Military Strength: 
Dominican Republic vs 
El Salvador
Dominican Republic (ranked #100 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than El Salvador (#115) on the ARMS Index. Dominican Republic fields 71,000 active troops vs 42,000 for El Salvador, backed by 15,000 paramilitary. Dominican Republic's $1.0B defense budget is 2.3:1 that of El Salvador ($0.4B).
ARMS (Aggregate Rating of Military Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Dominican RepublicWorld #100
20.7
ARMS Index / 100
Dominican Republic leads on 4 of 6 pillars
El SalvadorWorld #115
17.4
Dominican Republic
El Salvador
Pillar scores 0–100 (weight under each label) over a headline figure from that domain · readiness modifier ×0.95 vs ×0.95 · Methodology
Key figures
| Dominican Republic | El Salvador | Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defense budget | $994M | $424M | 🇩🇴 2.3× |
| – share of GDP | 0.8% | 1.2% | 🇸🇻 1.5× |
| Active personnel | 71,000 | 42,000 | 🇩🇴 1.7× |
| Combat aircraft | 8 | 6 | 🇩🇴 1.3× |
| Warships | 0 | 29 | 🇸🇻 |
| – submarines | 0 | 0 | — |
| Main battle tanks | 5 | 0 | 🇩🇴 |
| Nuclear warheads | 0 | 0 | — |
Show full breakdown · 11 more rowsHide the 11 extra rows
| Reserve troops | 0 | 9,900 | 🇸🇻 |
| Paramilitary forces | 15,000 | 17,000 | 🇸🇻 1.1× |
| Military aircraft (all types) | 77 | 53 | 🇩🇴 1.5× |
| – helicopters | 36 | 25 | 🇩🇴 1.4× |
| Budget share of govt spending | — | — | — |
| Budget per capita | $87 | $67 | 🇩🇴 1.3× |
| Population | 11.4M | 6.3M | 🇩🇴 1.8× |
| GDP | $124B | $35B | 🇩🇴 3.5× |
| GDP per capita | $10,876 | $5,580 | 🇩🇴 1.9× |
| Land area | 48,320 km² | 20,721 km² | 🇩🇴 2.3× |
| Coastline | 1,288 km | 307 km | 🇩🇴 4.2× |
Backbone systems most numerous in service
🇩🇴 Dominican RepublicEMB-314 Super Tucano ×8
🇸🇻 El SalvadorA-37 Dragonfly ×6
Defense budget history Dominican Republic ×1.6 · El Salvador ×1.2 since 2020
Military personnel history
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who has more military personnel, Dominican Republic or El Salvador?
Dominican Republic has approximately 71,000 active military personnel compared to El Salvador's 42,000, giving Dominican Republic a 1.7:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, Dominican Republic or El Salvador?
Dominican Republic operates 8 combat aircraft compared to El Salvador's 6. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Who has the larger navy, Dominican Republic or El Salvador?
El Salvador has a larger navy with 29 vessels compared to Dominican Republic's 0 ships.
Which country spends more on defense, Dominican Republic or El Salvador?
Dominican Republic has a larger defense budget at $994 million (2.3:1 more) compared to El Salvador's $424 million annually.
Do Dominican Republic and El Salvador have nuclear weapons?
Neither Dominican Republic nor El Salvador currently possesses nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of Dominican Republic and El Salvador compare?
Dominican Republic operates 5 main battle tanks compared to El Salvador's 0. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.