Military Strength: 
Costa Rica vs 
Panama
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 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 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 | 38 | 🇵🇦 |
| – helicopters | 0 | 20 | 🇵🇦 |
| Budget share of govt spending | — | — | — |
| Budget per capita | $111 | $208 | 🇵🇦 1.9× |
| Population | 5.2M | 4.6M | 🇨🇷 1.1× |
| GDP | $103B | $90B | 🇨🇷 1.1× |
| GDP per capita | $19,970 | $19,790 | 🇨🇷 ≈ |
| 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
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.