Costa Rica vs Panama
Costa Rica vs Panama: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 10,000 people in Costa Rica and 28,000 people in Panama, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Panama, by 18,000 people, or 2.8 times that in Costa Rica.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- Panama has been higher since 2006, when it overtook Costa Rica.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | Costa Rica | Panama | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 10,000 | 28,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 10,000 | 28,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 10,000 | 26,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 10,000 | 26,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 9,800 | 22,050 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 9,800 | 22,050 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 9,800 | 12,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 9,800 | 12,000 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 9,800 | 12,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 9,800 | 12,000 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 9,800 | 12,000 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 9,800 | 12,000 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 10,000 | 12,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 10,000 | 12,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 10,000 | 12,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | – | 12,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | – | – | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 17,000 | 11,800 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 25,900 | 11,800 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 21,900 | 11,800 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 15,400 | 11,800 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 15,400 | 11,800 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 15,400 | 11,800 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 15,400 | 11,800 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 16,200 | 11,800 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 16,200 | 11,800 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 8,000 | 11,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 8,000 | 11,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 8,000 | 11,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 8,000 | 12,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 8,000 | 11,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 8,000 | 14,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 13,200 | 12,000 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 8,000 | 11,000 | – |
| 1983 | 7,000 | 10,000 | – |
| 1982 | 6,000 | 10,000 | – |
| 1981 | 6,000 | 9,000 | – |
| 1980 | 6,000 | 8,000 | – |
| 1979 | 6,000 | 8,000 | – |
| 1978 | 5,000 | 8,000 | – |
| 1977 | 5,000 | 8,000 | – |
| 1976 | 3,000 | 8,000 | – |
| 1975 | 2,000 | 8,000 | – |
| 1974 | 2,000 | 8,000 | – |
| 1973 | 2,000 | 7,000 | – |
| 1972 | 2,000 | 7,000 | – |
| 1971 | 2,000 | 7,000 | – |
| 1970 | 2,000 | 5,000 | – |
| 1969 | 2,000 | 5,000 | – |
| 1968 | 2,000 | 5,000 | – |
| 1967 | 2,000 | 4,000 | – |
| 1966 | 2,000 | 4,000 | – |
| 1965 | 2,000 | 4,000 | – |
| 1964 | 2,000 | 3,000 | – |
| 1963 | 2,000 | 3,000 | – |
| 1962 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1961 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1960 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1959 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1958 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1957 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1956 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1955 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1954 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1953 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1952 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1951 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1950 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1949 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1948 | 1,000 | 0 | – |
| 1947 | 1,000 | 0 | – |
| 1946 | 1,000 | 0 | – |
| 1945 | 1,000 | 0 | – |
| 1944 | 1,000 | 0 | – |
| 1943 | 1,000 | 0 | – |
| 1942 | – | 0 | – |
| 1941 | – | 0 | – |
| 1940 | – | 0 | – |
| 1939 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1938 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1937 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1936 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1935 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1934 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1933 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1932 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1931 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1930 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1929 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1928 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1927 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1926 | – | 0 | – |
| 1925 | 1,000 | 0 | – |
| 1924 | 1,000 | 0 | – |
| 1923 | 1,000 | 0 | – |
| 1922 | 1,000 | 0 | – |
| 1921 | 1,000 | 0 | – |
| 1920 | 1,000 | 0 | – |
- 12.3Estimates, Correlates of War
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Active-duty military personnel, with paramilitary forces where they are trained and equipped like soldiers, by the IISS Military Balance.
- Source: IISS, The Military Balance, via the World Bank.
- Before 1985: Correlates of War Project, National Material Capabilities v7.0; Singer, Bremer and Stuckey (1972), “Capability Distribution, Uncertainty, and Major Power War, 1820–1965”, in Bruce Russett (ed.), Peace, War, and Numbers, Sage, 19–48.
- Ranks count the 170 countries with a value in 2020, highest first.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Costa Rica vs Panama
Health
- Life expectancyCosta Rica: 80.8 years in 2023Panama: 79.6 years in 2023
- Child mortalityCosta Rica: 1 per 100 live births in 2024Panama: 1.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityCosta Rica: 6.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023Panama: 12.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionCosta Rica: 2.91% in 2017Panama: 2.68% in 2017
- Suicide rateCosta Rica: 7.8 per 100,000 people in 2017Panama: 5 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationCosta Rica: 5.11 million people in 2023Panama: 4.46 million people in 2023
- Population growthCosta Rica: 0.49% a year in 2023Panama: 1.29% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateCosta Rica: 1.33 births per woman in 2023Panama: 2.12 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationCosta Rica: 79.7% in 2025Panama: 66.2% in 2025
- Median ageCosta Rica: 34.1 years in 2023Panama: 29.6 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overCosta Rica: 11.7% in 2023Panama: 9.1% in 2023
- Net migration rateCosta Rica: 0.2 per 1,000 people in 2023Panama: 1.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingCosta Rica: 0% of GDP in 2025Panama: 0% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsCosta Rica: $0 in 2025Panama: $0 in 2025
- Military spending per personCosta Rica: $0 in 2025Panama: $0 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingCosta Rica: 0% of government spending in 2025Panama: 0% of government spending in 2025
- National powerCosta Rica: 0.03% of world capability in 2022Panama: 0.03% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersCosta Rica: 0.41% of the labour force in 2020Panama: 1.33% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsCosta Rica: 8 million TIV in 2019Panama: 2 million TIV in 1989
- Arms exportsCosta Rica: 3 million TIV in 2009Panama: 1 million TIV in 2019