Armed forces personnel in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Armed forces personnel was 10,000 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel in Costa Rica, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Costa Rica recorded 10,000 for armed forces personnel in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Costa Rica peaked at 25,900 in 2002 and was at its lowest, 8,000, in 1989.
Costa Rica ranks 131st of 173 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 31 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 10,600 | 8,000 | 13,200 | 2 |
| 1990s | 11,860 | 8,000 | 16,200 | 10 |
| 2000s | 15,000 | 9,800 | 25,900 | 8 |
| 2010s | 9,860 | 9,800 | 10,000 | 10 |
| 2020s | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 128 Bosnia and Herzegovina 11,000 compare
- 128 Burkina Faso 11,000 compare
- 128 Mozambique 11,000 compare
- 131 Central African Republic 10,000 compare
- 131 New Zealand 10,000 compare
- 131 Niger 10,000 compare
- 131 Togo 10,000 compare
More reference data data for Costa Rica
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.2864 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.8623 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.1052 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.3865 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.3144 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 143 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel in Costa Rica?
- Armed forces personnel in Costa Rica was 10,000 in 2020, according to The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 25,900 in 2002.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 8,000 in 1989.
- How does Costa Rica rank for armed forces personnel?
- Costa Rica ranks 131st out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Armed forces personnel. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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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.