Military Strength: 
Paraguay vs 
El Salvador
El Salvador (ranked #115 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than Paraguay (#125) on the ARMS Index. Paraguay fields 29,000 active troops vs 42,000 for El Salvador, backed by 9,900 reserves and 17,000 paramilitary. Paraguay allocates $0.4B to defense compared to $0.4B for El Salvador.
ARMS (Aggregate Rating of Military Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
ParaguayWorld #125
15.3
ARMS Index / 100
El Salvador leads on 3 of 6 pillars
El SalvadorWorld #115
17.4
Paraguay
El Salvador
Pillar scores 0–100 (weight under each label) over a headline figure from that domain · readiness modifier ×0.97 vs ×0.95 · Methodology
Key figures
| Paraguay | El Salvador | Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defense budget | $356M | $424M | 🇸🇻 1.2× |
| – share of GDP | 0.8% | 1.2% | 🇸🇻 1.5× |
| Active personnel | 29,000 | 42,000 | 🇸🇻 1.4× |
| Combat aircraft | 0 | 6 | 🇸🇻 |
| Warships | 0 | 29 | 🇸🇻 |
| – submarines | 0 | 0 | — |
| Main battle tanks | 0 | 0 | — |
| Nuclear warheads | 0 | 0 | — |
Show full breakdown · 11 more rowsHide the 11 extra rows
| Reserve troops | 164,500 | 9,900 | 🇵🇾 17× |
| Paramilitary forces | 14,800 | 17,000 | 🇸🇻 1.1× |
| Military aircraft (all types) | 56 | 53 | 🇵🇾 1.1× |
| – helicopters | 17 | 25 | 🇸🇻 1.5× |
| Budget share of govt spending | — | — | — |
| Budget per capita | $51 | $67 | 🇸🇻 1.3× |
| Population | 6.9M | 6.3M | 🇵🇾 1.1× |
| GDP | $44B | $35B | 🇵🇾 1.3× |
| GDP per capita | $6,416 | $5,580 | 🇵🇾 1.1× |
| Land area | 397,302 km² | 20,721 km² | 🇵🇾 19× |
| Coastline | 0 km | 307 km | 🇸🇻 |
Backbone systems most numerous in service
🇸🇻 El SalvadorA-37 Dragonfly ×6
Defense budget history Paraguay ×1.0 · El Salvador ×1.2 since 2020
Military personnel history
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who has more military personnel, Paraguay or El Salvador?
El Salvador has approximately 42,000 active military personnel compared to Paraguay's 29,000.
Which country has more combat aircraft, Paraguay or El Salvador?
El Salvador operates 6 combat aircraft compared to Paraguay's 0. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Who has the larger navy, Paraguay or El Salvador?
El Salvador has a larger navy with 29 vessels compared to Paraguay's 0 ships.
Which country spends more on defense, Paraguay or El Salvador?
El Salvador has a larger defense budget at $424 million compared to Paraguay's $356 million annually.
Do Paraguay and El Salvador have nuclear weapons?
Neither Paraguay nor El Salvador currently possesses nuclear weapons.