Military Strength: 
Costa Rica vs 
Peru
Peru fields 158,000 active troops — 16:1 Costa Rica's 10,000, backed by 188,000 reserves and 77,000 paramilitary. Peru's $2.3B defense budget is 4.0:1 that of Costa Rica ($0.6B).
Key figures
| Costa Rica | Peru | Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defense budget | $572M | $2.3B | 🇵🇪 4.0× |
| – share of GDP | 0.6% | 0.8% | 🇵🇪 1.3× |
| Active personnel | 10,000 | 158,000 | 🇵🇪 16× |
| Combat aircraft | 0 | 42 | 🇵🇪 |
| Warships | 0 | 77 | 🇵🇪 |
| – submarines | 0 | 5 | 🇵🇪 |
| Main battle tanks | 0 | 240 | 🇵🇪 |
| Nuclear warheads | 0 | 0 | — |
Show full breakdown · 11 more rowsHide the 11 extra rows
| Reserve troops | 0 | 188,000 | 🇵🇪 |
| Paramilitary forces | 9,800 | 77,000 | 🇵🇪 7.9× |
| Military aircraft (all types) | 0 | 255 | 🇵🇪 |
| – helicopters | 0 | 106 | 🇵🇪 |
| Budget share of govt spending | — | — | — |
| Budget per capita | $112 | $68 | 🇨🇷 1.6× |
| Population | 5.1M | 34.2M | 🇵🇪 6.7× |
| GDP | $95B | $289B | 🇵🇪 3.0× |
| GDP per capita | $18,587 | $8,452 | 🇨🇷 2.2× |
| Land area | 51,060 km² | 1,279,996 km² | 🇵🇪 25× |
| Coastline | 1,290 km | 2,414 km | 🇵🇪 1.9× |
Backbone systems most numerous in service
Defense budget history Costa Rica ×1.3 · Peru ×1.0 since 2020
Military personnel history
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who has more military personnel, Costa Rica or Peru?
Peru has approximately 158,000 active military personnel compared to Costa Rica's 10,000, giving Peru a 16:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, Costa Rica or Peru?
Peru operates 42 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 Peru?
Peru has a larger navy with 77 vessels compared to Costa Rica's 0 ships. Costa Rica operates 0 submarines while Peru has 5.
Which country spends more on defense, Costa Rica or Peru?
Peru has a larger defense budget at $2.3 billion (4.0:1 more) compared to Costa Rica's $572 million annually.
Do Costa Rica and Peru have nuclear weapons?
Neither Costa Rica nor Peru currently possesses nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of Costa Rica and Peru compare?
Peru operates 240 main battle tanks compared to Costa Rica's 0. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.