Military Strength: 
Costa Rica vs 
Mexico
Mexico fields 341,000 active troops — 34:1 Costa Rica's 10,000, backed by 81,500 reserves and 120,000 paramilitary. Mexico's $17B defense budget is 29:1 that of Costa Rica ($0.6B).
Key figures
| Costa Rica | Mexico | Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defense budget | $572M | $17B | 🇲🇽 29× |
| – share of GDP | 0.6% | 0.9% | 🇲🇽 1.5× |
| Active personnel | 10,000 | 341,000 | 🇲🇽 34× |
| Combat aircraft | 0 | 4 | 🇲🇽 |
| Warships | 0 | 204 | 🇲🇽 |
| – submarines | 0 | 0 | — |
| Main battle tanks | 0 | 0 | — |
| Nuclear warheads | 0 | 0 | — |
Show full breakdown · 11 more rowsHide the 11 extra rows
| Reserve troops | 0 | 81,500 | 🇲🇽 |
| Paramilitary forces | 9,800 | 120,000 | 🇲🇽 12× |
| Military aircraft (all types) | 0 | 431 | 🇲🇽 |
| – helicopters | 0 | 168 | 🇲🇽 |
| Budget share of govt spending | — | — | — |
| Budget per capita | $112 | $128 | 🇲🇽 1.1× |
| Population | 5.1M | 130.9M | 🇲🇽 26× |
| GDP | $95B | $1.9T | 🇲🇽 19× |
| GDP per capita | $18,587 | $14,186 | 🇨🇷 1.3× |
| Land area | 51,060 km² | 1,943,945 km² | 🇲🇽 38× |
| Coastline | 1,290 km | 9,330 km | 🇲🇽 7.2× |
Backbone systems most numerous in service
Defense budget history Costa Rica ×1.3 · Mexico ×2.5 since 2020
Military personnel history
Explore this matchup
Change opponent
Related comparisons & rankings
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has more military personnel, Costa Rica or Mexico?
Mexico has approximately 341,000 active military personnel compared to Costa Rica's 10,000, giving Mexico a 34:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, Costa Rica or Mexico?
Mexico operates 4 combat aircraft compared to Costa Rica's 0. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Who has the larger navy, Costa Rica or Mexico?
Mexico has a larger navy with 204 vessels compared to Costa Rica's 0 ships.
Which country spends more on defense, Costa Rica or Mexico?
Mexico has a larger defense budget at $16.7 billion (29:1 more) compared to Costa Rica's $572 million annually.
Do Costa Rica and Mexico have nuclear weapons?
Neither Costa Rica nor Mexico currently possesses nuclear weapons.