Military Strength: Costa Rica vs El Salvador
El Salvador (ranked #93 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than Costa Rica (#169) on the Global Military Index. El Salvador fields 42,000 active troops — 4.2x Costa Rica's 10,000, backed by 9,900 reserves and 17,000 paramilitary. El Salvador allocates $0.4B to defense. El Salvador operates 51 military aircraft; Costa Rica has no significant air force. El Salvador operates a 26-ship naval fleet; Costa Rica has no navy. Neither Costa Rica nor El Salvador possesses nuclear weapons.
| Global Military Index | 7.4 (#169) ◉ |
| 🪖 Military personnel | 10,000 ◉ |
| – Reserve troops | 0 ◉ |
| – Paramilitary forces | 9,800 ◉ |
| 🛩️ Military aircraft | 0 ◉ |
| – incl. combat aircraft | 0 ◉ |
| – incl. bombers | 0 ◉ |
| – incl. helicopters | 0 ◉ |
| ⚓️ Military ships | 0 ◉ |
| – incl. aircraft carriers | 0 ◉ |
| – incl. submarines | 0 ◉ |
| 🚛 Main battle tanks | 0 ◉ |
| 💥 Nuclear warheads | 0 ◉ |
| Global Military Index | 32.0 (#93) ◉ |
| 🪖 Military personnel | 42,000 ◉ |
| – Reserve troops | 9,900 ◉ |
| – Paramilitary forces | 17,000 ◉ |
| 🛩️ Military aircraft | 51 ◉ |
| – incl. combat aircraft | 6 ◉ |
| – incl. bombers | 0 ◉ |
| – incl. helicopters | 25 ◉ |
| ⚓️ Military ships | 26 ◉ |
| – incl. aircraft carriers | 0 ◉ |
| – incl. submarines | 0 ◉ |
| 🚛 Main battle tanks | 0 ◉ |
| 💥 Nuclear warheads | 0 ◉ |
🇨🇷 Costa Rica Global Military Index
7.4
Global Rank: #169
| 🪖 Manpower (15%) | 49.5 | Active, reserve & paramilitary: 2940 effective |
| 🛡️ Ground Firepower (20%) | 0.0 | Main battle tanks: 0 |
| ⚓ Naval Power (20%) | 0.0 | Weighted by ship type: carriers, submarines, destroyers... |
| ✈️ Air Power (25%) | 0.0 | Weighted by aircraft type: combat, bombers, helicopters... |
| ☢️ Nuclear Deterrent (10%) | 0.0 | No declared nuclear capability |
| 💰 Defense Budget (10%) | 0.0 | Data unavailable |
🇸🇻 El Salvador Global Military Index
31.9
Global Rank: #93
| 🪖 Manpower (15%) | 64.8 | Active, reserve & paramilitary: 34550 effective |
| 🛡️ Ground Firepower (20%) | 0.0 | Main battle tanks: 0 |
| ⚓ Naval Power (20%) | 36.5 | Weighted by ship type: carriers, submarines, destroyers... |
| ✈️ Air Power (25%) | 43.5 | Weighted by aircraft type: combat, bombers, helicopters... |
| ☢️ Nuclear Deterrent (10%) | 0.0 | No declared nuclear capability |
| 💰 Defense Budget (10%) | 40.5 | $0.4B annual military spending |
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| Population | 5.1 million ◉ |
| GDP | $86.5 billion ◉ |
| GDP per capita | $16,942 ◉ |
| Military Budget | $0 |
| Share of GDP in Milex | 0.0% |
| Share of Govt Expenditures | 0.0% |
| Military spends per capita | $ |
| Population | 6.3 million ◉ |
| GDP | $34.0 billion ◉ |
| GDP per capita | $5,391 ◉ |
| Military Budget | $425.2 million |
| Share of GDP in Milex | 1.2% |
| Share of Govt Expenditures | 3.8% |
| Military spends per capita | $67 |
Costa Rica Geography
| Land Area | 51,060 km² ◉ |
| Coastline Length | 1,290 km ◉ |
El Salvador Geography
| Land Area | 20,721 km² ◉ |
| Coastline Length | 307 km ◉ |
Military Forces Chart
Economic Metrics Chart
Military Budget Evolution
Military Personnel Evolution
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has more military personnel, Costa Rica or El Salvador?
El Salvador has approximately 42,000 active military personnel compared to Costa Rica's 10,000, giving El Salvador a 4:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, Costa Rica or El Salvador?
El Salvador operates 6 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 El Salvador?
El Salvador has a larger navy with 26 vessels compared to Costa Rica's 0 ships.
Which country spends more on defense, Costa Rica or El Salvador?
El Salvador has a larger defense budget at $425 million compared to Costa Rica's $0 million annually.
Do Costa Rica and El Salvador have nuclear weapons?
Neither Costa Rica nor El Salvador currently possesses nuclear weapons.