Military Strength: 
Panama vs 
El Salvador
El Salvador maintains an active force of 24,500 military personnel. Panama's $1.0B defense budget is 2.2:1 that of El Salvador ($0.4B).
Key figures
| Panama | El Salvador | Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defense budget | $952M | $424M | 🇵🇦 2.2× |
| – share of GDP | 1.1% | 1.2% | 🇸🇻 1.1× |
| Active personnel | 0 | 24,500 | 🇸🇻 |
| Combat aircraft | 0 | 6 | 🇸🇻 |
| Warships | 0 | 24 | 🇸🇻 |
| – submarines | 0 | 0 | — |
| Main battle tanks | 0 | 0 | — |
| Nuclear warheads | 0 | 0 | — |
Show full breakdown · 11 more rowsHide the 11 extra rows
| Reserve troops | 0 | 9,900 | 🇸🇻 |
| Paramilitary forces | 26,000 | 17,000 | 🇵🇦 1.5× |
| Military aircraft (all types) | 39 | 45 | 🇸🇻 1.2× |
| – helicopters | 24 | 29 | 🇸🇻 1.2× |
| Budget share of govt spending | — | — | — |
| Budget per capita | $208 | $67 | 🇵🇦 3.1× |
| Population | 4.6M | 6.4M | 🇸🇻 1.4× |
| GDP | $90B | $37B | 🇵🇦 2.5× |
| GDP per capita | $19,790 | $5,767 | 🇵🇦 3.4× |
| Land area | 74,340 km² | 20,721 km² | 🇵🇦 3.6× |
| Coastline | 2,490 km | 307 km | 🇵🇦 8.1× |
Backbone systems most numerous in service
🇸🇻 El SalvadorA-37 Dragonfly ×6
Defense budget history Panama ×1.2 · El Salvador ×1.2 since 2020
Military personnel history
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who has more military personnel, Panama or El Salvador?
El Salvador has approximately 24,500 active military personnel compared to Panama's 0.
Which country has more combat aircraft, Panama or El Salvador?
El Salvador operates 6 combat aircraft compared to Panama's 0. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Who has the larger navy, Panama or El Salvador?
El Salvador has a larger navy with 24 warships compared to Panama's 0.
Which country spends more on defense, Panama or El Salvador?
Panama has a larger defense budget at $952 million (2.2:1 more) compared to El Salvador's $424 million annually.
Do Panama and El Salvador have nuclear weapons?
Neither Panama nor El Salvador currently possesses nuclear weapons.