Military Strength: 
Lithuania vs 
Latvia
Military Strength
| Lithuania | Latvia | |
|---|---|---|
| Global Military Index | 15.4 (#123) | 12.8 (#138) |
| Military personnel | 37,000 | 9,000 |
| – Reserve troops | 28,000 | 15,900 |
| – Paramilitary forces | 18,400 | 0 |
| Military aircraft | 11 | 7 |
| – incl. combat aircraft | 0 | 0 |
| – incl. bombers | 0 | 0 |
| – incl. helicopters | 6 | 3 |
| Military ships | 0 | 0 |
| – incl. aircraft carriers | 0 | 0 |
| – incl. submarines | 0 | 0 |
| Main battle tanks | 0 | 0 |
| Nuclear warheads | 0 | 0 |
Military Forces Chart
Overview
Lithuania (ranked #123 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than Latvia (#138) on the Global Military Index. Lithuania fields 37,000 active troops — 4.1x Latvia's 9,000, backed by 28,000 reserves and 18,400 paramilitary. Lithuania's $3B defense budget is 2.1x that of Latvia ($2B).
In the air, Lithuania operates 11 aircraft vs 7 for Latvia.
Neither Lithuania nor Latvia possesses nuclear weapons.
Global Military Index
Full ranking →
🇱🇹 Lithuania
World #123
15.7/ 100
Six-pillar composite: manpower, ground forces, naval power, air power, nuclear deterrent and defense budget, with a readiness modifier from budget per soldier.
| Pillar | Weight | Score | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manpower | 15% | 57.6 | 39370 effective |
| Ground forces | 20% | 0.0 | Tanks, armor & artillery |
| Naval power | 20% | 0.0 | Carrier tiers, nuclear vs conventional submarines |
| Air power | 25% | 14.7 | Weighted by aircraft type & fleet age |
| Nuclear deterrent | 10% | 0.0 | No declared capability |
| Defense budget | 10% | 43.2 | $3.4B, PPP-adjusted |
| Readiness | modifier | ×1.10 | Budget per soldier |
🇱🇻 Latvia
World #138
12.8/ 100
Six-pillar composite: manpower, ground forces, naval power, air power, nuclear deterrent and defense budget, with a readiness modifier from budget per soldier.
| Pillar | Weight | Score | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manpower | 15% | 48.9 | 14160 effective |
| Ground forces | 20% | 0.0 | Tanks, armor & artillery |
| Naval power | 20% | 0.0 | Carrier tiers, nuclear vs conventional submarines |
| Air power | 25% | 9.5 | Weighted by aircraft type & fleet age |
| Nuclear deterrent | 10% | 0.0 | No declared capability |
| Defense budget | 10% | 37.1 | $1.6B, PPP-adjusted |
| Readiness | modifier | ×1.13 | Budget per soldier |
Country Profile
Economy & Geography
| Lithuania | Latvia | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 2.9 million | 1.9 million |
| GDP | $84.9 billion | $43.7 billion |
| GDP per capita | $29,384 | $23,409 |
| Military budget | $3.4 billion | $1.6 billion |
| – share of GDP | 4.0% | 3.7% |
| – share of govt spending | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| – per capita spending | $1175 | $866 |
| Land area | 62,680 km² | 62,249 km² |
| Coastline | 90 km | 498 km |
Military Budget Evolution
Military Personnel Evolution
Economic Metrics Chart
Wargame Simulation
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Related Comparisons
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has more military personnel, Lithuania or Latvia?
Lithuania has approximately 37,000 active military personnel compared to Latvia's 9,000, giving Lithuania a 4:1 numerical advantage.
Which country spends more on defense, Lithuania or Latvia?
Lithuania has a larger defense budget at $3.4 billion (2:1 more) compared to Latvia's $1.6 billion annually.
Do Lithuania and Latvia have nuclear weapons?
Neither Lithuania nor Latvia currently possesses nuclear weapons.