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Military Strength: Flag of Colombia Colombia vs Flag of Cuba Cuba

Colombia (ranked #40 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than Cuba (#68) on the ATLAS Index. Colombia fields 257,450 active troops — 5.3:1 Cuba's 49,000, backed by 34,950 reserves and 165,050 paramilitary. Colombia's $14B defense budget is 111:1 that of Cuba ($0.1B).

ATLAS (Aggregate Total of Land, Air and Sea strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Flag of Colombia ColombiaWorld #40 32.8
ATLAS Index / 100

Colombia leads on 4 of 6 pillars

Flag of Cuba CubaWorld #68 23.1
  • 59.4257K active troops Manpower10 % 57.049K active troops
  • 24.90 battle tanks Ground forces20 % 35.8400 battle tanks
  • 32.9254 warships Naval power20 % 25.515 warships
  • 31.543 combat aircraft Air power25 % 12.90 combat aircraft
  • 0.00 warheads Nuclear deterrent10 % 0.00 warheads
  • 47.2$14B budget Defense budget15 % 10.9$129M budget
Colombia Cuba 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
Colombia Cuba Ratio
Defense budget $14B $129M 🇨🇴 111×
– share of GDP 3.4% 2.9% 🇨🇴 1.2×
Active personnel 257,450 49,000 🇨🇴 5.3×
Combat aircraft 43 0 🇨🇴
Warships 254 15 🇨🇴 17×
– submarines 4 0 🇨🇴
Main battle tanks 0 400 🇨🇺
Nuclear warheads 0 0 —
Show full breakdown · 11 more rowsHide the 11 extra rows
Reserve troops 34,950 39,000 🇨🇺 1.1×
Paramilitary forces 165,050 1,146,500 🇨🇺 6.9×
Military aircraft (all types) 430 20 🇨🇴 22×
– helicopters 253 13 🇨🇴 19×
Budget share of govt spending — — —
Budget per capita $267 $11 🇨🇴 23×
Population 53.4M 10.9M 🇨🇴 4.9×
GDP $457B $107B 🇨🇴 4.3×
GDP per capita $8,562 $9,815 🇨🇺 1.1×
Land area 1,038,700 km² 109,884 km² 🇨🇴 9.5×
Coastline 3,208 km 3,735 km 🇨🇺 1.2×
Backbone systems most numerous in service
🇨🇴 ColombiaEMB-314 Super Tucano ×24Type 206-class ×2
🇨🇺 CubaT-54 / T-55 / TM-800 ×300
Defense budget history
Military personnel history
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Change opponent
Colombia vsVenezuelaChilePeruMexicoArgentina
Cuba vsEcuadorBoliviaVenezuelaUruguayArgentina
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Frequently Asked Questions

Who has more military personnel, Colombia or Cuba?
Colombia has approximately 257,450 active military personnel compared to Cuba's 49,000, giving Colombia a 5.3:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, Colombia or Cuba?
Colombia operates 43 combat aircraft compared to Cuba's 0. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Who has the larger navy, Colombia or Cuba?
Colombia has a larger navy with 254 warships compared to Cuba's 15. Colombia operates 4 submarines while Cuba has 0.
Which country spends more on defense, Colombia or Cuba?
Colombia has a larger defense budget at $14.2 billion (111:1 more) compared to Cuba's $129 million annually.
Do Colombia and Cuba have nuclear weapons?
Neither Colombia nor Cuba currently possesses nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of Colombia and Cuba compare?
Cuba operates 400 main battle tanks compared to Colombia's 0. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.