In this article, we take a look at 15 countries that have no army, navy or air force. You can skip our detailed analysis on why countries choose not to have a military by heading over directly to the 5 Countries that have no Army, Navy or Air Force, where we have listed the most populous countries that have either never had an armed forces or have demilitarized.
Global military spending has reached an all-time high, with $2.24 trillion spent in defense expenditure across the world in 2022 according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). The surge has created a boom in the armaments manufacturing industry. Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT) posted revenues of $66 billion last year and earned $5.7 billion in net profit. RTX Corporation (NYSE:RTX)’s net earnings rose 8.9% from 2021 to a total of $14.1 billion in 2022. Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC)’s financial statements also reflected significantly higher revenue in 2022 compared to the previous year.
While defense spending has increased, the rise has not been even across regions with a clear disparity in spending patters. $961 billion of the total global expenditure in 2022 ($2.24 trillion) was spent in the Americas, most notably in North America ($904b). The Caribbean had the least spending in the region of just $11 billion. $540 billion were spent in Asia, while $480 in Europe which witnessed its steepest rise in 30 years. On the other hand, defense expenditure in Africa was estimated to be $39 billion, whereas Oceania incurred $35 billion on military spending that year.
The reason for lower military expenditure in the Caribbean and Oceania can be attributed to the several small island nations in these regions. Many of whom do not have regular militaries and have signed treaties with their larger, more powerful neighbors to defend them if they were to face external aggression.
Reasons for non-militarization
Choosing not to have an army is a rare choice that nations make, but you would be surprised to know that there are about one in every twelve countries in the world that have no army, navy or air force. While most of these did not have a military right since independence, there are some that underwent demilitarization due to political reasons.
According to a thorough analysis by The Åland Islands Peace Institute in Finland, there are many reasons why countries choose not to have an armed forces. One main factor that would bar the likelihood of nation-states having an army is the size of their national territory or manpower. For context, the research stated that no country that is smaller than 300 square kilometers or has a population of less than 80,000 inhabitants has an army. In fact, nearly half of all countries that have no army, navy or air force fall in this category.
Another reason is often the vastness of the country, where the territory is too scattered with limited manpower available, making the borders very hard to defend. Samoa, Tuvalu, and Palau are examples of this. Moreover, countries have also chosen not to have a military due to their history of non-militarization, as well as the security dynamics of the regions they are based in. Today, there are countries without an army, navy or air force in all continents of the world except Asia. Most of them are found in Europe, the Caribbean, and in the Pacific.
That being said, it is not that these countries are defenseless. Iceland for instance has not had a military since 1869, but it is a member of NATO, which makes NATO members obligated to defend Iceland if it were to face external aggression. Iceland, on its own part, has a police force of 700 personnel, which also includes a coast guard and a special service unit. The coast guard is equipped with four Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT) AN/FPS-117 ground-based radars. In October 2020, the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) announced a 'multimillion dollar' contract to fund the upgradation of these radars to improve their serviceability.
The AN/FPS-117 radars provide interference and clutter rejection systems, as well as a detection range of 230-290 miles. These were first developed by GE Aerospace in 1980 and are now manufactured by the Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT). The radars have gone through several technology upgrades since their launch, and to-date provide support to the United States Air Force (USAF) in providing coverage of the North American air space. In 2020, the USAF awarded a $25 million contract to Lockheed Martin to provide spare parts, logistics support and hardware for its AN/FPS-117 radar program. Numerous other countries use these radars as well to bolster their air surveillance system, including Taiwan which received seven AN/FPS-117 from the US in 2002 to guard against the threat from China, and Jordan which more recently purchased and enhanced its radar program under a $41 million contract between the USAF and Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT).
Iceland also benefits from the United States maintaining a naval air station in Keflavík, which currently houses B-2 Spirit bombers and 200 U.S. troops. The B-2 Spirit is an American strategic bomber developed by Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC), that is capable of dropping both conventional and thermonuclear weapons, and is completely invisible to the radars because of its design. It is one of the world's most expensive military jets, costing at over $2 billion per aircraft. The USAF first flew Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC)'s B-2 Spirit in 1989 and still has about 21 of these in active service. Moreover, since Iceland does not have an air force, NATO conducts the Icelandic Air Policing operation to patrol and secure Iceland’s airspace, with NATO member nations deploying their fighter jets on a rotational basis. Earlier this year, Norway sent its F-35 fighter jets developed by Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT) to patrol the airspace. Currently, American and German F-16 fighter jets are in service in the country.
On the other hand, Andorra has two treaties with France and Spain, which include a clause that if Andorra’s sovereignty was to come under grave threat, both France and Spain would consider it their duty to discuss the situation with the Andorran government and take necessary measures. Therefore, the European nation which has a population of only 79,000 has never had to worry about raising an armed forces of its own. A third example is that of Costa Rica which is a signatory of the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance. Under the treaty, if it were to be attacked by another country, it would obligate the United States along with other regional countries to consider intervening in Costa Rica’s defense. The treaty has been invoked thrice by Costa Rica – each time against its neighbor, Nicaragua. All these conflicts were resolved through dialogue.
