Military Strength:
Portugal vs
Serbia
Portugal (ranked #56 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than Serbia (#62) on the ATLAS Index. Portugal fields 27,250 active troops vs 28,150 for Serbia, backed by 50,150 reserves and 3,000 paramilitary. Portugal's $6.3B defense budget is 2.8:1 that of Serbia ($2.3B).
ATLAS (Aggregate Total of Land, Air and Sea strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Portugal
Serbia
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
| Portugal | Serbia | Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defense budget | $6.3B | $2.3B | 🇵🇹 2.8× |
| – share of GDP | 2.0% | 2.5% | 🇷🇸 1.2× |
| Active personnel | 27,250 | 28,150 | 🇷🇸 ≈ |
| Combat aircraft | 33 | 31 | 🇵🇹 1.1× |
| Warships | 26 | 12 | 🇵🇹 2.2× |
| – submarines | 2 | 0 | 🇵🇹 |
| Main battle tanks | 34 | 242 | 🇷🇸 7.1× |
| Nuclear warheads | 0 | 0 | — |
Show full breakdown · 11 more rowsHide the 11 extra rows
| Reserve troops | 23,500 | 50,150 | 🇷🇸 2.1× |
| Paramilitary forces | 24,700 | 3,000 | 🇵🇹 8.2× |
| Military aircraft (all types) | 102 | 149 | 🇷🇸 1.5× |
| – helicopters | 29 | 62 | 🇷🇸 2.1× |
| Budget share of govt spending | — | — | — |
| Budget per capita | $580 | $344 | 🇵🇹 1.7× |
| Population | 10.8M | 6.5M | 🇵🇹 1.6× |
| GDP | $347B | $100B | 🇵🇹 3.5× |
| GDP per capita | $32,082 | $15,262 | 🇵🇹 2.1× |
| Land area | 91,119 km² | 88,246 km² | 🇵🇹 ≈ |
| Coastline | 1,793 km | 0 km | 🇵🇹 |
Backbone systems most numerous in service
Defense budget history Portugal ×1.3 · Serbia ×1.5 since 2021
Military personnel history
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who has more military personnel, Portugal or Serbia?
Serbia has approximately 28,150 active military personnel compared to Portugal's 27,250.
Which country has more combat aircraft, Portugal or Serbia?
Portugal operates 33 combat aircraft compared to Serbia's 31. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Who has the larger navy, Portugal or Serbia?
Portugal has a larger navy with 26 warships compared to Serbia's 12. Portugal operates 2 submarines while Serbia has 0.
Which country spends more on defense, Portugal or Serbia?
Portugal has a larger defense budget at $6.3 billion (2.8:1 more) compared to Serbia's $2.3 billion annually.
Do Portugal and Serbia have nuclear weapons?
Neither Portugal nor Serbia currently possesses nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of Portugal and Serbia compare?
Serbia operates 242 main battle tanks compared to Portugal's 34. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.