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Military Strength: Flag of Bulgaria Bulgaria vs Flag of Cyprus Cyprus

Bulgaria (ranked #62 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than Cyprus (#87) on the ARMS Index. Bulgaria fields 37,000 active troops — 2.8:1 Cyprus's 13,000, backed by 3,000 reserves. Bulgaria's $2.4B defense budget is 3.7:1 that of Cyprus ($0.6B).

ARMS (Aggregate Rating of Military Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Flag of Bulgaria BulgariaWorld #62 34.3
ARMS Index / 100

Bulgaria leads on 4 of 6 pillars

Flag of Cyprus CyprusWorld #87 24.7
  • 57.437K active troops Manpower15 % 58.713K active troops
  • 49.990 battle tanks Ground forces20 % 48.7134 battle tanks
  • 31.320 warships Naval power20 % 9.211 warships
  • 36.027 combat aircraft Air power25 % 18.20 combat aircraft
  • 0.00 warheads Nuclear deterrent10 % 0.00 warheads
  • 40.3$2.4B budget Defense budget10 % 29.9$640M budget
Bulgaria Cyprus Pillar scores 0–100 (weight under each label) over a headline figure from that domain · readiness modifier ×1.04 vs ×1.01 · Methodology
Key figures
Bulgaria Cyprus Ratio
Defense budget $2.4B $640M 🇧🇬 3.7×
– share of GDP 2.1% 1.7% 🇧🇬 1.2×
Active personnel 37,000 13,000 🇧🇬 2.8×
Combat aircraft 27 0 🇧🇬
Warships 20 11 🇧🇬 1.8×
– submarines 0 0 —
Main battle tanks 90 134 🇨🇾 1.5×
Nuclear warheads 0 0 —
Show full breakdown · 11 more rowsHide the 11 extra rows
Reserve troops 3,000 60,000 🇨🇾 20×
Paramilitary forces 0 0 —
Military aircraft (all types) 79 13 🇧🇬 6.1×
– helicopters 29 13 🇧🇬 2.2×
Budget share of govt spending — — —
Budget per capita $370 $471 🇨🇾 1.3×
Population 6.4M 1.4M 🇧🇬 4.7×
GDP $113B $38B 🇧🇬 3.0×
GDP per capita $17,596 $27,707 🇨🇾 1.6×
Land area 108,612 km² 9,241 km² 🇧🇬 12×
Coastline 354 km 648 km 🇨🇾 1.8×
Backbone systems most numerous in service
🇧🇬 BulgariaMiG-29 Fulcrum ×12T-72 ×44Wielingen-class ×3
Defense budget history Bulgaria ×1.7 · Cyprus ×1.2 since 2021
Military personnel history

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who has more military personnel, Bulgaria or Cyprus?
Bulgaria has approximately 37,000 active military personnel compared to Cyprus's 13,000, giving Bulgaria a 2.8:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, Bulgaria or Cyprus?
Bulgaria operates 27 combat aircraft compared to Cyprus's 0. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Who has the larger navy, Bulgaria or Cyprus?
Bulgaria has a larger navy with 20 vessels compared to Cyprus's 11 ships.
Which country spends more on defense, Bulgaria or Cyprus?
Bulgaria has a larger defense budget at $2.4 billion (3.7:1 more) compared to Cyprus's $640 million annually.
Do Bulgaria and Cyprus have nuclear weapons?
Neither Bulgaria nor Cyprus currently possesses nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of Bulgaria and Cyprus compare?
Cyprus operates 134 main battle tanks compared to Bulgaria's 90. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.