Military Strength: Panama vs El Salvador
El Salvador (ranked #93 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than Panama (#143) on the Global Military Index. Panama fields 28,000 active troops vs 42,000 for El Salvador, backed by 9,900 reserves and 17,000 paramilitary. El Salvador's $0.4B defense budget is 3.8x that of Panama ($0.1B). In the air, Panama operates 39 aircraft including 0 combat jets, while El Salvador fields 51 with 6 fighters. El Salvador operates a 26-ship naval fleet; Panama has no navy. Neither Panama nor El Salvador possesses nuclear weapons.
| Global Military Index | 17.3 (#143) ◉ |
| 🪖 Military personnel | 28,000 ◉ |
| – Reserve troops | 0 ◉ |
| – Paramilitary forces | 26,000 ◉ |
| 🛩️ Military aircraft | 39 ◉ |
| – incl. combat aircraft | 0 ◉ |
| – incl. bombers | 0 ◉ |
| – incl. helicopters | 25 ◉ |
| ⚓️ Military ships | 0 ◉ |
| – incl. aircraft carriers | 0 ◉ |
| – incl. submarines | 0 ◉ |
| 🚛 Main battle tanks | 0 ◉ |
| 💥 Nuclear warheads | 0 ◉ |
| Global Military Index | 32.0 (#93) ◉ |
| 🪖 Military personnel | 42,000 ◉ |
| – Reserve troops | 9,900 ◉ |
| – Paramilitary forces | 17,000 ◉ |
| 🛩️ Military aircraft | 51 ◉ |
| – incl. combat aircraft | 6 ◉ |
| – incl. bombers | 0 ◉ |
| – incl. helicopters | 25 ◉ |
| ⚓️ Military ships | 26 ◉ |
| – incl. aircraft carriers | 0 ◉ |
| – incl. submarines | 0 ◉ |
| 🚛 Main battle tanks | 0 ◉ |
| 💥 Nuclear warheads | 0 ◉ |
🇵🇦 Panama Global Military Index
17.3
Global Rank: #143
| 🪖 Manpower (15%) | 55.6 | Active, reserve & paramilitary: 7800 effective |
| 🛡️ Ground Firepower (20%) | 0.0 | Main battle tanks: 0 |
| ⚓ Naval Power (20%) | 0.0 | Weighted by ship type: carriers, submarines, destroyers... |
| ✈️ Air Power (25%) | 36.0 | Weighted by aircraft type: combat, bombers, helicopters... |
| ☢️ Nuclear Deterrent (10%) | 0.0 | No declared nuclear capability |
| 💰 Defense Budget (10%) | 0.0 | Data unavailable |
🇸🇻 El Salvador Global Military Index
31.9
Global Rank: #93
| 🪖 Manpower (15%) | 64.8 | Active, reserve & paramilitary: 34550 effective |
| 🛡️ Ground Firepower (20%) | 0.0 | Main battle tanks: 0 |
| ⚓ Naval Power (20%) | 36.5 | Weighted by ship type: carriers, submarines, destroyers... |
| ✈️ Air Power (25%) | 43.5 | Weighted by aircraft type: combat, bombers, helicopters... |
| ☢️ Nuclear Deterrent (10%) | 0.0 | No declared nuclear capability |
| 💰 Defense Budget (10%) | 40.5 | $0.4B annual military spending |
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| Population | 4.5 million ◉ |
| GDP | $83.3 billion ◉ |
| GDP per capita | $18,686 ◉ |
| Military Budget | $111.6 million ◉ |
| Share of GDP in Milex | 1.0% ◉ |
| Share of Govt Expenditures | 3.8% ◉ |
| Military spends per capita | $38 ◉ |
| Population | 6.3 million ◉ |
| GDP | $34.0 billion ◉ |
| GDP per capita | $5,391 ◉ |
| Military Budget | $425.2 million ◉ |
| Share of GDP in Milex | 1.2% ◉ |
| Share of Govt Expenditures | 3.8% ◉ |
| Military spends per capita | $67 ◉ |
Panama Geography
| Land Area | 74,340 km² ◉ |
| Coastline Length | 2,490 km ◉ |
El Salvador Geography
| Land Area | 20,721 km² ◉ |
| Coastline Length | 307 km ◉ |
Military Forces Chart
Economic Metrics Chart
Military Budget Evolution
Military Personnel Evolution
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has more military personnel, Panama or El Salvador?
El Salvador has approximately 42,000 active military personnel compared to Panama's 28,000, giving El Salvador a 1.5:1 numerical advantage.
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 26 vessels compared to Panama's 0 ships.
Which country spends more on defense, Panama or El Salvador?
El Salvador has a larger defense budget at $425 million (4:1 more) compared to Panama's $112 million annually.
Do Panama and El Salvador have nuclear weapons?
Neither Panama nor El Salvador currently possesses nuclear weapons.