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Nicaragua Military Strength 2026

Rank #85 of 145

Nicaragua is ranked #85 of 145 nations on the Warfare Institute Strength Index, with a provisional score of 0.7 / 100. The comparable baseline weighs air power, land and naval forces, active manpower and financials, adjusted for equipment quality and readiness.

Category scores

Air Superiority0
Air DefenseNot scored
Long-Range StrikeNot scored
Land Forces1.1
Naval Forces0
Logistics0.1
Manpower4.8
Financials0.2

Key figures

Active personnel
45,000
Reserve personnel
0
Total aircraft
17
Fighters
0
Attack helicopters
0
Tanks
186
Armored vehicles
6,344
Self-propelled artillery
0
Rocket artillery (MLRS)
151
Naval vessels
23
Aircraft carriers
0
Submarines
0
Defense budget
$1.3B
Population
6,676,948

What the ranking shows

Nicaragua scores 0.7 out of 100. Its highest category score is Manpower (4.8); its lowest is Naval Forces (<0.1). Category scores compare this country with the strongest inventory in each category, rather than measuring the probability of winning a war.

The inventory reports 45,000 active personnel, 0 fighters, 186 tanks and 23 naval vessels. Geography, alliances, logistics and deployment conditions affect how those forces can be used. Inventory totals and readiness estimates are explained in the methodology.

Data dates and sources

Model-level dates are not available for this country. The 2026 label identifies the ranking edition; individual observations may refer to earlier periods. Figures are public-source estimates.

Model-level citations have not yet been assigned for this profile.

These citations identify the source families assigned to the model records; they do not imply every aggregate figure has been independently verified. See the source registry and corrections process.

Nearby in the ranking

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