2023 Mexico Military Strength (2024)

For 2023, Mexico is ranked 31 of 145 out of the countries considered for the annual GFP review. The nation holds a PwrIndx* score of 0.4687 (a score of 0.0000 is considered 'perfect'). This entry last reviewed on 01/09/2023.

*PwrIndx: Each nation is assessed on individual and collective values processed through an in-house formula to generate its 'PwrIndx' (Power Index) score. Some values are estimated when official numbers are not available. View the NOTES tab below for a detailed breakdown of other assessments.

Breakdown

NOTES:
The polar area chart above is intended to show relative inherent strengths and weakness at-a-glance; balance is prefered though not always achievable.
1) Manpower encompasses Active, Reserve, and any official Paramilitary forces identified for the nation; personnel from each branch of service is included.
2) Airpower includes war-making aerial systems, excluding trainers and drones.
3) Land Power includes motorized / mechanized vehicular elements as well as towed artillery and mechanized / towed MLRS systems.
4) Naval Power includes commissioned hulls ranging from Blue Water warships and submarines to Brown Water patrol assets (excluded for land-locked powers).
5) Financials average current financial health on the world stage.
6) Scores are an average of related categories in the GFP annual ranking.

Mexico is ranked 31 of 145 out of the countries considered for the annual Global Firepower review. The nation holds a Power Index score of 0.4687 with a score of 0.0000 being considered exceptional in the GFP assessment.

This country is a noted Top 10 power in regards to total population (effecting overall manpower).

Population
10/ 145

Avail.Manpwr
10/ 145

Fit-for-Serv
9/ 145

Mil.Age.Annu
11/ 145

Active Persn
17/ 145

Rez.Persn
28/ 145

Paramil.Persn
21/ 145

Aircraft
24/ 145

Fighters
63/ 145

Attack Types
18/ 145

Transports
17/ 145

Trainers
13/ 145

Spl.Mission
12/ 145

Tankers
145/ 145

Helicopters
26/ 145

Attack Helos
145/ 145

Tanks
145/ 145

Vehicles
31/ 145

Artillery (SP)
69/ 145

Art.(Towed)
69/ 145

MLRS
145/ 145

Ships
15/ 145

AC Carriers
145/ 145

Helo.Carriers
145/ 145

Destroyers
9/ 145

Frigates
7/ 145

Corvettes
11/ 145

Submarines
145/ 145

Offsh.Patrol
4/ 145

Mine Warfare
145/ 145

Oil Prod
12/ 145

Oil Consump
103/ 145

Oil Rez.Proven
21/ 145

Nat.Gas Prod
25/ 145

NatGas Cons
100/ 145

NatGas Rez
40/ 145

Coal Prod
29/ 145

Coal Consump
85/ 145

Coal Rez.Prvn
30/ 145

Labor Force
13/ 145

Merch.Marines
28/ 145

Major Ports
7/ 145

Roadways
18/ 145

Railways
14/ 145

Airports
3/ 145

Def.Budget
32/ 145

Ext.Debt
93/ 145

Foreign Rez
13/ 145

Purch.Power
13/ 145

Sq.Land Area
13/ 145

Coastline
95/ 145

Shared Border
91/ 145

Waterways
35/ 145

Excellent

Good

Average

Fair

Poor

GENERAL CAPABILITIES
Theoretical, automatically generated based on supplied values.

National Defense

Attrition War

Guerilla/Asymmetric Warfare

Airspace Defense

Tactical Reach

Battlefield Support

Internal Security

Land Convoy Protection

Indirect Fire Support

Naval Warfare

Naval Convoy Protection

Waterway Denial

Submarine Hunting

Long-Term Sustainment

Global Trade

Goods/Supplies Transportation

Natural Geographic Defense

The act of waging (and sustaining) a prolonged conflict requires a massive financial commitment from all parties involved. As such, GFP focuses on a select group of financially-related categories showcased below.

13/145

Purchasing Power Parity:
$2,306,320,000,000 USD

13/145

Foreign Exchange/Gold:
$175,300,000,000 USD

32/145

Defense Budget:
$6,456,000,000 USD

93/145

External Debt:
$456,713,000,000 USD

All monetary values presented in United States Dollar (USD$).

13/145

Square Land Area:
1,964,375 km

95/145

Coastline Coverage:
9,330 km

91/145

Shared Borders:
4,389 km

145/145

Helicopter Carriers:
0

9/145

Destroyers:
5

7/145

Frigates:
11

11/145

Corvettes:
4

145/145

Submarines:
0

4/145

Patrol Vessels:
150

145/145

Mine Warfare:
0

Inventory Composition:
Hover over the pie slices in the chart below for more details.

For an in-depth overview of current leading naval powers of the world, including active inventories and strengths, consult the World Directory of Modern Military Warships (www.WDMMW.org).

