Military Strength: 
Mexico vs 
Panama
Mexico fields 341,000 active troops — 12:1 Panama's 28,000, backed by 81,500 reserves and 120,000 paramilitary. Mexico's $17B defense budget is 18:1 that of Panama ($1.0B).
Key figures
| Mexico | Panama | Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defense budget | $17B | $952M | 🇲🇽 18× |
| – share of GDP | 0.9% | 1.1% | 🇵🇦 1.2× |
| Active personnel | 341,000 | 28,000 | 🇲🇽 12× |
| Combat aircraft | 4 | 0 | 🇲🇽 |
| Warships | 204 | 0 | 🇲🇽 |
| – submarines | 0 | 0 | — |
| Main battle tanks | 0 | 0 | — |
| Nuclear warheads | 0 | 0 | — |
Show full breakdown · 11 more rowsHide the 11 extra rows
| Reserve troops | 81,500 | 0 | 🇲🇽 |
| Paramilitary forces | 120,000 | 26,000 | 🇲🇽 4.6× |
| Military aircraft (all types) | 431 | 40 | 🇲🇽 11× |
| – helicopters | 168 | 25 | 🇲🇽 6.7× |
| Budget share of govt spending | — | — | — |
| Budget per capita | $128 | $211 | 🇵🇦 1.7× |
| Population | 130.9M | 4.5M | 🇲🇽 29× |
| GDP | $1.9T | $87B | 🇲🇽 21× |
| GDP per capita | $14,186 | $19,161 | 🇵🇦 1.4× |
| Land area | 1,943,945 km² | 74,340 km² | 🇲🇽 26× |
| Coastline | 9,330 km | 2,490 km | 🇲🇽 3.7× |
Backbone systems most numerous in service
Defense budget history Mexico ×2.5 · Panama ×1.2 since 2020
Military personnel history
Explore this matchup
Go deeper · same matchup, other lenses
Change opponent
Related comparisons & rankings
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has more military personnel, Mexico or Panama?
Mexico has approximately 341,000 active military personnel compared to Panama's 28,000, giving Mexico a 12:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, Mexico or Panama?
Mexico operates 4 combat aircraft compared to Panama's 0. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Who has the larger navy, Mexico or Panama?
Mexico has a larger navy with 204 vessels compared to Panama's 0 ships.
Which country spends more on defense, Mexico or Panama?
Mexico has a larger defense budget at $16.7 billion (18:1 more) compared to Panama's $952 million annually.
Do Mexico and Panama have nuclear weapons?
Neither Mexico nor Panama currently possesses nuclear weapons.