Military Strength: 
Nicaragua vs 
El Salvador
El Salvador (ranked #104 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than Nicaragua (#111) on the ATLAS Index. El Salvador fields 42,000 active troops — 3.5:1 Nicaragua's 12,000, backed by 9,900 reserves and 17,000 paramilitary. El Salvador's $0.4B defense budget is 4.3:1 that of Nicaragua ($0.10B).
ATLAS (Aggregate Total of Land, Air and Sea strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
NicaraguaWorld #111
12.7
ATLAS Index / 100
El Salvador leads on 4 of 6 pillars
El SalvadorWorld #104
14.1
Nicaragua
El Salvador
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
| Nicaragua | El Salvador | Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defense budget | $98M | $424M | 🇸🇻 4.3× |
| – share of GDP | 0.5% | 1.2% | 🇸🇻 2.4× |
| Active personnel | 12,000 | 42,000 | 🇸🇻 3.5× |
| Combat aircraft | 0 | 6 | 🇸🇻 |
| Warships | 0 | 29 | 🇸🇻 |
| – submarines | 0 | 0 | — |
| Main battle tanks | 89 | 0 | 🇳🇮 |
| Nuclear warheads | 0 | 0 | — |
Show full breakdown · 11 more rowsHide the 11 extra rows
| Reserve troops | 0 | 9,900 | 🇸🇻 |
| Paramilitary forces | 0 | 17,000 | 🇸🇻 |
| Military aircraft (all types) | 17 | 53 | 🇸🇻 3.1× |
| – helicopters | 11 | 25 | 🇸🇻 2.3× |
| Budget share of govt spending | — | — | — |
| Budget per capita | $14 | $67 | 🇸🇻 4.7× |
| Population | 6.9M | 6.3M | 🇳🇮 1.1× |
| GDP | $20B | $35B | 🇸🇻 1.8× |
| GDP per capita | $2,848 | $5,580 | 🇸🇻 2.0× |
| Land area | 119,990 km² | 20,721 km² | 🇳🇮 5.8× |
| Coastline | 910 km | 307 km | 🇳🇮 3.0× |
Backbone systems most numerous in service
🇸🇻 El SalvadorA-37 Dragonfly ×6
Defense budget history Nicaragua ×1.3 · El Salvador ×1.2 since 2020
Military personnel history
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who has more military personnel, Nicaragua or El Salvador?
El Salvador has approximately 42,000 active military personnel compared to Nicaragua's 12,000, giving El Salvador a 3.5:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, Nicaragua or El Salvador?
El Salvador operates 6 combat aircraft compared to Nicaragua's 0. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Who has the larger navy, Nicaragua or El Salvador?
El Salvador has a larger navy with 29 vessels compared to Nicaragua's 0 ships.
Which country spends more on defense, Nicaragua or El Salvador?
El Salvador has a larger defense budget at $424 million (4.3:1 more) compared to Nicaragua's $98 million annually.
Do Nicaragua and El Salvador have nuclear weapons?
Neither Nicaragua nor El Salvador currently possesses nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of Nicaragua and El Salvador compare?
Nicaragua operates 89 main battle tanks compared to El Salvador's 0. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.