992 | 2.6% | -34.2% |
| 1993 | 2.1% | -20.1% |
| 1994 | 1.2% | -43.4% |
| 1995 | 1.1% | -7.3% |
| 1996 | 0.9% | -13.9% |
| 1997 | 0.9% | -5.8% |
| 1998 | 0.7% | -17.8% |
| 1999 | 0.7% | -2.2% |
| 2000 | 0.8% | +8.8% |
| 2001 | 0.7% | -12.7% |
| 2002 | 0.9% | +26.6% |
| 2003 | 0.9% | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 0.7% | -15.1% |
| 2005 | 0.7% | -4.2% |
| 2006 | 0.6% | -21.3% |
| 2007 | 0.5% | -3.5% |
| 2008 | 0.5% | -5.6% |
| 2009 | 0.5% | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 0.5% | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 0.5% | +4.1% |
| 2012 | 0.7% | +26.5% |
| 2013 | 0.7% | +1.9% |
| 2014 | 0.7% | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 0.8% | +13.2% |
| 2016 | 0.6% | -17.5% |
| 2017 | 0.6% | -2.1% |
| 2018 | 0.6% | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 0.6% | -3.5% |
| 2020 | 0.6% | +4.1% |
| 2021 | 0.5% | -12.7% |
| 2022 | 0.5% | -2.3% |
| 2023 | 0.6% | +3.3% |
| 2024 | 0.5% | -1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1.5% | 2 |
| 1970s | 2.0% | 1.4% | 3.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.8% | 3.3% | 4.3% | 2 |
| 1990s | 1.6% | 0.7% | 4.0% | 9 |
| 2000s | 0.7% | 0.5% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Nicaragua
- 150 Republic of Moldova 0.6% compare
- 151 Gambia 0.6% compare
- 152 Nigeria 0.6% compare
- 154 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 0.5% compare
- 155 Sierra Leone 0.5% compare
- 156 Malta 0.5% compare
More public sector data for Nicaragua
- Arms imports 13.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2019)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 2.01 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2019)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.001 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2019)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate -91.86 % change on previous year (2017)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), gaps filled 13.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2019)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per capita 15.22 current USD per person (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per unit of GDP 0.0053 current USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), annual growth rate 6.77 % change on previous year (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), gaps filled 105.26 million current USD (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per square kilometre 108.03 SIPRI trend indicator values per square kilometre (2019)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure in Nicaragua?
- Military expenditure in Nicaragua was 0.5% in 2024, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest military expenditure recorded in Nicaragua?
- The highest recorded value was 4.3% in 1981.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in Nicaragua?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.5% in 2008.
- How does Nicaragua rank for military expenditure?
- Nicaragua ranks 153rd out of 165 countries with data for 2024.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in Nicaragua?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nicaragua data come from?
- The figures come from SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published as part of Military expenditure (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Military expenditure by country as percentage of gross domestic product