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Military Strength: Flag of Argentina Argentina vs Flag of El Salvador El Salvador

Argentina (ranked #51 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than El Salvador (#105) on the ATLAS Index. Argentina fields 72,100 active troops — 2.9:1 El Salvador's 24,500, backed by 31,250 paramilitary. Argentina's $3.8B defense budget is 9.0:1 that of El Salvador ($0.4B).

ATLAS (Aggregate Total of Land, Air and Sea strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Flag of Argentina ArgentinaWorld #51 29.6
ATLAS Index / 100

Argentina leads on 5 of 6 pillars

Flag of El Salvador El SalvadorWorld #105 13.8
  • 41.072K active troops Manpower10 % 31.124K active troops
  • 34.9250 battle tanks Ground forces20 % 0.00 battle tanks
  • 32.223 warships Naval power20 % 22.224 warships
  • 27.212 combat aircraft Air power25 % 15.86 combat aircraft
  • 0.00 warheads Nuclear deterrent10 % 0.00 warheads
  • 32.8$3.8B budget Defense budget15 % 14.7$424M budget
Argentina El Salvador Pillar scores 0–100 (weight under each label) over a headline figure from that domain · each conventional pillar read after its branch's availability proxy · Methodology
Key figures
Argentina El Salvador Ratio
Defense budget $3.8B $424M 🇦🇷 9.0×
– share of GDP 0.6% 1.2% 🇸🇻 2.0×
Active personnel 72,100 24,500 🇦🇷 2.9×
Combat aircraft 12 6 🇦🇷 2.0×
Warships 23 24 🇸🇻 ≈
– submarines 0 0 —
Main battle tanks 250 0 🇦🇷
Nuclear warheads 0 0 —
Show full breakdown · 11 more rowsHide the 11 extra rows
Reserve troops 0 9,900 🇸🇻
Paramilitary forces 31,250 17,000 🇦🇷 1.8×
Military aircraft (all types) 251 49 🇦🇷 5.1×
– helicopters 107 33 🇦🇷 3.2×
Budget share of govt spending — — —
Budget per capita $84 $67 🇦🇷 1.3×
Population 45.9M 6.4M 🇦🇷 7.2×
GDP $683B $37B 🇦🇷 19×
GDP per capita $14,898 $5,767 🇦🇷 2.6×
Land area 2,736,690 km² 20,721 km² 🇦🇷 132×
Coastline 4,989 km 307 km 🇦🇷 16×
Backbone systems most numerous in service
🇦🇷 ArgentinaF-16 Fighting Falcon ×12TAM ×250Almirante Brown-class ×3
🇸🇻 El SalvadorA-37 Dragonfly ×6
Defense budget history Argentina ×1.2 · El Salvador ×1.2 since 2020
Military personnel history
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Argentina vsBrazilUnited KingdomChilePeruVenezuela
El Salvador vsHondurasGuatemalaDominican RepublicUruguayNicaragua
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Frequently Asked Questions

Who has more military personnel, Argentina or El Salvador?
Argentina has approximately 72,100 active military personnel compared to El Salvador's 24,500, giving Argentina a 2.9:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, Argentina or El Salvador?
Argentina operates 12 combat aircraft compared to El Salvador's 6. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Who has the larger navy, Argentina or El Salvador?
El Salvador has a larger navy with 24 warships compared to Argentina's 23.
Which country spends more on defense, Argentina or El Salvador?
Argentina has a larger defense budget at $3.8 billion (9.0:1 more) compared to El Salvador's $424 million annually.
Do Argentina and El Salvador have nuclear weapons?
Neither Argentina nor El Salvador currently possesses nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of Argentina and El Salvador compare?
Argentina operates 250 main battle tanks compared to El Salvador's 0. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.