Military Strength: 
Costa Rica vs 
Venezuela
Venezuela fields 343,000 active troops — 34:1 Costa Rica's 10,000, backed by 8,000 reserves and 220,000 paramilitary. Costa Rica allocates $0.6B to defense compared to $0.7B for Venezuela.
Key figures
| Costa Rica | Venezuela | Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defense budget | $572M | $719M | 🇻🇪 1.3× |
| – share of GDP | 0.6% | 0.6% | — |
| Active personnel | 10,000 | 343,000 | 🇻🇪 34× |
| Combat aircraft | 0 | 54 | 🇻🇪 |
| Warships | 0 | 45 | 🇻🇪 |
| – submarines | 0 | 0 | — |
| Main battle tanks | 0 | 172 | 🇻🇪 |
| Nuclear warheads | 0 | 0 | — |
Show full breakdown · 11 more rowsHide the 11 extra rows
| Reserve troops | 0 | 8,000 | 🇻🇪 |
| Paramilitary forces | 9,800 | 220,000 | 🇻🇪 22× |
| Military aircraft (all types) | 0 | 226 | 🇻🇪 |
| – helicopters | 0 | 74 | 🇻🇪 |
| Budget share of govt spending | — | — | — |
| Budget per capita | $112 | $25 | 🇨🇷 4.4× |
| Population | 5.1M | 28.4M | 🇻🇪 5.5× |
| GDP | $95B | $120B | 🇻🇪 1.3× |
| GDP per capita | $18,587 | $4,218 | 🇨🇷 4.4× |
| Land area | 51,060 km² | 882,050 km² | 🇻🇪 17× |
| Coastline | 1,290 km | 2,800 km | 🇻🇪 2.2× |
Defense budget history Costa Rica ×1.4 · Venezuela ×1.3 since 2022
Military personnel history
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who has more military personnel, Costa Rica or Venezuela?
Venezuela has approximately 343,000 active military personnel compared to Costa Rica's 10,000, giving Venezuela a 34:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, Costa Rica or Venezuela?
Venezuela operates 54 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 Venezuela?
Venezuela has a larger navy with 45 vessels compared to Costa Rica's 0 ships.
Which country spends more on defense, Costa Rica or Venezuela?
Venezuela has a larger defense budget at $719 million compared to Costa Rica's $572 million annually.
Do Costa Rica and Venezuela have nuclear weapons?
Neither Costa Rica nor Venezuela currently possesses nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of Costa Rica and Venezuela compare?
Venezuela operates 172 main battle tanks compared to Costa Rica's 0. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.