Military Strength: Spain vs Portugal

Overview

Spain (ranked #28 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than Portugal (#60) on the Global Military Index. Spain fields 199,000 active troops — 3.8x Portugal's 52,000, backed by 15,150 reserves and 87,450 paramilitary. Spain's $35B defense budget is 5.5x that of Portugal ($6B).

In the air, Spain operates 471 aircraft including 178 combat jets, while Portugal fields 86 with 25 fighters.

At sea, Spain's 78-ship navy outnumbers Portugal's 36 vessels, including 3 and 2 submarines respectively. On the ground, Spain deploys 317 main battle tanks vs 34 for Portugal.

Neither Spain nor Portugal possesses nuclear weapons.

Global Military Index 55.0 (#28)
🪖 Military personnel 199,000
– Reserve troops 15,150
– Paramilitary forces 87,450
🛩️ Military aircraft 471
– incl. combat aircraft 178
– incl. bombers 0
– incl. helicopters 178
⚓️ Military ships 78
– incl. aircraft carriers 1
– incl. submarines 3
🚛 Main battle tanks 317
💥 Nuclear warheads 0
Global Military Index 42.7 (#60)
🪖 Military personnel 52,000
– Reserve troops 23,500
– Paramilitary forces 24,700
🛩️ Military aircraft 86
– incl. combat aircraft 25
– incl. bombers 0
– incl. helicopters 22
⚓️ Military ships 36
– incl. aircraft carriers 0
– incl. submarines 2
🚛 Main battle tanks 34
💥 Nuclear warheads 0

🇪🇸 Spain Global Military Index

55.0
Global Rank: #28
🪖 Manpower (15%) 74.1 Active, reserve & paramilitary: 154160 effective
🛡️ Ground Firepower (20%) 55.6 Main battle tanks: 317
⚓ Naval Power (20%) 51.9 Weighted by ship type: carriers, submarines, destroyers...
✈️ Air Power (25%) 61.7 Weighted by aircraft type: combat, bombers, helicopters...
☢️ Nuclear Deterrent (10%) 0.0 No declared nuclear capability
💰 Defense Budget (10%) 69.8 $34.5B annual military spending

🇵🇹 Portugal Global Military Index

42.7
Global Rank: #60
🪖 Manpower (15%) 66.7 Active, reserve & paramilitary: 46410 effective
🛡️ Ground Firepower (20%) 34.3 Main battle tanks: 34
⚓ Naval Power (20%) 42.0 Weighted by ship type: carriers, submarines, destroyers...
✈️ Air Power (25%) 46.5 Weighted by aircraft type: combat, bombers, helicopters...
☢️ Nuclear Deterrent (10%) 0.0 No declared nuclear capability
💰 Defense Budget (10%) 58.4 $6.3B annual military spending

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Population 48.8 million
GDP $1.7 trillion
GDP per capita $35,327
Military Budget $34.5 billion
Share of GDP in Milex 2.0%
Share of Govt Expenditures 0.0%
Military spends per capita $707
Population 10.7 million
GDP $313.3 billion
GDP per capita $29,292
Military Budget $6.3 billion
Share of GDP in Milex 2.0%
Share of Govt Expenditures 0.0%
Military spends per capita $586

Spain Geography

Land Area 498,980 km²
Coastline Length 4,964 km

Portugal Geography

Land Area 91,119 km²
Coastline Length 1,793 km

Military Forces Chart

Economic Metrics Chart

Military Budget Evolution

Military Personnel Evolution

Frequently Asked Questions

Who has more military personnel, Spain or Portugal?
Spain has approximately 199,000 active military personnel compared to Portugal's 52,000, giving Spain a 4:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, Spain or Portugal?
Spain operates 178 combat aircraft compared to Portugal's 25. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Who has the larger navy, Spain or Portugal?
Spain has a larger navy with 78 vessels compared to Portugal's 36 ships. Spain operates 3 submarines while Portugal has 2.
Which country spends more on defense, Spain or Portugal?
Spain has a larger defense budget at $34.5 billion (6:1 more) compared to Portugal's $6.3 billion annually.
Do Spain and Portugal have nuclear weapons?
Neither Spain nor Portugal currently possesses nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of Spain and Portugal compare?
Spain operates 317 main battle tanks compared to Portugal's 34. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.