Military Strength: 
New Zealand vs 
El Salvador
New Zealand (ranked #90 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than El Salvador (#104) on the ATLAS Index. El Salvador fields 42,000 active troops — 4.2:1 New Zealand's 10,000, backed by 9,900 reserves and 17,000 paramilitary. New Zealand's $3.1B defense budget is 7.4:1 that of El Salvador ($0.4B).
ATLAS (Aggregate Total of Land, Air and Sea strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
New ZealandWorld #90
16.5
ATLAS Index / 100
New Zealand leads on 3 of 6 pillars
El SalvadorWorld #104
14.2
New Zealand
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
| New Zealand | El Salvador | Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defense budget | $3.1B | $424M | 🇳🇿 7.4× |
| – share of GDP | 1.2% | 1.2% | — |
| Active personnel | 10,000 | 42,000 | 🇸🇻 4.2× |
| Combat aircraft | 0 | 6 | 🇸🇻 |
| Warships | 5 | 29 | 🇸🇻 5.8× |
| – submarines | 0 | 0 | — |
| Main battle tanks | 0 | 0 | — |
| Nuclear warheads | 0 | 0 | — |
Show full breakdown · 11 more rowsHide the 11 extra rows
| Reserve troops | 3,270 | 9,900 | 🇸🇻 3.0× |
| Paramilitary forces | 0 | 17,000 | 🇸🇻 |
| Military aircraft (all types) | 47 | 53 | 🇸🇻 1.1× |
| – helicopters | 21 | 25 | 🇸🇻 1.2× |
| Budget share of govt spending | — | — | — |
| Budget per capita | $590 | $67 | 🇳🇿 8.8× |
| Population | 5.3M | 6.3M | 🇸🇻 1.2× |
| GDP | $260B | $35B | 🇳🇿 7.4× |
| GDP per capita | $49,205 | $5,580 | 🇳🇿 8.8× |
| Land area | 262,443 km² | 20,721 km² | 🇳🇿 13× |
| Coastline | 15,134 km | 307 km | 🇳🇿 49× |
Backbone systems most numerous in service
🇳🇿 New ZealandAnzac-class ×2
🇸🇻 El SalvadorA-37 Dragonfly ×6
Defense budget history New Zealand ×1.0 · El Salvador ×1.2 since 2020
Military personnel history
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who has more military personnel, New Zealand or El Salvador?
El Salvador has approximately 42,000 active military personnel compared to New Zealand's 10,000, giving El Salvador a 4.2:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, New Zealand or El Salvador?
El Salvador operates 6 combat aircraft compared to New Zealand's 0. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Who has the larger navy, New Zealand or El Salvador?
El Salvador has a larger navy with 29 vessels compared to New Zealand's 5 ships.
Which country spends more on defense, New Zealand or El Salvador?
New Zealand has a larger defense budget at $3.1 billion (7.4:1 more) compared to El Salvador's $424 million annually.
Do New Zealand and El Salvador have nuclear weapons?
Neither New Zealand nor El Salvador currently possesses nuclear weapons.