Military Strength: 
Costa Rica vs 
Nicaragua
Costa Rica fields 10,000 active troops vs 12,000 for Nicaragua. Costa Rica's $0.6B defense budget is 5.8:1 that of Nicaragua ($0.10B).
Key figures
| Costa Rica | Nicaragua | Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defense budget | $572M | $98M | 🇨🇷 5.8× |
| – share of GDP | 0.6% | 0.5% | 🇨🇷 1.2× |
| Active personnel | 10,000 | 12,000 | 🇳🇮 1.2× |
| Combat aircraft | 0 | 0 | — |
| Warships | 0 | 0 | — |
| – submarines | 0 | 0 | — |
| Main battle tanks | 0 | 89 | 🇳🇮 |
| Nuclear warheads | 0 | 0 | — |
Show full breakdown · 11 more rowsHide the 11 extra rows
| Reserve troops | 0 | 0 | — |
| Paramilitary forces | 9,800 | 0 | 🇨🇷 |
| Military aircraft (all types) | 0 | 17 | 🇳🇮 |
| – helicopters | 0 | 11 | 🇳🇮 |
| Budget share of govt spending | — | — | — |
| Budget per capita | $112 | $14 | 🇨🇷 7.8× |
| Population | 5.1M | 6.9M | 🇳🇮 1.3× |
| GDP | $95B | $20B | 🇨🇷 4.8× |
| GDP per capita | $18,587 | $2,848 | 🇨🇷 6.5× |
| Land area | 51,060 km² | 119,990 km² | 🇳🇮 2.3× |
| Coastline | 1,290 km | 910 km | 🇨🇷 1.4× |
Defense budget history Costa Rica ×1.3 · Nicaragua ×1.3 since 2020
Military personnel history
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who has more military personnel, Costa Rica or Nicaragua?
Nicaragua has approximately 12,000 active military personnel compared to Costa Rica's 10,000.
Which country spends more on defense, Costa Rica or Nicaragua?
Costa Rica has a larger defense budget at $572 million (5.8:1 more) compared to Nicaragua's $98 million annually.
Do Costa Rica and Nicaragua have nuclear weapons?
Neither Costa Rica nor Nicaragua currently possesses nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of Costa Rica and Nicaragua compare?
Nicaragua operates 89 main battle tanks compared to Costa Rica's 0. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.