Nicaragua vs South Africa: Military spending as a share of government spending
Nicaragua
2.0%
in 2025
South Africa
2.2%
in 2025
Nicaragua rank
149th
South Africa rank
146th
Military spending as a share of government spending over time
- Nicaragua
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 2.2% against 2.0% in Nicaragua, a difference of 0.2%.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Nicaragua's.
Across all 26 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
Nicaragua ranks 149th and South Africa ranks 146th of 162 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Nicaragua | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2.7% | 5.0% | 2.3% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 2.5% | 3.3% | 0.8% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 2.0% | 2.5% | 0.5% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military spending as a share of government spending, Nicaragua or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 2.2% against 2.0% in Nicaragua as of 2025.
- What is the difference in military spending as a share of government spending between Nicaragua and South Africa?
- 0.2%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Nicaragua and South Africa?
- 26 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2025.
- How do Nicaragua and South Africa rank globally for military spending as a share of government spending?
- Nicaragua ranks 149th and South Africa ranks 146th of 162 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Military spending as a share of government spending. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Total military expenditure divided by government spending.