El Salvador vs Guatemala
El Salvador vs Guatemala: Military spending in US dollars
Military spending in US dollars in 2025: $489M in El Salvador and $617M in Guatemala, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Guatemala, by $128M, or 1.26 times that in El Salvador.
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Guatemala has been higher since 2025, when it overtook El Salvador.
- In 2025, El Salvador ranked 101 and Guatemala ranked 91 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
| Year | El Salvador | Guatemala |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $489M | $617M |
| 2024 | $491M | $454M |
| 2023 | $459M | $454M |
| 2022 | $481M | $482M |
| 2021 | $396M | $393M |
| 2020 | $400M | $415M |
| 2019 | $368M | $414M |
| 2018 | $342M | $345M |
| 2017 | $306M | $352M |
| 2016 | $293M | $402M |
| 2015 | $295M | $367M |
| 2014 | $277M | $370M |
| 2013 | $284M | $395M |
| 2012 | $271M | $369M |
| 2011 | $271M | $335M |
| 2010 | $259M | $317M |
| 2009 | $248M | $289M |
| 2008 | $228M | $308M |
| 2007 | $233M | $284M |
| 2006 | $209M | $289M |
| 2005 | $204M | $248M |
| 2004 | $205M | $309M |
| 2003 | $212M | $517M |
| 2002 | $277M | $477M |
| 2001 | $262M | $643M |
| 2000 | $199M | $547M |
| 1999 | $212M | $432M |
| 1998 | $206M | $445M |
| 1997 | $214M | $425M |
| 1996 | $221M | $496M |
| 1995 | $244M | $592M |
| 1994 | $262M | $614M |
| 1993 | $308M | $630M |
| 1992 | $404M | $688M |
| 1991 | $466M | $571M |
| 1990 | $514M | $752M |
| 1989 | $605M | $765M |
| 1988 | $598M | $766M |
| 1987 | $708M | $685M |
| 1986 | $816M | $656M |
| 1985 | $825M | $763M |
| 1984 | $951M | $837M |
| 1983 | $560M | $769M |
| 1982 | $481M | $770M |
| 1981 | $446M | $712M |
| 1980 | $405M | $506M |
| 1979 | $419M | $487M |
| 1978 | $306M | $431M |
| 1977 | $283M | $490M |
| 1976 | $227M | $406M |
| 1975 | $186M | $364M |
| 1974 | $189M | $260M |
| 1973 | $206M | $250M |
| 1972 | $196M | $292M |
| 1971 | $152M | $271M |
| 1970 | $128M | $393M |
| 1969 | $138M | $219M |
| 1968 | $122M | $259M |
| 1967 | $128M | $274M |
| 1966 | $126M | $249M |
| 1965 | $123M | $244M |
| 1964 | $109M | $169M |
| 1963 | $118M | $192M |
| 1962 | $122M | $155M |
| 1961 | $87.2M | $160M |
| 1960 | $83.8M | $159M |
| 1959 | $85.4M | $171M |
| 1958 | $103M | $157M |
| 1957 | $110M | $160M |
| 1956 | $95.4M | $148M |
| 1955 | – | $140M |
| 1953 | $93.8M | – |
- Estimate
- Highly uncertain
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the country spends on its armed forces and defence, in constant 2024 US dollars so that years compare, by SIPRI’s count.
- Source: Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Military Expenditure Database, https://doi.org/10.55163/CQGC9685.
- Marked points are SIPRI’s own: a dot where it gives the figure as its estimate, a ring where it calls the figure highly uncertain.
- Ranks count the 151 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
El Salvador vs Guatemala
Health
- Life expectancyEl Salvador: 72.1 years in 2023Guatemala: 72.6 years in 2023
- Child mortalityEl Salvador: 1 per 100 live births in 2024Guatemala: 2.1 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityEl Salvador: 9.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023Guatemala: 17.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionEl Salvador: 3.03% in 2017Guatemala: 3.22% in 2017
- Suicide rateEl Salvador: 9.8 per 100,000 people in 2017Guatemala: 5.9 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationEl Salvador: 6.31 million people in 2023Guatemala: 18.1 million people in 2023
- Population growthEl Salvador: 0.46% a year in 2023Guatemala: 1.55% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateEl Salvador: 1.78 births per woman in 2023Guatemala: 2.31 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationEl Salvador: 75.5% in 2025Guatemala: 56.3% in 2025
- Median ageEl Salvador: 27 years in 2023Guatemala: 22.6 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overEl Salvador: 8% in 2023Guatemala: 4.7% in 2023
- Net migration rateEl Salvador: -3.7 per 1,000 people in 2023Guatemala: -0.5 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingEl Salvador: 1.34% of GDP in 2025Guatemala: 0.52% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending per personEl Salvador: $77 in 2025Guatemala: $34 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingEl Salvador: 4.4% of government spending in 2025Guatemala: 3.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelEl Salvador: 42,000 people in 2020Guatemala: 43,000 people in 2020
- National powerEl Salvador: 0.05% of world capability in 2022Guatemala: 0.09% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersEl Salvador: 1.62% of the labour force in 2020Guatemala: 0.64% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsEl Salvador: 3 million TIV in 2025Guatemala: 6 million TIV in 2023