El Salvador vs Guatemala: Armed forces personnel
El Salvador
42,000
in 2020
Guatemala
43,000
in 2020
El Salvador rank
77th
Guatemala rank
76th
Armed forces personnel over time
- El Salvador
- Guatemala
How they compare
Guatemala currently reports 43,000 against 42,000 in El Salvador, a difference of 1,000.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 33 shared years of data; in 1985 it was El Salvador ahead.
El Salvador ranks 77th and Guatemala ranks 76th of 173 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, El Salvador averaged higher in 1 and Guatemala in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | El Salvador | Guatemala | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 43,350 | 37,350 | 6,000 | El Salvador |
| 1990s | 43,550 | 45,360 | 1,810 | Guatemala |
| 2000s | 27,140 | 43,931 | 16,791 | Guatemala |
| 2010s | 37,940 | 41,931 | 3,991 | Guatemala |
| 2020s | 42,000 | 43,000 | 1,000 | Guatemala |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel, El Salvador or Guatemala?
- Guatemala, at 43,000 against 42,000 in El Salvador as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel between El Salvador and Guatemala?
- 1,000, with Guatemala ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for El Salvador and Guatemala?
- 33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
- How do El Salvador and Guatemala rank globally for armed forces personnel?
- El Salvador ranks 77th and Guatemala ranks 76th of 173 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Armed forces personnel. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if their training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces.