Which Countries Have No Military? The Full List of Nations Without an Army
About 20 sovereign countries maintain no standing military force at all. Some, like Costa Rica and Panama, deliberately abolished their armies. Most of the rest are small island nations that rely on a police force at home and a defense treaty with a larger ally for everything else.
Countries With No Standing Army
| Country | Region | Defense Arrangement |
|---|---|---|
| Costa Rica | Central America | Abolished its army in 1948; keeps a police and coast guard force |
| Panama | Central America | Abolished its military in 1990; keeps a police and border force |
| Iceland | Europe | No army; a NATO member, with its coast guard handling patrols |
| Liechtenstein | Europe | Abolished its army in 1868 |
| Andorra | Europe | No standing army; defense is shared informally by France and Spain |
| Monaco | Europe | Small ceremonial guard only; France is responsible for defense by treaty |
| Vatican City | Europe | The Swiss Guard protects the Pope; Italy handles external defense |
| Grenada | Caribbean | Disbanded its army after the 1983 US-led invasion |
| Dominica | Caribbean | Never formed an army; uses a regional security force |
| Saint Lucia | Caribbean | No army; a police force with a small special service unit |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Caribbean | No army; relies on a regional defense force |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | Caribbean | A small defense force, but no full standing army |
| Samoa | Oceania | No armed forces; a defense treaty with New Zealand |
| Kiribati | Oceania | No military; policing only |
| Nauru | Oceania | No military; an informal defense arrangement with Australia |
| Tuvalu | Oceania | No military; a small police force |
| Vanuatu | Oceania | No standing army; a mobile police force |
| Solomon Islands | Oceania | Disbanded its paramilitary wing in 2003; police only |
| Marshall Islands | Oceania | Defense is the responsibility of the United States by treaty |
| Micronesia | Oceania | Defense is the responsibility of the United States by treaty |
| Palau | Oceania | Defense is the responsibility of the United States by treaty |
| Mauritius | Africa | No army since independence; a police and coast guard force |
Two Ways a Country Ends Up Without an Army
Abolished by Choice
Costa Rica's 1948 constitution explicitly bans a standing army, a decision made after a brief civil war, with the stated goal of redirecting military spending toward education and healthcare. Panama followed a similar path in 1990, dissolving its military after the US invasion that removed Manuel Noriega from power.
Learn geography every day
Globefact delivers daily bite-sized facts about countries, capitals, flags, and world records.
Download on the App StoreNever Needed One
Most of the countries on this list never built an army in the first place. Small population, small budget, and a low perceived risk of invasion made a standing military impractical, so domestic security is handled by police while external defense rests on formal or informal arrangements with bigger partners: the United States for several Pacific island nations, France for Monaco, and NATO membership for Iceland.
→The 10 Smallest Countries in the WorldDoes "No Army" Mean No Defense at All?
No. Nearly every country on this list keeps some kind of police, paramilitary, or coast guard unit for domestic security. Several, including the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Palau, are part of a Compact of Free Association with the United States, which formally handles their external defense in exchange for military access.
How many countries have no military?
Around 20 sovereign countries maintain no standing army, mostly small island nations plus a handful in Central America and Europe.
Which country was the first to abolish its army?
Costa Rica abolished its military in 1948, becoming one of the first modern countries to do so by constitutional decree.
Do countries without an army have any defense at all?
Yes. Most keep a police force, coast guard, or small paramilitary unit, and many have formal defense treaties with larger allies such as the United States, France, or Australia.
Does Switzerland have no military?
No, this is a common myth. Switzerland has a large militia-based army; it is famous for neutrality, not for lacking armed forces.
Globefact covers facts about every country on Earth, defense included. Download the app to keep learning something new every day.