Military

The Latin American Countries with the Strongest Militaries

pabst_ell / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

South America’s militaries play a huge role in keeping the region stable, each bringing something unique to the table. In recent years, Brazil has been focused on modernizing its forces, while other nations have set out to improve their defensive capabilities overall. Here 24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look into the region and which of these nations have built the strongest military forces. (These are the most powerful militaries in the world.)

To determine the countries with the strongest military might in Latin America, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed 2024 Military Strength Ranking from Global Firepower, an annually updated defense-related statistics website with information on 145 countries. Global Firepower ranked 145 countries based on their PowerIndex, a composite of over 60 measures in categories such as military might, financials, logistical capability, and geography. The smaller the PowerIndex value the more powerful a nation’s theoretical conventional fighting capability is. We included supplemental information regarding active military personnel, military aircraft, vehicles, and naval power as well.

Brazil stands out as one of the dominant military powers in the Western hemisphere. With the largest national defense budget in South America, Brazil also owns one of the larger navies in the world. At the same time, recent modernization efforts have helped to further improve Brazil’s military strength, making it easily one of the most powerful nations in the region. (These are the countries with the most military expenditures.)

These militaries, and more, are not only powerful in terms of their personnel and assets but they also play important roles in regional security.

Here is a look at the strongest militaries in Latin America:

Why Are We Covering This?

Qatar+F-15 | Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) McDonnell Douglas CF-188 "Hornet" - A Canadian Armed Forces CF-18 "Hornet" (official military designation CF-188) (S/N 188741)
Robert Sullivan / Public Domain / Flickr

Latin America is a region of great strategic importance, encompassing diverse nations with varied military capabilities. It cannot be understated the value of this region and the countries that hold its security in the balance. Understanding the militaries within this region gives context to a broader geopolitical view.

19. Beliz

Beliz+military | Military people of Belize 2023-04-05
Military people of Belize 2023-04-05 by Wang Yu Ching / Office of the President (中華民國總統府) / BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
  • Military strength score: 3.6437
  • Active military personnel: 1,650
  • Total military aircraft: 2
  • Total military vehicles: 130
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 8

18. Panama

specnaz-s / iStock via Getty Images
  • Military strength score: 3.3388
  • Active military personnel: 0
  • Total military aircraft: 38
  • Total military vehicles: 524
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 45

17. El Salvador

  • Military strength score: 2.8204
  • Active military personnel: 25,000
  • Total military aircraft: 49
  • Total military vehicles: 1,850
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 15

16. Dominican Republic

Harry Benson / Hulton Archive via Getty Images
  • Military strength score: 2.7431
  • Active military personnel: 50,000
  • Total military aircraft: 69
  • Total military vehicles: 540
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 34

15. Nicaragua

Tiomono (talk) / Wikimedia Commons
  • Military strength score: 2.4889
  • Active military personnel: 45,000
  • Total military aircraft: 17
  • Total military vehicles: 3,739
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 23

14. Guatemala

Military boots and camouflage trousers of many soldiers in uniform in a row under the rain and snow
Michele Ursi / Shutterstock.com
  • Military strength score: 2.1301
  • Active military personnel: 106,114
  • Total military aircraft: 34
  • Total military vehicles: 848
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 25

13. Uruguay

  • Military strength score: 1.9695
  • Active military personnel: 25,000
  • Total military aircraft: 43
  • Total military vehicles: 3,993
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 11

12. Honduras

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Military strength score: 1.9629
  • Active military personnel: 52,225
  • Total military aircraft: 44
  • Total military vehicles: 614
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 71

11. Paraguay

Derek Brumby / iStock
  • Military strength score: 1.7053
  • Active military personnel: 15,650
  • Total military aircraft: 41
  • Total military vehicles: 1,936
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 0

10. Bolivia

  • Military strength score: 1.4851
  • Active military personnel: 40,000
  • Total military aircraft: 63
  • Total military vehicles: 452
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 0

9. Ecuador

Alpha2412 / Wikimedia Commons
  • Military strength score: 1.2388
  • Active military personnel: 41,250
  • Total military aircraft: 110
  • Total military vehicles: 5,662
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 27

8. Cuba

PhotosByByron / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
  • Military strength score: 1.1869
  • Active military personnel: 45,500
  • Total military aircraft: 81
  • Total military vehicles: 4,826
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 24

7. Venezuela

emarys / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
  • Military strength score: 0.9447
  • Active military personnel: 109,000
  • Total military aircraft: 242
  • Total military vehicles: 14,966
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 32

6. Peru

  • Military strength score: 0.8475
  • Active military personnel: 120,000
  • Total military aircraft: 258
  • Total military vehicles: 7,896
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 69

5. Chile

Solange_Z / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
  • Military strength score: 0.8128
  • Active military personnel: 80,000
  • Total military aircraft: 289
  • Total military vehicles: 9,492
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 130

4. Colombia

dalomo84 / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
  • Military strength score: 0.7347
  • Active military personnel: 293,200
  • Total military aircraft: 434
  • Total military vehicles: 2,724
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 237

3. Mexico

Joel Carillet / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
  • Military strength score: 0.4274
  • Active military personnel: 412,000
  • Total military aircraft: 462
  • Total military vehicles: 17,601
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 194

2. Argentina

nickalbi / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
  • Military strength score: 0.3823
  • Active military personnel: 108,000
  • Total military aircraft: 229
  • Total military vehicles: 21,724
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 41

1. Brazil

pabst_ell / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
  • Military strength score: 0.1944
  • Active military personnel: 360,000
  • Total military aircraft: 628
  • Total military vehicles: 44,044
  • Total navy ships and submarines: 134

Find a Qualified Financial Advisor (Sponsor)

Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to 3 fiduciary financial advisors in your area in 5 minutes. Each advisor has been vetted by SmartAsset and is held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests. If you’re ready to be matched with local advisors that can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.