Costa Rica vs Nicaragua: Chief executive of the government is chosen in multi-party elections
Costa Rica
1
in 2025
Nicaragua
1
in 2025
Costa Rica rank
1st
Nicaragua rank
1st
Chief executive of the government is chosen in multi-party elections over time
- Costa Rica
- Nicaragua
How they compare
Costa Rica currently reports 1 against 1 in Nicaragua, a difference of 0.
The two have swapped places 10 times across 188 shared years of data; in 1838 it was Nicaragua ahead.
Costa Rica ranks 1st and Nicaragua ranks 1st of 176 countries.
Across the 20 decades both report, Costa Rica averaged higher in 7 and Nicaragua in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Costa Rica | Nicaragua | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1830s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1840s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1850s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1860s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1870s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1880s | 0.1 | 0 | 0.1 | Costa Rica |
| 1890s | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | Nicaragua |
| 1900s | 1 | 0 | 1 | Costa Rica |
| 1910s | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.5 | Costa Rica |
| 1920s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1930s | 1 | 0.6 | 0.4 | Costa Rica |
| 1940s | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.7 | Costa Rica |
| 1950s | 0.7 | 1 | 0.3 | Nicaragua |
| 1960s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1970s | 1 | 0.9 | 0.1 | Costa Rica |
| 1980s | 1 | 0.5 | 0.5 | Costa Rica |
| 1990s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2000s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2010s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2020s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher chief executive of the government is chosen in multi-party elections, Costa Rica or Nicaragua?
- Costa Rica, at 1 against 1 in Nicaragua as of 2025.
- What is the difference in chief executive of the government is chosen in multi-party elections between Costa Rica and Nicaragua?
- 0, with Costa Rica ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and Nicaragua?
- 188 years are reported by both, from 1838 to 2025.
- How do Costa Rica and Nicaragua rank globally for chief executive of the government is chosen in multi-party elections?
- Costa Rica ranks 1st and Nicaragua ranks 1st of 176 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Chief executive of the government is chosen in multi-party elections. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Data by Lührmann et al. (2018) and V-Dem. "Chief executive" is defined here as the head of state or the head of government, whoever has more power over the appointment and dismissal of cabinet ministers.