Military Strength: 
El Salvador vs 
Trinidad and Tobago
El Salvador (ranked #115 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than Trinidad and Tobago (#147) on the ARMS Index. El Salvador fields 42,000 active troops — 8.4:1 Trinidad and Tobago's 5,000, backed by 9,900 reserves and 17,000 paramilitary. El Salvador allocates $0.4B to defense compared to $0.2B for Trinidad and Tobago.
ARMS (Aggregate Rating of Military Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
El SalvadorWorld #115
17.4
ARMS Index / 100
El Salvador leads on 4 of 6 pillars
Trinidad and TobagoWorld #147
10.0
El Salvador
Trinidad and Tobago
Pillar scores 0–100 (weight under each label) over a headline figure from that domain · readiness modifier ×0.95 vs ×1.03 · Methodology
Key figures
| El Salvador | Trinidad and Tobago | Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defense budget | $424M | $231M | 🇸🇻 1.8× |
| – share of GDP | 1.2% | 0.9% | 🇸🇻 1.3× |
| Active personnel | 42,000 | 5,000 | 🇸🇻 8.4× |
| Combat aircraft | 6 | 0 | 🇸🇻 |
| Warships | 29 | 0 | 🇸🇻 |
| – submarines | 0 | 0 | — |
| Main battle tanks | 0 | 0 | — |
| Nuclear warheads | 0 | 0 | — |
Show full breakdown · 11 more rowsHide the 11 extra rows
| Reserve troops | 9,900 | 0 | 🇸🇻 |
| Paramilitary forces | 17,000 | 0 | 🇸🇻 |
| Military aircraft (all types) | 53 | 6 | 🇸🇻 8.8× |
| – helicopters | 25 | 4 | 🇸🇻 6.2× |
| Budget share of govt spending | — | — | — |
| Budget per capita | $67 | $169 | 🇹🇹 2.5× |
| Population | 6.3M | 1.4M | 🇸🇻 4.6× |
| GDP | $35B | $26B | 🇸🇻 1.4× |
| GDP per capita | $5,580 | $18,733 | 🇹🇹 3.4× |
| Land area | 20,721 km² | 5,128 km² | 🇸🇻 4.0× |
| Coastline | 307 km | 362 km | 🇹🇹 1.2× |
Backbone systems most numerous in service
🇸🇻 El SalvadorA-37 Dragonfly ×6
Defense budget history El Salvador ×1.2 · Trinidad and Tobago ×1.1 since 2020
Military personnel history
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who has more military personnel, El Salvador or Trinidad and Tobago?
El Salvador has approximately 42,000 active military personnel compared to Trinidad and Tobago's 5,000, giving El Salvador a 8.4:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, El Salvador or Trinidad and Tobago?
El Salvador operates 6 combat aircraft compared to Trinidad and Tobago's 0. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Who has the larger navy, El Salvador or Trinidad and Tobago?
El Salvador has a larger navy with 29 vessels compared to Trinidad and Tobago's 0 ships.
Which country spends more on defense, El Salvador or Trinidad and Tobago?
El Salvador has a larger defense budget at $424 million (1.8:1 more) compared to Trinidad and Tobago's $231 million annually.
Do El Salvador and Trinidad and Tobago have nuclear weapons?
Neither El Salvador nor Trinidad and Tobago currently possesses nuclear weapons.