Military Strength: 
Costa Rica vs 
Panama
Panama fields 28,000 active troops — 2.8:1 Costa Rica's 10,000, backed by 26,000 paramilitary. Costa Rica allocates $0.6B to defense compared to $1.0B for Panama.
Key figures
| Costa Rica | Panama | Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defense budget | $572M | $952M | 🇵🇦 1.7× |
| – share of GDP | 0.6% | 1.1% | 🇵🇦 1.8× |
| Active personnel | 10,000 | 28,000 | 🇵🇦 2.8× |
| Combat aircraft | 0 | 0 | — |
| Warships | 0 | 0 | — |
| – 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 | 0 | — |
| Paramilitary forces | 9,800 | 26,000 | 🇵🇦 2.7× |
| Military aircraft (all types) | 0 | 40 | 🇵🇦 |
| – helicopters | 0 | 25 | 🇵🇦 |
| Budget share of govt spending | — | — | — |
| Budget per capita | $112 | $211 | 🇵🇦 1.9× |
| Population | 5.1M | 4.5M | 🇨🇷 1.1× |
| GDP | $95B | $87B | 🇨🇷 1.1× |
| GDP per capita | $18,587 | $19,161 | 🇵🇦 ≈ |
| Land area | 51,060 km² | 74,340 km² | 🇵🇦 1.5× |
| Coastline | 1,290 km | 2,490 km | 🇵🇦 1.9× |
Defense budget history Costa Rica ×1.3 · Panama ×1.2 since 2020
Military personnel history
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who has more military personnel, Costa Rica or Panama?
Panama has approximately 28,000 active military personnel compared to Costa Rica's 10,000, giving Panama a 2.8:1 numerical advantage.
Which country spends more on defense, Costa Rica or Panama?
Panama has a larger defense budget at $952 million (1.7:1 more) compared to Costa Rica's $572 million annually.
Do Costa Rica and Panama have nuclear weapons?
Neither Costa Rica nor Panama currently possesses nuclear weapons.