A handful of countries have voluntarily abandoned their armies—relying on foreign nations for assistance, and using the cost savings for peace-minded pursuits.

Almost every nation on Earth, large or small, rich or poor, invests in a standing military. It is easy to see why. The world is a dangerous place, and the history of humanity is one of near-endless wars between tribes, principalities, and eventually modern nation-states. While diplomacy and politics are useful tools, at the end of the day, the only way a country can guarantee its freedom is by threatening to use violence against a potential aggressor. To dispense with an army entirely is a profound vote of confidence in one’s neighbors and geopolitical environment.

Despite the risky nature of abandoning a military, roughly 20 nations around the world have done so, requiring heavy reliance on treaties and partnerships. Most of these are small islands in the Caribbean or Pacific, which face no obvious threat from a larger neighbor. But a few are larger and more geopolitically significant. Five nations stand out as the largest (based on population) to go without a military: from largest to smallest, they are Costa Rica, Panama, Mauritius, the Solomon Islands, and Iceland.

5. Iceland

• Land area: 39,817 sq. mi (103,125 sq. km)
• Population: 390,000

Iceland hasn’t had a standing military since 1869. Instead, the small Arctic island depends on its geography for protection; it is far away from mainland Europe, and largely avoided participation in the conflicts that roiled the continent in the first half of the 20th century.

It may seem counterintuitive that, despite not having a single soldier, Iceland is a founding member of NATO. Indeed, despite its remoteness, Iceland has high strategic value, as it sits directly atop the GIUK (Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom) Gap, the chokepoint through which the Russian Northern Fleet submarines must cross to enter the Atlantic Ocean. Security is maintained through a 1951 bilateral defense agreement with the United States.

4. Solomon Islands

• Land area: 11,157 sq. mi (28,896 sq. km)
• Population: 750,000

Located in the Southwest Pacific, to the east of Papua New Guinea and northeast of Australia, the Solomon Islands were the location of some of the heaviest fighting of World War II, particularly around the island of Guadalcanal in the south. However, the island country—a British possession until its independence in 1978, and now a member of the Commonwealth—has never had a military of its own, relying on the US, UK, and Australia for protection.

In recent years, the country has emerged as a point of geopolitical friction between the US and China—indeed, one of the most important strategic contests on Earth. Lacking its own military, the Solomon Islands has signed a security pact with Beijing, which allows for Chinese warships to make port calls in the small country. This disrupts what had been Australia’s security monopoly in the region, and has come under fierce opposition from the United States as well. After a political crisis in early 2026 led to the resignation of the pro-Chinese prime minister, his successor has announced a review of the security pact—a sliver of good news for Washington in a very turbulent year elsewhere in the world.

3. Mauritius

• Land area: 788 sq. mi (2,040 sq. km)
• Population: 1.3 million

After gaining independence from the United Kingdom in 1968, the African island nation of Mauritius—located roughly 700 miles (1,300 km) due east of Madagascar—chose not to establish a military. The decision was financially driven; the country was a small island, still developing, and it chose to invest elsewhere, like manufacturing, tourism, and financial services, rather than on tanks and guns.

Mauritius, though small, still sits at a strategic corridor of the southwest Indian Ocean. The country ensures its national security through a close defense and surveillance partnership with India. It has also made the news recently for its anticipated receipt of the Chagos Islands, a longstanding British territory that London indicated it would return in early 2025. Following pressure from the United States—which used its base at Diego Garcia for strikes on Iran in 2025 and 2026—the British backtracked, although Mauritius has not abandoned its claim.

2. Panama

• Land area: 28,640 sq. mi (74,177 sq. km)
• Population: 4.5 million

Panama is one of the most strategically vital countries in the world. The Isthmus of Panama, separating the Pacific Ocean from the Caribbean Sea and ultimately the Atlantic Ocean, is only around 37 miles wide at its narrowest point. This favorable geography led the United States to build the Panama Canal there in the early 20th century. For the canal’s protection, Panama long relied on the United States; it today relies on the 1977 Neutrality Treaty, which promises the canal’s military neutrality but gives the US a legal right to intervene militarily should it ever face an external threat.

Though the United States maintained a military base in the Panama Canal Zone, Panama had its own military for most of its existence. Like many Latin American militaries, its leaders had political ambitions, and throughout the second half of the 20th century, a succession of Panamanian military leaders ruled the country through figurehead civilian presidents. The final military ruler, Manuel Noriega, faced deteriorating relations with the United States due to his involvement in the drug trade, culminating in a US invasion in 1989.

After it removed Noriega from power, the United States helped to establish a democratic government in Panama. The new government dismantled the corrupt military, and in 1994, the National Assembly passed a constitutional amendment banning a standing army. 

1. Costa Rica

• Land area: 19,761 sq. mi (51,180 sq. km)
• Population: 5.2 million

In 1948, following a short but brutal civil war, Costa Rican President Jose Figueres Ferrer decided to abolish the Costa Rican army. The provision was woven into the country’s 1949 constitution.

Instead of funding the military, Figueres decided to reallocate the entire defense budget into universal healthcare, public education, and environmental conservation. Strategically, the decision forced Costa Rica to rely on treaties, specifically the 1947 Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (the Rio Treaty); the treaty treats an attack on Costa Rica as an attack on all of the Americas, including the United States. Fortunately, Costa Rica enjoys relatively good relations with its two neighbors, Nicaragua and Panama, and an invasion from either direction is highly unlikely.

About the Author: Harrison Kass

Harrison Kass is a writer and attorney focused on national security, technology, and political culture. His work has appeared in Tablet, City Journal, The Hill, The Spectator, and The Cipher Brief. He holds a JD from the University of Oregon and a master’s in Global & Joint Program Studies from NYU. More at harrisonkass.com.

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