Here are 3 examples that will add spaces in this scenario:

1. Using   codes between links

   link # 1 ( a href …)

          

   link # 2 (a href …)

2. Using an empty <span class="spacing"></span>

‘spacing’ can be defined in css as:

.spacing {
    padding-right: 20px;
}

3. Adjusting the padding-right property of <a> tag

.pagination a {
    padding-right: 20px;
    // other attributes
}

Setting padding:left or padding:right on the li should work

.pagination li{
    display:inline-block;
    list-style-type:none;
    padding-left: 10px;
    padding-right: 10px;
}

Need to set padding:0 on UL tag and anchor tag define display:inline-block and set padding as you want so check below snippet.

.pagination{
  background:#155484;
  padding: 0;
  margin: 0;
  border: 2px solid #155484;
  border-radius:3px;
  position: relative;
  display: inline-block;
}
.pagination li{
  display: inline-block;
  list-style-type: none;
}
.pagination a{
  color: #fff;
  border-radius:3px;
  display: inline-block;
  padding: 8px 12px;
  text-decoration:none;
  background: #155484;
}
.pagination a:hover, .pagination a.current{
  background: #fff;
  color: #155484;
}

<ul class="pagination">
  <li><a href="#">Prev</a></li>
  <li><a href="#" class="current">1</a></li>
  <li><a href="#">2</a></li>
  <li><a href="#">3</a></li>
  <li><a href="#">4</a></li>
  <li><a href="#">5</a></li>
  <li><a href="#">Next</a></li>
</ul>

CSS:

.pagination{
    position:absolute;
    right:18%;
    top:75%;
}

.pagination li{
    display:inline-block;
    list-style-type:none;
    text-align:center;
}

.pagination a{
    color:#fff;
    text-decoration:none;
    font-size:25px;
}

.back{
    background:#155484;
    padding:20px;
    border:2px solid #fff;
    border-radius:3px;
    float:left;
}

.next{
    margin-left:10px;
    background:#155484;
    padding:20px;
    border:2px solid #fff;
    border-radius:3px;
    float:right;
}    

HTML:

<div class="pagination">
{block:Pagination}
            {block:PreviousPage}
                <div class="back">
                <a href="{PreviousPage}">《</a>
                </div>
            {/block:PreviousPage}
            {block:NextPage}
                <div class="next">
                <a href="{NextPage}">》</a>
                </div>
            {/block:NextPage}
        {/block:Pagination}
</div>

I am very new to this, so sorry for any misuse of vocab.
I want to have a space between two buttons, which have an inline-block display. The “margin” property doesn’t do what I need it to do.

CSS:

.pagination{
    background:#155484;
    padding:20px;
    border:2px solid #155484;
    border-radius:3px;
    position:absolute;
    left:75%;
    top:75%;
}

.pagination li{
    display:inline-block;
    list-style-type:none;
}

.pagination a{
    color:#fff;
    text-decoration:none;
}

HTML

<div class="pagination">
{block:Pagination}
            {block:PreviousPage}
                <a href="{PreviousPage}">&larr;</a>
            {/block:PreviousPage}
            {block:NextPage}
                <a href="{NextPage}">&rarr;</a>
            {/block:NextPage}
        {/block:Pagination}
</div>

(This is using Tumblr-specific variables.)

Also if there’s anything in here that can be changed or omitted, that would be great to know!