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Military Strength: Flag of Cuba Cuba vs Flag of Guatemala Guatemala

Cuba (ranked #81 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than Guatemala (#109) on the ARMS Index. Cuba fields 76,000 active troops vs 43,000 for Guatemala, backed by 39,000 reserves and 1,146,500 paramilitary. Guatemala's $0.5B defense budget is 3.5:1 that of Cuba ($0.1B).

ARMS (Aggregate Rating of Military Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Flag of Cuba CubaWorld #81 26.6
ARMS Index / 100

Cuba leads on 3 of 6 pillars

Flag of Guatemala GuatemalaWorld #109 18.7
  • 79.476K active troops Manpower15 % 60.943K active troops
  • 67.4113 battle tanks Ground forces20 % 21.65 battle tanks
  • 26.833 warships Naval power20 % 0.00 warships
  • 16.30 combat aircraft Air power25 % 22.53 combat aircraft
  • 0.00 warheads Nuclear deterrent10 % 0.00 warheads
  • 19.0$129M budget Defense budget10 % 27.4$453M budget
Cuba Guatemala Pillar scores 0–100 (weight under each label) over a headline figure from that domain · readiness modifier ×0.82 vs ×0.97 · Methodology
Key figures
Cuba Guatemala Ratio
Defense budget $129M $453M 🇬🇹 3.5×
– share of GDP 2.9% 0.4% 🇨🇺 7.2×
Active personnel 76,000 43,000 🇨🇺 1.8×
Combat aircraft 0 3 🇬🇹
Warships 33 0 🇨🇺
– submarines 0 0 —
Main battle tanks 113 5 🇨🇺 23×
Nuclear warheads 0 0 —
Show full breakdown · 11 more rowsHide the 11 extra rows
Reserve troops 39,000 63,850 🇬🇹 1.6×
Paramilitary forces 1,146,500 25,000 🇨🇺 46×
Military aircraft (all types) 20 37 🇬🇹 1.9×
– helicopters 13 20 🇬🇹 1.5×
Budget share of govt spending — — —
Budget per capita $11 $25 🇬🇹 2.2×
Population 11M 18.4M 🇬🇹 1.7×
GDP $107B $113B 🇬🇹 1.1×
GDP per capita $9,777 $6,150 🇨🇺 1.6×
Land area 109,884 km² 107,159 km² 🇨🇺 ≈
Coastline 3,735 km 400 km 🇨🇺 9.3×
Backbone systems most numerous in service
🇨🇺 CubaT-54 / T-55 / TM-800 ×1,100
🇬🇹 GuatemalaA-37 Dragonfly ×3
Defense budget history
Military personnel history

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Cuba vsVenezuelaBoliviaEcuadorUruguayArgentina
Guatemala vsDominican RepublicEl SalvadorUruguayHondurasBolivia
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Frequently Asked Questions

Who has more military personnel, Cuba or Guatemala?
Cuba has approximately 76,000 active military personnel compared to Guatemala's 43,000, giving Cuba a 1.8:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, Cuba or Guatemala?
Guatemala operates 3 combat aircraft compared to Cuba's 0. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Who has the larger navy, Cuba or Guatemala?
Cuba has a larger navy with 33 vessels compared to Guatemala's 0 ships.
Which country spends more on defense, Cuba or Guatemala?
Guatemala has a larger defense budget at $453 million (3.5:1 more) compared to Cuba's $129 million annually.
Do Cuba and Guatemala have nuclear weapons?
Neither Cuba nor Guatemala currently possesses nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of Cuba and Guatemala compare?
Cuba operates 113 main battle tanks compared to Guatemala's 5. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.