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NATIONAL FORCES · COMPARISON
Jamaica vs The Bahamas
| Overview | Jamaica | The Bahamas |
|---|---|---|
Active personnel DefinitionFull-time active military personnel; exclude reserves and paramilitary unless explicitly identified. | 5,950Estimate · people · November 2025 IISS assessmentSingle sourceNational full-time active military personnel; the separately reported reserve, gendarmerie and paramilitary totals are excluded. | 1,500Estimate · people · November 2025 IISS assessmentSingle sourceNational full-time active military personnel; the separately reported reserve, gendarmerie and paramilitary totals are excluded. |
Armed forces personnel DefinitionActive-duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces whose training, organisation, equipment and control allow them to support or replace regular forces. This is not an active-regular-only count. | 6,000people · 2020 annual observationSingle source2020 annual observation. Active-duty military personnel, including qualifying paramilitary forces; not an active-regular-only count. | 2,000people · 2020 annual observationSingle source2020 annual observation. Active-duty military personnel, including qualifying paramilitary forces; not an active-regular-only count. |
Defence spending DefinitionAnnual military expenditure in current US dollars. State fiscal year, coverage and conversion basis in notes. | US$287mEstimate · USD · 2025 IISS defence budget assessmentSingle sourceSource-reported annual official defence budget/appropriation in current US dollars; it is a budget figure, not an assertion of final expenditure or readiness. Explicit 2025 economic-table year column; USD 287m. The table was compiled in the November 2025 IISS assessment; this annual figure is an assessment/estimate and does not assert a final audited outturn. | US$135mEstimate · USD · 2026 IISS defence budget forecast (November 2025 assessment)Single sourceSource-reported annual official defence budget/appropriation in current US dollars; it is a budget figure, not an assertion of final expenditure or readiness. Explicit 2026 economic-table year column; USD 135m. The table was compiled in the November 2025 IISS assessment; this annual figure is an assessment/estimate and does not assert a final audited outturn. The explicit 2026 column is forward-looking relative to the November 2025 assessment and is retained as a forecast, not an observed final outturn. |
GDP DefinitionAnnual nominal GDP in current US dollars, not purchasing-power parity. | US$24.1bnEstimate · USD · 2026 IISS nominal GDP forecast (November 2025 assessment)Single sourceAnnual nominal GDP at current market prices, in source-reported current US dollars. Excludes purchasing-power-parity GDP and real GDP growth. Explicit 2026 economic-table year column; USD 24.1bn. The table was compiled in the November 2025 IISS assessment; this annual figure is an assessment/estimate and does not assert a final audited outturn. The explicit 2026 column is forward-looking relative to the November 2025 assessment and is retained as a forecast, not an observed final outturn. | US$16.8bnEstimate · USD · 2026 IISS nominal GDP forecast (November 2025 assessment)Single sourceAnnual nominal GDP at current market prices, in source-reported current US dollars. Excludes purchasing-power-parity GDP and real GDP growth. Explicit 2026 economic-table year column; USD 16.8bn. The table was compiled in the November 2025 IISS assessment; this annual figure is an assessment/estimate and does not assert a final audited outturn. The explicit 2026 column is forward-looking relative to the November 2025 assessment and is retained as a forecast, not an observed final outturn. |
Population DefinitionTotal resident population; retain the source's reference year. | 2,837,077people · 2025 annual observationSingle source2025 annual observation. Midyear resident population estimate. | 403,033people · 2025 annual observationSingle source2025 annual observation. Midyear resident population estimate. |
Reserve personnel DefinitionReported reserve personnel, with mobilisation and training definitions stated in notes. | 2,580Estimate · people · November 2025 IISS assessmentSingle sourceNational military reserve pool; excludes the separately reported active and paramilitary personnel. Training/mobilisation definitions remain source-specific. | 0Estimate · people · 2025 source edition; census date not statedSingle sourceMilitary reserve personnel in the 2025 IISS source edition cited by this Wikipedia row. Reservists are not normally kept under arms and are available for mobilisation. Excludes the separately reported Active military and Paramilitary columns. This is the cited edition year, not an exact census date. |
Combat aircraft DefinitionIn-service fixed-wing combat aircraft; exclude stored, retired and ordered aircraft. In service does not establish readiness. | —Not yet documented | —Not yet documented |
Main battle tanks DefinitionIn-service main battle tanks; exclude storage and orders. | —Not yet documented | —Not yet documented |
Major surface combatants DefinitionCommissioned cruisers, destroyers and frigates. Exclude patrol craft and support vessels. | —Not yet documented | —Not yet documented |
Nuclear warheads DefinitionWarheads in the military stockpile, deployed or in reserve; exclude retired warheads awaiting dismantlement. Independent estimates, labelled as such. | —Not yet documented | —Not yet documented |
Submarines DefinitionCommissioned submarines; exclude vessels on order and decommissioned vessels. | —Not yet documented | —Not yet documented |
Transport aircraft DefinitionIn-service dedicated fixed-wing military transport aircraft; exclude trainers and orders. | —Not yet documented | —Not yet documented |
EQUIPMENT & WEAPONS
Equipment listed in inventory and operator sources, grouped by force and category. Sourced quantities retain their date, variant coverage and inventory status. Equipment without a documented count is listed by type.
