Military Strength: 
Jamaica vs 
El Salvador
El Salvador (ranked #115 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than Jamaica (#141) on the ARMS Index. El Salvador fields 42,000 active troops — 7.0:1 Jamaica's 6,000, backed by 9,900 reserves and 17,000 paramilitary. Jamaica allocates $0.3B to defense compared to $0.4B for El Salvador.
ARMS (Aggregate Rating of Military Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
JamaicaWorld #141
12.8
ARMS Index / 100
El Salvador leads on 4 of 6 pillars
El SalvadorWorld #115
17.4
Jamaica
El Salvador
Pillar scores 0–100 (weight under each label) over a headline figure from that domain · readiness modifier ×1.05 vs ×0.95 · Methodology
Key figures
| Jamaica | El Salvador | Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defense budget | $308M | $424M | 🇸🇻 1.4× |
| – share of GDP | 1.4% | 1.2% | 🇯🇲 1.2× |
| Active personnel | 6,000 | 42,000 | 🇸🇻 7.0× |
| Combat aircraft | 0 | 6 | 🇸🇻 |
| Warships | 0 | 29 | 🇸🇻 |
| – submarines | 0 | 0 | — |
| Main battle tanks | 0 | 0 | — |
| Nuclear warheads | 0 | 0 | — |
Show full breakdown · 11 more rowsHide the 11 extra rows
| Reserve troops | 2,580 | 9,900 | 🇸🇻 3.8× |
| Paramilitary forces | 0 | 17,000 | 🇸🇻 |
| Military aircraft (all types) | 17 | 53 | 🇸🇻 3.1× |
| – helicopters | 14 | 25 | 🇸🇻 1.8× |
| Budget share of govt spending | — | — | — |
| Budget per capita | $109 | $67 | 🇯🇲 1.6× |
| Population | 2.8M | 6.3M | 🇸🇻 2.2× |
| GDP | $22B | $35B | 🇸🇻 1.6× |
| GDP per capita | $7,754 | $5,580 | 🇯🇲 1.4× |
| Land area | 10,831 km² | 20,721 km² | 🇸🇻 1.9× |
| Coastline | 1,022 km | 307 km | 🇯🇲 3.3× |
Backbone systems most numerous in service
🇸🇻 El SalvadorA-37 Dragonfly ×6
Defense budget history Jamaica ×1.3 · El Salvador ×1.2 since 2020
Military personnel history
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who has more military personnel, Jamaica or El Salvador?
El Salvador has approximately 42,000 active military personnel compared to Jamaica's 6,000, giving El Salvador a 7.0:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, Jamaica or El Salvador?
El Salvador operates 6 combat aircraft compared to Jamaica's 0. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Who has the larger navy, Jamaica or El Salvador?
El Salvador has a larger navy with 29 vessels compared to Jamaica's 0 ships.
Which country spends more on defense, Jamaica or El Salvador?
El Salvador has a larger defense budget at $424 million compared to Jamaica's $308 million annually.
Do Jamaica and El Salvador have nuclear weapons?
Neither Jamaica nor El Salvador currently possesses nuclear weapons.