Military Strength: Spain vs Portugal
Spain (ranked #29 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than Portugal (#57) on the Global Military Index. Spain fields 199,000 active troops — 3.8x Portugal's 52,000, backed by 15,150 reserves and 87,450 paramilitary. Spain's $25B defense budget is 5.3x that of Portugal ($5B). In the air, Spain operates 471 aircraft including 178 combat jets, while Portugal fields 86 with 25 fighters. At sea, Spain's 78-ship navy outnumbers Portugal's 36 vessels, including 3 and 2 submarines respectively. On the ground, Spain deploys 317 main battle tanks vs 34 for Portugal. Neither Spain nor Portugal possesses nuclear weapons.
| Global Military Index | 54.8 (#29) ◉ |
| 🪖 Military personnel | 199,000 ◉ |
| – Reserve troops | 15,150 ◉ |
| – Paramilitary forces | 87,450 ◉ |
| 🛩️ Military aircraft | 471 ◉ |
| – incl. combat aircraft | 178 ◉ |
| – incl. bombers | 0 ◉ |
| – incl. helicopters | 178 ◉ |
| ⚓️ Military ships | 78 ◉ |
| – incl. aircraft carriers | 1 ◉ |
| – incl. submarines | 3 ◉ |
| 🚛 Main battle tanks | 317 ◉ |
| 💥 Nuclear warheads | 0 ◉ |
| Global Military Index | 43.6 (#57) ◉ |
| 🪖 Military personnel | 52,000 ◉ |
| – Reserve troops | 23,500 ◉ |
| – Paramilitary forces | 24,700 ◉ |
| 🛩️ Military aircraft | 86 ◉ |
| – incl. combat aircraft | 25 ◉ |
| – incl. bombers | 0 ◉ |
| – incl. helicopters | 22 ◉ |
| ⚓️ Military ships | 36 ◉ |
| – incl. aircraft carriers | 0 ◉ |
| – incl. submarines | 2 ◉ |
| 🚛 Main battle tanks | 34 ◉ |
| 💥 Nuclear warheads | 0 ◉ |
🇪🇸 Spain Global Military Index
54.8
Global Rank: #29
| 🪖 Manpower (15%) | 74.1 | Active, reserve & paramilitary: 154160 effective |
| 🛡️ Ground Firepower (20%) | 55.6 | Main battle tanks: 317 |
| ⚓ Naval Power (20%) | 51.9 | Weighted by ship type: carriers, submarines, destroyers... |
| ✈️ Air Power (25%) | 61.7 | Weighted by aircraft type: combat, bombers, helicopters... |
| ☢️ Nuclear Deterrent (10%) | 0.0 | No declared nuclear capability |
| 💰 Defense Budget (10%) | 67.6 | $24615M annual military spending |
🇵🇹 Portugal Global Military Index
42.5
Global Rank: #57
| 🪖 Manpower (15%) | 66.7 | Active, reserve & paramilitary: 46410 effective |
| 🛡️ Ground Firepower (20%) | 34.3 | Main battle tanks: 34 |
| ⚓ Naval Power (20%) | 42.0 | Weighted by ship type: carriers, submarines, destroyers... |
| ✈️ Air Power (25%) | 46.5 | Weighted by aircraft type: combat, bombers, helicopters... |
| ☢️ Nuclear Deterrent (10%) | 0.0 | No declared nuclear capability |
| 💰 Defense Budget (10%) | 56.4 | $4642M annual military spending |
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| Population | 48.3 million ◉ |
| GDP | $1.6 trillion ◉ |
| GDP per capita | $33,509 ◉ |
| Military Budget | $24.6 billion ◉ |
| Share of GDP in Milex | 1.4% ◉ |
| Share of Govt Expenditures | 3.2% ◉ |
| Military spends per capita | $514 ◉ |
| Population | 10.6 million ◉ |
| GDP | $289.1 billion ◉ |
| GDP per capita | $27,331 ◉ |
| Military Budget | $4.6 billion ◉ |
| Share of GDP in Milex | 1.5% ◉ |
| Share of Govt Expenditures | 3.6% ◉ |
| Military spends per capita | $445 ◉ |
Spain Geography
| Land Area | 498,980 km² ◉ |
| Coastline Length | 4,964 km ◉ |
Portugal Geography
| Land Area | 91,119 km² ◉ |
| Coastline Length | 1,793 km ◉ |
Military Forces Chart
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Military Budget Evolution
Military Personnel Evolution
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has more military personnel, Spain or Portugal?
Spain has approximately 199,000 active military personnel compared to Portugal's 52,000, giving Spain a 4:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, Spain or Portugal?
Spain operates 178 combat aircraft compared to Portugal's 25. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Who has the larger navy, Spain or Portugal?
Spain has a larger navy with 78 vessels compared to Portugal's 36 ships. Spain operates 3 submarines while Portugal has 2.
Which country spends more on defense, Spain or Portugal?
Spain has a larger defense budget at $24.6 billion (5:1 more) compared to Portugal's $4.6 billion annually.
Do Spain and Portugal have nuclear weapons?
Neither Spain nor Portugal currently possesses nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of Spain and Portugal compare?
Spain operates 317 main battle tanks compared to Portugal's 34. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.