no regular military forces; Ministry of Public Security: the Panama National Police (La Policía Nacional de Panamá, PNP), National Air-Naval Service (Servicio Nacional Aeronaval, SENAN), National Border Service (Servicio Nacional de Fronteras, SENAFRONT) (2021)
note: on 10 February 1990, the government of then President Guillermo ENDARA abolished Panama's military and reformed the security apparatus by creating the Panamanian Public Forces; in October 1994, Panama's National Assembly approved a constitutional amendment prohibiting the creation of a standing military force but allowing the temporary establishment of special police units to counter acts of "external aggression"
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
1.2% of GDP (2017)
1.3% of GDP (2016)
1.2% of GDP (2015)
1.3% of GDP (2014)
1.4% of GDP (2013)
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
approximately 20,000 National Police; 4,000 National Border Service; 3,000 National Air-Naval Service (2020)
12,500 Public Force personnel; approximately 400-500 air and 400-500 coast guard personnel (2021)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
Panama's security forces are lightly armed; Canada, Italy and the US have provided equipment to the security forces since 2010 (2020)
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)