Costa Rica abolished its military in 1949 and has a national police as the country’s primary law enforcement agency. It receives support from the United States for protection against threats such as organized crime and narco-trafficking as well. In February this year, as reported by Reuters, the U.S. donated security equipment worth $14 million to Costa Rica, which included drones and telecommunications equipment to aid the national police in border control. In 2018, the United States gave Costa Rica four Bell UH-1 Iroquois to be used for patrolling. These are built by Bell Helicopters, a subsidiary of Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT). These are one of the most successful military purpose helicopter ever produced, and were the first turbine-powered helicopters that were used by the U.S. military. More than 16,000 units of UH-1 Iroquois were developed by Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT)'s Bell Helicopters between 1956 and 1987. While these are now phased out by most advanced militaries after the emergence of more sophisticated helicopters, UH-1 Iroquois still remain in active service in a lot of countries and help meet their security needs like in the case of Costa Rica.
15 Countries that have no Army, Navy or Air Force
Methodology
We have ranked the 15 countries that have no army, navy or air force in ascending order of their populations. Countries that have a larger population are ranked higher in the list. Facts and figures have been obtained from various sources, including research publications and media reports.
Let’s now head over to the list of countries that have no army, navy or air force.
Top 15 Countries that have no Army, Navy or Air Force:
15. Nauru
Population: 12,500
Nauru is another one of the small Oceanic countries that have no Army, Navy or Air Force. Its police force is responsible for both internal and external security. Australia is also responsible for the defense of Nauru under an informal agreement between the two countries.
14. Palau
Population: 18,000
The United States is responsible for the security of Palau under the Compact of Free Association (COFA). In exchange, Palau grants American troops access to the island. The COFA also allows Palau’s citizens to serve in the United States Armed Forces. The government in Palau, however, has also created bureaus to look after policing, public security, and maritime law enforcement.
13. Monaco
Population: 36,700
Monaco is a sovereign-city state on the Mediterranean Sea in Western Europe. It only has a population of 36,000 people, and is bordered by France to its north, east, and west. Monaco has no regular military. The national police maintains public order, while Compagnie des Carabiniers du Prince guards the prince’s palace. Under the 1918 Franco-Monégasque Treaty Signed, the defense of Monaco is France’s responsibility. In return, Monaco’s foreign policy will be in line with that of the French Republic.
12. Liechtenstein
Population: 39,000
Liechtenstein’s law and order is ensured by the country’s national police. It has no standing army, navy or air force. Liechtenstein used to have a very small army that was abolished in 1868 soon after the Austro-Prussian war. Today, it follows a policy of neutrality and is among the few countries that have no armed forces.
11. Dominica
Population: 72,400
The island nation of Dominica in the Caribbean has a population of a little over 72,000 people. The country has had no military since 1981, when the Dominican Defense Force was abolished following two violent coup attempts against the Dominican government. The Regional Security System (RSS), a treaty between Caribbean nations to assist one another upon request, is responsible for the national security of Dominica.
10. Andorra
Population: 79,000
Andorra is another one of those countries that have no Army, Navy or Air Force, and relies on international treaties with its stronger allies in the neighborhood that ensure its sovereignty and defense. It has two treaties with Spain and France, under which the two countries would come to Andorra’s assistance if its sovereignty came under grave threat. Public order in Andorra is maintained by its Police Corps, which currently has a manpower of 240 personnel.
9. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Population: 104,000
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a signatory to the Caribbean Regional Security System (RSS), whose members agree to assist one another upon request in national emergencies and national security, among other challenges. The country has no standing military. The Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVPF) is responsible for internal security, and includes the Coast Guards, Anti Trafficking Unit, and Rapid Response Force.
8. Grenada
Population: 124,600
Next on our list of countries that have no armed forces is Grenada, which, like Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, is also a member of the Caribbean RSS, a treaty that promises its security. The Royal Grenada Police Force is the only security force in Grenada, and works under the Ministry of National Security.
7. Saint Lucia
Population: 179,600
Saint Lucia in the Caribbean has no standing military. The Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) is the main law enforcement agency in the island nation, and looks after public order in the country. Saint Lucia maintains a coast guard and a paramilitary special service unit under the RSLPF.
6. Samoa
Population: 218,800
Samoa is another Oceanic country on the list that has no army, navy or air force. It has an informal defense agreement with New Zealand under the 1962 Treaty of Friendship, which would require New Zealand to consider requests from Samoa to defend the latter's sovereignty. The Samoan Police Force is the main law enforcement agency in the country and has a manpower of about 1,100 personnel.
