Mexican Armed Forces - Personnel & Budget

Personnel & Budget

Per a defense ministry report by General Guillermo Galván Galván, the army has 259,770 active duty soldiers, about 0.16 per cent of the population. Its 1989 budget was 0.7 per cent of the Gross National Product (GNP). In 1999, Mexico's military budget increased to 0.9 per cent of the GDP, to US$4.0 billion. Since the year 2000, however, with the economic boost that the country has experienced, the defense budget was decreased to 0.5 per cent of the GDP, and in 2007 had an annual expenditure of US$4 billion . Since President Calderón assumed office (December 2006), he has submitted legislation increasing the budget, in order to fight the drug war against the narcotics cartels, and narcotic drug trafficking in general, that have extended their violent business to each corner of the country.

As of 2011 Mexico has the third largest defense budget in Latin America, behind Brazil and Chile with annual military expenditures of USD $6.3 billion or about 0.5%.

According to the CIA World Fact book, Mexico's available military manpower is 72,000,000 (males and females age 18–49, 2009 est.), with 58,000,000 fit for military service, and 2,638,214 annually reaching military service age. Since 2000, women have been allowed to volunteer for military service. Currently, Mexico's active combat ready armed forces number some 259,770 or to 559,770 troops including active duty reserves. Mexico's military is in two branches, the National Defense Secretariat (Army and Air Force) and the Navy Secretariat (Navy, Naval Air Force, Marines).

Although military service is mandatory for all 18 year-old males, recruitment for active-duty can only happen from ages 18 through 21 if secondary education was completed, and 22 if high school was completed.