Military profile
Costa Rica Military Strength
Costa Rica is not covered by the Global Firepower ranking. It spent $0 on its military in 2025 (0.0% of GDP).
Costa Rica armed forces in numbers
Finance
- Military spending
- $0#154 of 156
- Military spending as % of GDP
- 0.0%#154 of 156
Equipment and personnel: Global Firepower 2023 military strength ranking (2023). Spending: World Bank / SIPRI military expenditure data (CC BY 4.0).
Armed forces of Costa Rica
Branches and forces
Ministry of Public Security (Ministerio de Seguridad Pública de Costa Rica): National Police (Fuerza Pública), Air Surveillance Service (Servicio de Vigilancia Aérea), National Coast Guard Service (Servicio Nacional de Guardacostas), Drug Control Police (Policía Control de Drogas), Border Police (Policia de Fronteras), Professional Migration Police (Policía Profesional de Migración) Ministry of Presidency: Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS), Special Intervention Unit (UEI) (2025)
Personnel
approximately 10-15,000 Ministry of Public Security personnel (2025)
Equipment and suppliers
the National Police are lightly armed although small special units are trained and equipped for tactical operations; the US has provided equipment and support to forces such as the Coast Guard, including secondhand US vessels and aircraft (2025)
Good to know
Costa Rica relies on specialized paramilitary units within the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) for internal security missions and countering transnational threats such as narcotics smuggling and organized crime, as well as for participating in regional security operations and exercises; MPS forces have received advisory and training support from the US (2025)
Military expenditure (% of GDP)
2024: 0.6% · 2023: 0.6% · 2022: 0.6% · 2021: 0.7% · 2020: 0.7%
Forces and service: CIA World Factbook (public domain).
Panama
Nicaragua