39 matching equipment types
| Equipment | Jamaica | The Bahamas |
|---|---|---|
| Support aircraft | ||
| Beechcraft Super King Air | 1JDF Air Wing · 2023Wikipedia | — |
| Cessna 208 Caravan | — | 1Royal Bahamas Defence Force · 2025 1Air Wing · 2025Wikipedia |
| Diamond DA40 Diamond Star | In service | — |
| Diamond DA62 | 1JDF Air Wing · 2026Wikipedia | — |
| Trainer aircraft | ||
| Diamond DA42 Twin Star | 22024 | — |
| Helicopters | ||
| Bell 407 | 3Air Wing · 2025 | — |
| Bell 429 GlobalRanger | 3Air Wing · 2025 | — |
| Bell 505 Jet Ranger X | 6Air Wing · 2025 | — |
| Equipment | Jamaica | The Bahamas |
|---|---|---|
| Armoured vehicles | ||
| Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle | In service | — |
| Cadillac Gage Commando | In service | — |
| Toyota Land Cruiser | In service | — |
| Artillery | ||
| Two-inch mortar | In service | — |
| Mortars | ||
| L16 81mm mortar | In service | — |
| Military transport & logistics | ||
| Ford L series | In service | — |
| M151 ¼-ton 4×4 utility truck | In service | — |
| Partenavia P.68 | — | 1Air Wing · 2025Wikipedia |
| Toyota Camry | In service | — |
| Toyota Coaster | In service | — |
| Toyota Corona | In service | — |
| Toyota Crown | In service | — |
| Equipment | Jamaica | The Bahamas |
|---|---|---|
| Small arms | ||
| Browning Hi-Power | In service | — |
| Brügger & Thomet MP9 | In service | — |
| FN FAL | In service | — |
| FN MAG | In service | — |
| Glock | In service | — |
| M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System | — | In service |
| M16 rifle | In service | — |
| M2 Browning | In service | — |
| M4 carbine | In service | In service |
| M79 grenade launcher | In service | — |
| SA80 | In service | — |
| Smith & Wesson Model 10 | In service | — |
Coverage is incomplete. “Not documented” means no linked inventory evidence, not zero equipment. Methodology ↗
Points represent sourced observations, including revisions. Revisions on the same effective date are not separate inventory events. Ranges appear in the table and are not plotted as exact points.
| Observation / report period | Value | Source | Claim state |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 2025 IISS population assessment | 2,826,742 people | International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) | superseded |
| 2025 annual observation | 2,837,077 people | World Bank; WDI contributors | approved |
No shared land boundary is represented in the Natural Earth dataset. Approximate separation between the dataset’s country label points: 900 km.
Generalized geography from Natural Earth 1:110m, version 5.1.1. Label-point distance is calculated on a sphere and rounded to the nearest 100 km; it is not a capital-to-capital distance, route, border distance or operational range. Dataset boundaries do not imply recognition of territorial claims.
Boundaries: Natural Earth 1:110m, v5.1.1 · Public domain · Research catalogue highlighted
Scores out of 100 on the ForceTally Index. Each bar splits in proportion to the two scores. A point at the centre of the chart means no sourced figure for that part.
Points represent sourced observations, including revisions. Revisions on the same effective date are not separate inventory events. Ranges appear in the table and are not plotted as exact points.
| Observation / report period | Value | Source | Claim state |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 2025 IISS population assessment | 415,306 people | International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) | superseded |
| 2025 annual observation | 403,033 people | World Bank; WDI contributors | approved |