Military Strength: 
Costa Rica vs 
El Salvador
El Salvador fields 42,000 active troops — 4.2:1 Costa Rica's 10,000, backed by 9,900 reserves and 17,000 paramilitary. Costa Rica allocates $0.6B to defense compared to $0.4B for El Salvador.
Key figures
| Costa Rica | El Salvador | Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defense budget | $572M | $424M | 🇨🇷 1.3× |
| – share of GDP | 0.6% | 1.2% | 🇸🇻 2.0× |
| Active personnel | 10,000 | 42,000 | 🇸🇻 4.2× |
| Combat aircraft | 0 | 6 | 🇸🇻 |
| Warships | 0 | 29 | 🇸🇻 |
| – 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 | 9,900 | 🇸🇻 |
| Paramilitary forces | 9,800 | 17,000 | 🇸🇻 1.7× |
| Military aircraft (all types) | 0 | 53 | 🇸🇻 |
| – helicopters | 0 | 25 | 🇸🇻 |
| Budget share of govt spending | — | — | — |
| Budget per capita | $112 | $67 | 🇨🇷 1.7× |
| Population | 5.1M | 6.3M | 🇸🇻 1.2× |
| GDP | $95B | $35B | 🇨🇷 2.7× |
| GDP per capita | $18,587 | $5,580 | 🇨🇷 3.3× |
| Land area | 51,060 km² | 20,721 km² | 🇨🇷 2.5× |
| Coastline | 1,290 km | 307 km | 🇨🇷 4.2× |
Backbone systems most numerous in service
🇸🇻 El SalvadorA-37 Dragonfly ×6
Defense budget history Costa Rica ×1.3 · El Salvador ×1.2 since 2020
Military personnel history
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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 4.2:1 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 29 vessels compared to Costa Rica's 0 ships.
Which country spends more on defense, Costa Rica or El Salvador?
Costa Rica has a larger defense budget at $572 million compared to El Salvador's $424 million annually.
Do Costa Rica and El Salvador have nuclear weapons?
Neither Costa Rica nor El Salvador currently possesses nuclear weapons.