Military Strength: 
Costa Rica vs 
Guatemala
Guatemala fields 43,000 active troops — 4.3:1 Costa Rica's 10,000, backed by 63,850 reserves and 25,000 paramilitary. Costa Rica allocates $0.6B to defense compared to $0.5B for Guatemala.
Key figures
| Costa Rica | Guatemala | Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defense budget | $572M | $453M | 🇨🇷 1.3× |
| – share of GDP | 0.6% | 0.4% | 🇨🇷 1.5× |
| Active personnel | 10,000 | 43,000 | 🇬🇹 4.3× |
| Combat aircraft | 0 | 3 | 🇬🇹 |
| Warships | 0 | 0 | — |
| – submarines | 0 | 0 | — |
| Main battle tanks | 0 | 5 | 🇬🇹 |
| Nuclear warheads | 0 | 0 | — |
Show full breakdown · 11 more rowsHide the 11 extra rows
| Reserve troops | 0 | 63,850 | 🇬🇹 |
| Paramilitary forces | 9,800 | 25,000 | 🇬🇹 2.6× |
| Military aircraft (all types) | 0 | 37 | 🇬🇹 |
| – helicopters | 0 | 20 | 🇬🇹 |
| Budget share of govt spending | — | — | — |
| Budget per capita | $112 | $25 | 🇨🇷 4.5× |
| Population | 5.1M | 18.4M | 🇬🇹 3.6× |
| GDP | $95B | $113B | 🇬🇹 1.2× |
| GDP per capita | $18,587 | $6,150 | 🇨🇷 3.0× |
| Land area | 51,060 km² | 107,159 km² | 🇬🇹 2.1× |
| Coastline | 1,290 km | 400 km | 🇨🇷 3.2× |
Backbone systems most numerous in service
🇬🇹 GuatemalaA-37 Dragonfly ×3
Defense budget history Costa Rica ×1.3 · Guatemala ×1.5 since 2020
Military personnel history
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who has more military personnel, Costa Rica or Guatemala?
Guatemala has approximately 43,000 active military personnel compared to Costa Rica's 10,000, giving Guatemala a 4.3:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, Costa Rica or Guatemala?
Guatemala operates 3 combat aircraft compared to Costa Rica's 0. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Which country spends more on defense, Costa Rica or Guatemala?
Costa Rica has a larger defense budget at $572 million compared to Guatemala's $453 million annually.
Do Costa Rica and Guatemala have nuclear weapons?
Neither Costa Rica nor Guatemala currently possesses nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of Costa Rica and Guatemala compare?
Guatemala operates 5 main battle tanks compared to Costa Rica's 0. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.