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United States vs. Mexico

Military

United StatesMexico
Military branchesUnited States Armed Forces: US Army, US Navy (includes Marine Corps), US Air Force, US Space Force; US Coast Guard (administered in peacetime by the Department of Homeland Security, but in wartime reports to the Department of the Navy); National Guard (Army National Guard and Air National Guard) (2021)

note: the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard are reserve components of their services and operate in part under state authority
Secretariat of National Defense (Secretaria de Defensa Nacional, SEDENA): Army (Ejercito), Mexican Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Mexicana, FAM); Secretariat of the Navy (Secretaria de Marina, SEMAR): Mexican Navy (Armada de Mexico (ARM), includes Naval Air Force (FAN), Mexican Naval Infantry Corps (Cuerpo de Infanteria de Marina, Mexmar or CIM)); Ministry of Security and Citizen Protection: Federal Police (includes Gendarmerie), National Guard (2021)

note: the National Guard was formed in 2019 and consists of personnel from the Federal Police and military police units of the Army and Navy; while the Guard is part of the civilian-led Ministry of Security and Citizen Protection, the Defense Ministry has day-to-day operational control; in addition, the armed forces provide the commanders and the training
Military service age and obligation18 years of age (17 years of age with parental consent) for male and female voluntary service; no conscription; maximum enlistment age 34 (Army), 39 (Air Force), 39 (Navy), 28 (Marines), 31 (Coast Guard); 8-year service obligation, including 2-5 years active duty (Army), 2 years active (Navy), 4 years active (Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard); all military occupations and positions open to women (2020)18 years of age for compulsory military service for males (selection for service determined by lottery); conscript service obligation is 12 months; conscripts remain in reserve status until the age of 40; 16 years of age with consent for voluntary enlistment; cadets enrolled in military schools from the age of 15 are considered members of the armed forces; women are eligible for voluntary military service (2019)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP3.73% of GDP (2020 est.)

3.51% of GDP (2019)

3.27% of GDP (2018)

3.3% of GDP (2017)

3.51% of GDP (2016)
0.5% of GDP (2019)

0.5% of GDP (2018)

0.5% of GDP (2017)

0.6% of GDP (2016)

0.7% of GDP (2015)
Military - notethe US is a member of NATO and was one of the original 12 countries to sign the North Atlantic Treaty (also known as the Washington Treaty) in 1949the Mexican military under President LOPEZ OBRADOR has expanded its role in public security duties and other tasks; as of 2021, Mexican military operations were focused primarily on internal security duties, particularly in countering drug cartels and organized crime groups, as well as border control and immigration enforcement; in addition, the military has been placed in charge of some infrastructure projects, such as building a new airport for Mexico City and sections of a train line in the country's southeast; in mid-2020, the armed forces were directed to administer the country's land and sea ports and customs services in order to fight crime and corruption; the military also runs some 2,700 branches of a state-owned bank
Military and security service personnel strengthsthe US Armed Forces have approximately 1.39 million active duty personnel (482,000 Army; 347,000 Navy; 336,000 Air Force; 181,000 Marine Corps; 41,000 Coast Guard; 16,000 Space Force); 336,000 Army National Guard; 106,000 Air National Guard (April 2021)information varies; approximately 250,000 active personnel (180,000 Army; 60,000 Navy, including 20-25,000 marines; 8,000 Air Force); approximately 90-100,000 National Guard (2021)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitionsthe US military's inventory is comprised almost entirely of domestically-produced weapons systems (some assembled with foreign components) along with a smaller mix of imported equipment from a variety of Western countries; since 2010, Germany and the UK are the leading suppliers of military hardware; the US defense industry is capable of designing, developing, maintaining, and producing the full spectrum of weapons systems; the US is the world's leading arms exporter (2020)the Mexican military inventory includes a mix of domestically-produced and imported equipment from a variety of mostly Western suppliers; since 2010, the US is the leading supplier of military hardware to Mexico; Mexico's defense industry produces naval vessels and light armored vehicles (2020)

Source: CIA Factbook