GFP Hull Classifications:
GlobalFirepower.com (GFP) takes a rather conventional approach to hull classifications regarding per-country naval assets. Below are descriptions of each type considered:

Aircraft Carriers
These are either conventional- or nuclear-powered forms showcasing an expansive flight deck with hangar elevators for access. This surface is used for the launching and retrieval of fixed-wing aircraft (as a primary function) and rotorcraft (as a secondary function). In modern navies, Aircraft Carriers represent the flagship of the fleet, making them vital assets. Only a few select nations maintain an aircraft carrier as part of their surface fleet.

Helicopter Carriers
The Helicopter Carrier primarily supports rotorcraft and may offer facilities for the operation of Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) fixed-wing aircraft such as the F-35 and AV-8B 'jump jets'. These vessels are typically dimensionally smaller when compared to their Aircraft Carrier brethren. Provision for operating UAVs may also be seen in these vessel types.

Destroyers
Destroyers are the largest named, non-carrier ship type in modern fleets (not including Cruisers which are used by only a few powers). They are powerful, multi-mission oriented hulls with a broad array of sensors, processing systems, and weaponry and can support one or more rotorcraft from their included flight deck. Some forms are mission-specific, focusing on airspace deterrence or submarine hunting as primary roles.

Frigates
Frigates are the economical answer to the Destroyer, given roughly the same Blue Water / deep water capabilities and broad weapons / mission set. Similarly, they can support rotorcraft and operate independently or as part of the main fighting fleet. Their hull design bridges the gap between the dimensionally larger Destroyer and the smaller Corvette.

Corvettes
Corvettes typically represent the 'smallest' named vessels of the fleet. These are relatively compact hulls capable of operating in Blue Water environments as well as close-to-shore depending on draught depth. Corvettes can prove to be an economical measure for specific powers finding Frigate types out-of-scope and can also serve well those nations showcasing long-running coastlines.

Submarines
Conventionally- (diesel-electric) and nuclear-powered submersible hull designs are grouped together in the GFP analysis. Additionally, there is no distinction made between dedicated-attack, ballistic missile, and nuclear-attack types. Compact 'midget' submarines are also included as they still form portions of some fleets (as is the case for North Korea and Iran).

Patrol Vessels
The Patrol Vessel category is purposely broad and includes Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) types as well as gunboats, missile boats, fast-attack craft, and - in some cases - riverine assets. These boats are given shallow draughts for their specific operating environments and will typically serve as deterrent and enforcement assets in the grand scheme of the surface fleet.

Mine Warfare
Mine Warfare and Mine / Countermine assets are a generally overlooked portion of any surface fleet but prove just as critical as other designs particularly in times of war where their capabilities allow for denial of strategic waterways or participation in 'siege tactics' against harbors and ports. The GFP analysis reflects their importance in modern naval warfare.

End-use products reflect a given nation's ability to produce products through manufacturing, industry, and / or agriculture.

AUTOS

BEVRGES

CHEMICLS

CLOTHING

CORN

EGGS

IRON

MILK

MINING

ORANGES

POULTRY

PETROLM

STEEL

TEXTILES

TOBACCO

TOMATOES

TOURISM

WHEAT

The GFP index tracks crude Oil (petroleum) and (new as of 2023) Natural Gas and Coal usage / reserves / stock for each country. Natural resources are critical to a nation in both war and peace time, in some cases forming the lifeblood of a given world power. 2022 showed just how natural resources can be 'weaponized' by one party over another.

12/145

Oil Production:
1,905,500 bbl

103/145

Oil Consumption:
2,000,000 bbl

Oil Deficit:
-94,500 bbl

21/145

Oil Proven Reserves:
5,800,000,000 bbl

25/145

Natural Gas Production:
27,037,730,000 cu.m

100/145

Natural Gas Consumption:
86,101,223,000 cu.m

Natural Gas Deficit:
-59,063,493,000 cu.m

40/145

Nat.Gas Proven Rez:
180,321,000,000 cu.m

29/145

Coal Production:
9,886,000 mt

85/145

Coal Consumption:
10,241,000 mt

Coal Deficit:
-355,000 mt

30/145

Coal Proven Reserves:
1,211,000,000 mt

Oil bbl represented as unit 'barrel of oil'. Natural Gas represented in 'cubic meters'. Coal represented in 'metric tons'.

The GFP formula tracks various factors related to logistics which prove critical to any one global power in both war and peace time. These factor into a nation's ability to move man, machine, and supplies from one point to another - a particularly important quality when considering mass-mobilization.

13/145

Labor Force:
51,000,000

28/145

Merchant Marine Fleet:
671

7/145

Ports / Trade Terminals:
14

3/145

Airports:
1,714

18/145

Roadway Coverage:
398,148 km

14/145

Railway Coverage:
20,825 km

35/145

Waterways (usable):
2,900 km

FINANCIALS - Values partly derived from the CIA World Factbook and presented in USD ($). Estimates made when needed.

GEOGRAPHY - Values derived from the CIA World Factbook. As geography can play a role in both offensive and defensive wars, the GFP formula takes geographic qualities into account (border coverage, coastline coverage).

CAPITAL - Basic details covering the name, population, temperature, and precipitation values of a given capital city.

MANPOWER - Values partly derived from the CIA World Factbook. Some values may be estimated.

