Nicaragua Military Spending
Nicaragua spends an estimated 0.6% of GDP on its military in 2026; its most recent reported expenditure in US dollars is $115 million (2025).
Defense budget and military expenditure data (1968–2027)
Data updated: July 7, 2026
Key Facts (2026 estimate)
Military Expenditure
$118 million
Ranked #134 of 153 countries worldwide
Percent of GDP
0.6%
Ranked #153 of 163 countries by % of GDP
Year-over-Year Change
+2.6%
From $115M in 2025
Historical Peak Spending
$121 million
Reached in 1990
How the 2026 figures are produced. Neither figure is a researched budget estimate. The share-of-GDP figure is the arithmetic mean of Nicaragua’s last 3 reported years (2023–2025), carried across both estimate years unchanged. The dollar figure is not a per-country forecast — it is the actual SIPRI figure for 2025 raised by a flat 3%, the same rate applied to every country in this group, so it can rise even where the share-of-GDP path falls. Actual SIPRI figures for Nicaragua run to 2025.
Nicaragua Defense Budget Summary
In 2026, Nicaragua is estimated to have spent $118 million on military and defense, representing 0.6% of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This budget covers the armed forces including army, navy, and air force expenditures. Nicaragua is the #134 highest military spender in the world by absolute spending.
Compared to the previous year (2025), defense spending increased by 2.6%, from $115 million to $118 million. This change in the military budget reflects growing defense priorities.
The highest percentage of GDP allocated to defense spending was 4.3% in 1981. The historical average military budget is 1.2% of GDP.
Data source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database. Values are in constant 2024 US dollars. Data for 2026 is an estimate based on government budget announcements.
Historical Military Spending
Military Spending (% of GDP)
Military Spending (USD Billions, 2024 prices)
Historical Data
| Year | Percent of GDP | USD (millions) |
|---|---|---|
| 2027(estimate) | 0.55% | $122M |
| 2026(estimate) | 0.55% | $118M |
| 2025 | 0.56% | $115M |
| 2024 | 0.55% | $109M |
| 2023 | 0.55% | $103M |
| 2022 | 0.54% | $93M |
| 2021 | 0.55% | $93M |
| 2020 | 0.63% | $98M |
| 2019 | 0.61% | $94M |
| 2018 | 0.63% | $101M |
| 2017 | 0.63% | $107M |
| 2016 | 0.64% | $104M |
| 2015 | 0.78% | $119M |
| 2014 | 0.69% | $97M |
| 2013 | 0.68% | $90M |
| 2012 | 0.67% | $86M |
| 2011 | 0.53% | $65M |
| 2010 | 0.51% | $57M |
| 2009 | 0.50% | $54M |
| 2008 | 0.50% | $55M |
| 2007 | 0.53% | $58M |
| 2006 | 0.55% | $58M |
| 2005 | 0.70% | $55M |
| 2004 | 0.73% | $55M |
| 2003 | 0.86% | $61M |
| 2002 | 0.87% | $60M |
| 2001 | 0.68% | $47M |
| 2000 | 0.78% | $52M |
| 1999 | 0.72% | $45M |
| 1998 | 0.74% | $44M |
| 1997 | 0.89% | $51M |
| 1996 | 0.95% | $52M |
| 1995 | 1.10% | $58M |
| 1994 | 1.19% | $57M |
| 1993 | 2.10% | $57M |
| 1992 | 2.63% | $67M |
| 1991 | 4.00% | $100M |
| 1990 | — | $121M |
| 1981 | 4.34% | $0M |
| 1980 | 3.35% | $0M |
| 1979 | 3.10% | $0M |
| 1978 | 3.22% | $0M |
| 1977 | 2.47% | $0M |
| 1976 | 2.07% | $0M |
| 1975 | 1.75% | $0M |
| 1974 | 1.45% | $0M |
| 1973 | 1.42% | $0M |
| 1972 | 1.87% | $0M |
| 1971 | 1.51% | — |
| 1970 | 1.58% | — |
| 1969 | 1.38% | — |
| 1968 | 1.46% | — |