| Military branches | Bolivian Armed Forces: Bolivian Army (Ejercito de Boliviano, EB), Bolivian Naval Force (Fuerza Naval Boliviana, FNB, includes Marines), Bolivian Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Boliviana, FAB); Ministry of Interior: National Police (Policía Nacional de Bolivia, PNB; includes Anti-Narcotics Special Forces (Fuerza Especial de Lucha Contra el Narcotráfico, FELCN) and other paramilitary units (2021) |
| Military service age and obligation | compulsory for all men between the ages of 18 and 22; men can volunteer from the age of 16, women from 18; service is for one year; Search and Rescue service can be substituted for citizens who have reached the age of compulsory military service; duration of this service is 2 years (2019) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.4% of GDP (2019) 1.5% of GDP (2018) 1.5% of GDP (2017) 1.6% of GDP (2016) 1.6% of GDP (2015) |
| Military and security service personnel strengths | information varies; approximately 40,000 active troops (27,000 Army; 5,000 Navy; 8,000 Air Force); note - a considerable portion of the Navy personnel are marines and naval police (2021) |
| Military equipment inventories and acquisitions | the Bolivian Armed Forces are equipped with a mix of mostly older Brazilian, Chinese, European, and US equipment; since 2010, China and France are the leading suppliers of military hardware to Bolivia (2020) |
Source: CIA World Factbook
This page was last updated on September 18, 2021
