| Military branches | no regular military forces; Ministry of Public Security: the Public Force (Fuerza Pública (National Police)), Air Surveillance Service (Servicio de Vigilancia Aérea), and National Coast Guard Service (Servicio Nacional de Guardacostas) (2021) note: Costa Rica's armed forces were constitutionally abolished in 1949 |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 0.7% of GDP (2017) 0.7% of GDP (2016) 0.7% of GDP (2015) 0.8% of GDP (2014) 0.8% of GDP (2013) |
| Military and security service personnel strengths | 12,500 Public Force personnel; approximately 400-500 air and 400-500 coast guard personnel (2021) |
| Military equipment inventories and acquisitions | the Public Force is lightly armed with an inventory that includes mostly second-hand US equipment; since 2000, the only reported major equipment deliveries were from the US (light helicopters in 2012 and 2014 and second-hand coast guard cutters in 2018) (2020) |
Source: CIA World Factbook
This page was last updated on September 18, 2021
