Military Strength:
Ecuador vs
Guatemala
Ecuador (ranked #63 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than Guatemala (#104) on the ATLAS Index. Ecuador fields 40,250 active troops — 2.2:1 Guatemala's 18,050, backed by 118,000 reserves and 500 paramilitary. Ecuador's $2.7B defense budget is 6.1:1 that of Guatemala ($0.5B).
ATLAS (Aggregate Total of Land, Air and Sea strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Ecuador
Guatemala
Pillar scores 0–100 (weight under each label) over a headline figure from that domain · each conventional pillar read after its branch's availability proxy · Methodology
Key figures
| Ecuador | Guatemala | Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defense budget | $2.7B | $453M | 🇪🇨 6.1× |
| – share of GDP | 2.2% | 0.4% | 🇪🇨 5.5× |
| Active personnel | 40,250 | 18,050 | 🇪🇨 2.2× |
| Combat aircraft | 17 | 3 | 🇪🇨 5.7× |
| Warships | 34 | 0 | 🇪🇨 |
| – submarines | 2 | 0 | 🇪🇨 |
| Main battle tanks | 54 | 5 | 🇪🇨 11× |
| Nuclear warheads | 0 | 0 | — |
Show full breakdown · 11 more rowsHide the 11 extra rows
| Reserve troops | 118,000 | 63,850 | 🇪🇨 1.8× |
| Paramilitary forces | 500 | 25,000 | 🇬🇹 50× |
| Military aircraft (all types) | 156 | 36 | 🇪🇨 4.3× |
| – helicopters | 72 | 20 | 🇪🇨 3.6× |
| Budget share of govt spending | — | — | — |
| Budget per capita | $150 | $24 | 🇪🇨 6.2× |
| Population | 18.3M | 18.7M | 🇬🇹 ≈ |
| GDP | $130B | $123B | 🇪🇨 1.1× |
| GDP per capita | $7,125 | $6,598 | 🇪🇨 1.1× |
| Land area | 256,369 km² | 107,159 km² | 🇪🇨 2.4× |
| Coastline | 2,237 km | 400 km | 🇪🇨 5.6× |
Backbone systems most numerous in service
🇬🇹 GuatemalaA-37 Dragonfly ×3
Defense budget history Ecuador ×1.2 · Guatemala ×1.5 since 2020
Military personnel history
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who has more military personnel, Ecuador or Guatemala?
Ecuador has approximately 40,250 active military personnel compared to Guatemala's 18,050, giving Ecuador a 2.2:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, Ecuador or Guatemala?
Ecuador operates 17 combat aircraft compared to Guatemala's 3. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Who has the larger navy, Ecuador or Guatemala?
Ecuador has a larger navy with 34 warships compared to Guatemala's 0. Ecuador operates 2 submarines while Guatemala has 0.
Which country spends more on defense, Ecuador or Guatemala?
Ecuador has a larger defense budget at $2.7 billion (6.1:1 more) compared to Guatemala's $453 million annually.
Do Ecuador and Guatemala have nuclear weapons?
Neither Ecuador nor Guatemala currently possesses nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of Ecuador and Guatemala compare?
Ecuador operates 54 main battle tanks compared to Guatemala's 5. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.