Military personnel as a share of total population in Nicaragua

Nicaragua: Military personnel as a share of total population was 0.1783 in 2022. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2022)
0.1783
Change on year
down 1.3%
World rank
117th
of 194 countries
All-time high
2.29
in 1987
All-time low
0.1567
in 1920
Years of data
117
1900–2022

Military personnel as a share of total population in Nicaragua, 1900–2022

00.511.522.5190019612022

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for military personnel as a share of total population in Nicaragua is 0.1783, measured in 2022.

The figure is down 1.3% on the previous year and down 11.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, military personnel as a share of total population in Nicaragua peaked at 2.29 in 1987 and was at its lowest, 0.1567, in 1920.

That places Nicaragua 117th out of 194 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Military personnel as a share of total population in Nicaragua, year by year

Annual values for Military personnel as a share of total population in Nicaragua, 1900 to 2022.
Year Value Change
1900 0.4751 —
1901 0.4619 -2.8%
1902 0.4435 -4.0%
1903 0.431 -2.8%
1904 0.4167 -3.3%
1905 0.4065 -2.4%
1906 0.7921 +94.9%
1907 0.7767 -1.9%
1908 0.7648 -1.5%
1909 0.7519 -1.7%
1910 0.7407 -1.5%
1911 0.726 -2.0%
1912 0.7143 -1.6%
1913 0.7018 -1.8%
1914 0.6897 -1.7%
1915 0.6768 -1.9%
1916 0.3322 -50.9%
1917 0.3279 -1.3%
1918 0.3221 -1.8%
1919 0.3175 -1.4%
1920 0.1567 -50.6%
1921 0.3106 +98.1%
1922 0.3077 -0.9%
1923 0.458 +48.9%
1924 0.4545 -0.8%
1925 0.4518 -0.6%
1926 0.4491 -0.6%
1927 0.4478 -0.3%
1928 0.4451 -0.6%
1929 0.4412 -0.9%
1930 0.4386 -0.6%
1931 0.4348 -0.9%
1932 0.2886 -33.6%
1933 0.4304 +49.1%
1934 0.2813 -34.6%
1935 0.2747 -2.3%
1936 0.2681 -2.4%
1937 0.3922 +46.3%
1938 0.2548 -35.0%
1939 0.4963 +94.8%
1946 0.3161 -36.3%
1947 0.3071 -2.9%
1948 0.2997 -2.4%
1949 0.2918 -2.6%
1950 0.2852 -2.3%
1951 0.277 -2.9%
1952 0.2688 -3.0%
1953 0.2611 -2.9%
1954 0.2536 -2.9%
1955 0.2463 -2.9%
1956 0.239 -2.9%
1957 0.3096 +29.5%
1958 0.3008 -2.9%
1959 0.365 +21.4%
1960 0.3544 -2.9%
1961 0.3441 -2.9%
1962 0.3342 -2.9%
1963 0.3245 -2.9%
1964 0.38 +17.1%
1965 0.3706 -2.5%
1966 0.3614 -2.5%
1967 0.3527 -2.4%
1968 0.344 -2.5%
1969 0.3356 -2.5%
1970 0.2923 -12.9%
1971 0.3176 +8.7%
1972 0.3069 -3.4%
1973 0.2978 -3.0%
1974 0.2875 -3.5%
1975 0.2076 -27.8%
1976 0.2228 +7.3%
1977 0.2581 +15.8%
1978 0.249 -3.5%
1979 0.2269 -8.9%
1980 0.8661 +281.7%
1981 1.36 +56.8%
1982 1.39 +2.1%
1983 1.5 +8.5%
1984 2.12 +40.8%
1985 2.26 +6.8%
1986 2.22 -2.0%
1987 2.29 +3.1%
1988 2.04 -10.6%
1989 1.74 -15.0%
1990 0.7233 -58.3%
1991 0.5001 -30.9%
1992 0.3631 -27.4%
1993 0.3517 -3.1%
1994 0.3181 -9.6%
1995 0.3084 -3.0%
1996 0.3303 +7.1%
1997 0.3218 -2.6%
1998 0.2912 -9.5%
1999 0.243 -16.6%
2000 0.3153 +29.8%
2001 0.3092 -1.9%
2002 0.2667 -13.8%
2003 0.2633 -1.3%
2004 0.2599 -1.3%
2005 0.2566 -1.3%
2006 0.2534 -1.3%
2007 0.2502 -1.3%
2008 0.247 -1.3%
2009 0.2089 -15.4%
2010 0.2061 -1.4%
2011 0.2032 -1.4%
2012 0.2003 -1.5%
2013 0.2018 +0.8%
2014 0.1995 -1.1%
2015 0.1973 -1.1%
2016 0.1951 -1.1%
2017 0.19 -2.6%
2018 0.1875 -1.3%
2019 0.1851 -1.3%
2020 0.1828 -1.2%
2021 0.1806 -1.2%
2022 0.1783 -1.3%

Nicaragua compared with similar countries

  • Nicaragua's 0.1783 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.1521, 1.2× the median. (46 countries reporting)
  • Nicaragua's 0.1783 is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 0.2113, 84% of the median. (33 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Military personnel as a share of total population in Nicaragua changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
1980 +281.7% 0.2269 0.8661
1921 +98.1% 0.1567 0.3106
1906 +94.9% 0.4065 0.7921
1939 +94.8% 0.2548 0.4963
1981 +56.8% 0.8661 1.36
1990 -58.3% 1.74 0.7233

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1900s 0.572 0.4065 0.7921 10
1910s 0.5549 0.3175 0.7407 10
1920s 0.3923 0.1567 0.458 10
1930s 0.356 0.2548 0.4963 10
1940s 0.3037 0.2918 0.3161 4
1950s 0.2806 0.239 0.365 10
1960s 0.3502 0.3245 0.38 10
1970s 0.2666 0.2076 0.3176 10
1980s 1.78 0.8661 2.29 10
1990s 0.3751 0.243 0.7233 10
2000s 0.2631 0.2089 0.3153 10
2010s 0.1966 0.1851 0.2061 10
2020s 0.1806 0.1783 0.1828 3

Countries ranked near Nicaragua

  1. 114 Zimbabwe 0.1805 compare
  2. 115 Comoros 0.1795 compare
  3. 116 Chad 0.1788 compare
  4. 118 Central African Republic 0.1765 compare
  5. 119 New Zealand 0.1754 compare
  6. 120 Brazil 0.1745 compare

See the full ranking of 194 places →

More population data for Nicaragua

All data for Nicaragua →

Frequently asked questions

What is military personnel as a share of total population in Nicaragua?
Military personnel as a share of total population in Nicaragua was 0.1783 in 2022, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest military personnel as a share of total population recorded in Nicaragua?
The highest recorded value was 2.29 in 1987.
What is the lowest military personnel as a share of total population recorded in Nicaragua?
The lowest recorded value was 0.1567 in 1920.
How does Nicaragua rank for military personnel as a share of total population?
Nicaragua ranks 117th out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
Is military personnel as a share of total population rising or falling in Nicaragua?
Over the last ten years it is down 11.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Nicaragua data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Military personnel as a share of total population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Military personnel as a share of total population in Nicaragua. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 12 November 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/military-personnel-as-a-share-of-total-population/nicaragua/

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About this data

Indicator
Military personnel as a share of total population
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
194 places, 15,765 data points, 1816–2022
Last refreshed