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Military Strength: Flag of Ecuador Ecuador vs Flag of El Salvador El Salvador

Ecuador (ranked #65 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than El Salvador (#105) on the ATLAS Index. Ecuador fields 40,250 active troops vs 24,500 for El Salvador, backed by 118,000 reserves and 500 paramilitary. Ecuador's $2.7B defense budget is 6.5:1 that of El Salvador ($0.4B).

ATLAS (Aggregate Total of Land, Air and Sea strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Flag of Ecuador EcuadorWorld #65 23.6
ATLAS Index / 100

Ecuador leads on 5 of 6 pillars

Flag of El Salvador El SalvadorWorld #105 13.8
  • 42.340K active troops Manpower10 % 31.124K active troops
  • 21.054 battle tanks Ground forces20 % 0.00 battle tanks
  • 27.934 warships Naval power20 % 22.224 warships
  • 23.417 combat aircraft Air power25 % 15.76 combat aircraft
  • 0.00 warheads Nuclear deterrent10 % 0.00 warheads
  • 23.4$2.7B budget Defense budget15 % 14.7$424M budget
Ecuador El Salvador 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 El Salvador Ratio
Defense budget $2.7B $424M 🇪🇨 6.5×
– share of GDP 2.2% 1.2% 🇪🇨 1.8×
Active personnel 40,250 24,500 🇪🇨 1.6×
Combat aircraft 17 6 🇪🇨 2.8×
Warships 34 24 🇪🇨 1.4×
– submarines 2 0 🇪🇨
Main battle tanks 54 0 🇪🇨
Nuclear warheads 0 0 —
Show full breakdown · 11 more rowsHide the 11 extra rows
Reserve troops 118,000 9,900 🇪🇨 12×
Paramilitary forces 500 17,000 🇸🇻 34×
Military aircraft (all types) 103 45 🇪🇨 2.3×
– helicopters 44 29 🇪🇨 1.5×
Budget share of govt spending — — —
Budget per capita $150 $67 🇪🇨 2.2×
Population 18.3M 6.4M 🇪🇨 2.9×
GDP $130B $37B 🇪🇨 3.6×
GDP per capita $7,125 $5,767 🇪🇨 1.2×
Land area 256,369 km² 20,721 km² 🇪🇨 12×
Coastline 2,237 km 307 km 🇪🇨 7.3×
Backbone systems most numerous in service
🇪🇨 EcuadorEMB-314 Super Tucano ×17Type 209-class ×2
🇸🇻 El SalvadorA-37 Dragonfly ×6
Defense budget history Ecuador ×1.2 · El Salvador ×1.2 since 2020
Military personnel history
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Ecuador vsVenezuelaCubaArgentinaBoliviaPeru
El Salvador vsHondurasGuatemalaDominican RepublicUruguayNicaragua
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Frequently Asked Questions

Who has more military personnel, Ecuador or El Salvador?
Ecuador has approximately 40,250 active military personnel compared to El Salvador's 24,500, giving Ecuador a 1.6:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, Ecuador or El Salvador?
Ecuador operates 17 combat aircraft compared to El Salvador's 6. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Who has the larger navy, Ecuador or El Salvador?
Ecuador has a larger navy with 34 warships compared to El Salvador's 24. Ecuador operates 2 submarines while El Salvador has 0.
Which country spends more on defense, Ecuador or El Salvador?
Ecuador has a larger defense budget at $2.7 billion (6.5:1 more) compared to El Salvador's $424 million annually.
Do Ecuador and El Salvador have nuclear weapons?
Neither Ecuador nor El Salvador currently possesses nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of Ecuador and El Salvador compare?
Ecuador operates 54 main battle tanks compared to El Salvador's 0. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.