| Military branches | Ecuadorian Armed Forces: the Ecuadorian Army (El Ejército Ecuatoriano), Ecuadorian Navy (Fuerza Naval del Ecuador, FNE, includes naval infantry, naval aviation, coast guard), Ecuadorian Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Ecuatoriana, FAE); Ministry of Interior: National Police (Policía Nacional del Ecuador) (2021) |
| Military service age and obligation | 18 years of age for selective conscript military service; conscription has been suspended; 18 years of age for voluntary military service; Ecuadorian birth requirement; 1-year service obligation; females have been allowed to serve in all branches since 2012 (2019) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 2.3% of GDP (2019) 2.4% of GDP (2018) 2.4% of GDP (2017) 2.5% of GDP (2016) 2.6% of GDP (2015) |
| Military and security service personnel strengths | the Ecuadorian Armed Forces have approximately 40,000 active personnel (25,000 Army; 9,000 Navy; 6,000 Air Force) (2021) |
| Military equipment inventories and acquisitions | the military's equipment inventory is mostly older and derived from a wide variety of sources; since 2010, Ecuador has received limited amounts of military equipment from more than 15 countries with Brazil, South Africa, and Spain as the leading suppliers (2020) |
| Maritime threats | the International Maritime Bureau continues to report the territorial and offshore waters as at risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships; vessels, including commercial shipping and pleasure craft, have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; crews have been robbed and stores or cargoes stolen; there has been a slight increase with three attacks reported in 2019 and four in 2020 |
Source: CIA World Factbook
This page was last updated on September 18, 2021