AIRPOWER - Values derived from multiple sources. Estimates made when required. Total Aircraft Strength value includes both fixed-wing and rotorcraft platforms from all branches of service (at this time UAVs are not included). 'Attack' value constitutes purpose-built, fixed-wing dedicated attack types. 'Transports' value includes only fixed-wing aircraft while all rotorcraft are represented under the 'Helicopters' value. For an in-depth look into the current air powers of the world, consider "the World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft" [www.WDMMA.org - external link].

LAND FORCES - Values derived from multiple sources. Estimates made when required. 'Tanks' value includes Main Battle Tanks (MBTs), medium tanks, and light tanks. 'Vehicles' value includes APCs, IFVs, MRAPs, Armored Cars, and support / logistical / engineering types. 'Rocket Projectors' (MLRSs) include self-propelled and towed forms.

NAVAL FORCES - Values derived from multiple sources. Estimates made when required. 'Total Assets' value includes all possible / available vessels including auxiliaries. 'Aircraft Carriers' value includes only traditional through-deck carriers (both conventionally- and nuclear-powered); Helicopter Carriers are considered in their own separate listing. 'Submarines' value includes both diesel-electric and nuclear-powered types. Landlocked nations are not penalized for the lack of a standing navy. For an in-depth look into the current naval powers of the world, consider "the World Directory of Modern Military Warships" [www.WDMMW.org - external link].

END-USE PRODUCTS - Graphics intended to showcase manufacturing, industrial, and agricultural prowess of a global power. Not all products may be accounted for in the showcase.

NATURAL RESOURCES - Values derived from the CIA World Factbook or estimated in some cases. Values presented as BBL (Barrel unit), cu.m (Cubic Meters), and mt (Metric Tons).

LOGISTICS - Values derived from the CIA World Factbook. Ports & Terminals may reside outside of a nations own borders if arrangements with an ally have been made. Landlocked nations are penalized for the lack of a standing Merchant Marine force.

Comparable Powers

Entries below showcase broadly similar fighting capabilities

Singapore

Greece

Philippines

Neighboring Powers

Based on geographic proximity to host nation

Guatemala

Honduras

United States

Top Visiting Countries (December, 2023)

39.3%

13.4%

12.1%

12.0%

8.8%

8.1%

6.4%

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As an enthusiast with a deep understanding of military capabilities and global power dynamics, it's evident from the provided article that the Global Firepower (GFP) index is a comprehensive and detailed assessment of a nation's military strength. My expertise in military analysis allows me to dissect the information provided and highlight key concepts and categories used in the GFP review for Mexico in 2023:

1. Power Index (PwrIndx) Score:

The Power Index (PwrIndx) is a composite score derived from individual and collective values, indicating a nation's military capability.
Mexico holds a PwrIndx score of 0.4687, with 0.0000 being considered 'perfect.'

2. Manpower:

Mexico is noted as a Top 10 power in total population, influencing overall manpower.
Manpower includes Active, Reserve, and Paramilitary forces. Mexico ranks 10th in Total Population and 17th in Active Personnel.

3. Airpower:

Mexico's Airpower includes various categories such as Fighters, Attack Types, Transports, Trainers, Special Mission aircraft, and Helicopters.
Notably, Mexico ranks 24th in Aircraft and 26th in Helicopters.

4. Land Power:

Land Power involves motorized/mechanized vehicular elements, towed artillery, and MLRS systems.
Mexico ranks 31st in Vehicles, 69th in Artillery (SP), and 145th (maximum rank) in Tanks.

5. Naval Power:

Naval Power comprises commissioned hulls, including warships, submarines, patrol assets, and carriers.
Mexico ranks 15th in Ships, 9th in Destroyers, and 7th in Frigates.

6. Financials:

Financial categories reflect a nation's economic health, including Purchasing Power Parity, Defense Budget, External Debt, and Foreign Exchange/Gold reserves.
Mexico ranks 13th in Purchasing Power Parity and 32nd in Defense Budget.

7. General Capabilities:

Theoretical capabilities are assessed based on attributes like National Defense, Attrition War, Guerilla/Asymmetric Warfare, and more.

8. Geography:

Geographical factors, such as Square Land Area, Coastline Coverage, Shared Borders, and Waterways, are considered in the GFP formula.

9. Natural Resources:

The GFP index tracks a nation's natural resources, including Oil Production, Consumption, Proven Reserves, Natural Gas Production/Consumption, and Coal Production/Consumption.

10. Logistics:

Logistics categories involve a nation's ability to move personnel and supplies, considering factors like Labor Force, Merchant Marine Fleet, Ports, Railways, and Airports.

11. Comparable Powers:

The article provides a list of nations with broadly similar fighting capabilities to Mexico, such as Singapore, Greece, and the Philippines.

In summary, the GFP index offers a holistic view of a nation's military strength, taking into account manpower, airpower, land power, naval power, financials, geographical factors, natural resources, and logistics. This detailed analysis aids in understanding a country's defense capabilities and its relative standing on the global stage.