List of countries by size of armed forces

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Number of active troops per country

1 Breakdown of aircraft
2 Note
3 See also
4 References
5 External links

This list of countries by size of armed forces displays national troop levels by active troop strength, number of Naval combatants, fighter aircraft and nuclear weapons. The list’s ranking however is based in the number of troops, not in the numbers of tanks, aircraft, ships or power of the armed forces. This list is indicative only, as strict comparisons cannot accurately be made. For example, "troop strength" in some forces might include administrative or paramilitary functions that in another country might be civilian roles and therefore excluded from the below figures.

This is an , which may never be able to satisfy certain standards for completeness. You can help by .

Rank (by number of active troops)	Country	Active troops (thousands)	Reserve troops (thousands)	Defense budget (US$ BN)	Tanks	Aircraft carriers	Cr	D	F	Co	NS	S	Air	Nu
--	World	17,442	44,925	1,410.00	86,681	24	31	204	319	335	134	259	17,489	26,291
1.	People's Republic of China **	2,255^[1]	800^[2]	61 to 121^[3]	7,580^[2]	0^[4]		26^[5]	49^[6]	70	8^[7]	55^[8]	1,471^[9]	400 ^[10]
2.	United States of America **	1,380^[11]	1,463	711^[12]	7,821^[2]	12^[2]	22	56	34	48	72^[13]	74^[14]	2,604^[2]	9,200 ^[15]
3.	India **	1,325^[16]	1,155^[16]	27^[17]	3,978^[2]	1^[18]		8	13	32		16	1,430^[19]	45-95^[20]
4.	Russia **	1,245^[2]	1,690	50 to 70^[21]	28,381^[2]	1	7	13^[22]	5^[23]	85^[24]	35^[25]	18^[26]	2,099^[27]	16,800^[28]
5.	Democratic People's Republic of Korea **	1,106	4,700	5.00	3,500^[16]	0			2			26	621	0-10 ^[29]
6.	Republic of Korea	687	4,500 ^[30]	29.53	2,300^[16]	0		6	12	24		11	388^[31]	0
7.	Pakistan **	650^[32]	518	5.20	2,451^[16]	0			7^[16]	5	0	8^[33]	523 ^[34]	30 - 52 ^[20]
8.	Iran	545^[35]	350^[35]	6.30	1,800	0			4	3		13	214	0
9.	Turkey	514	378	22.56	4,205	0			18	6		14	424	NATO shared
10.	Vietnam	484	4,000	3.2	1,829	0			6	5		2	211	0
11.	Egypt	450	254	3.30	3,680	0			10			4	567	0
12.	Myanmar	428	-	0.03	800	0			4				128	0
13.	Indonesia	316	400	1.30	365	0			7	7		2	61	0
14.	Thailand	314	200	1.77	790	1			12	5			184	0
15.	Syria	296^[36]	132^[36]	1.85	4,100	0			5	7		3	472	0
16.	Republic of China (Taiwan)	290	1,657	10.5	926	0		4	21			4	388	0
17.	Brazil	287	1,115	24.4	331	1			11			5	180	0
18.	Germany	250	38	45.00	1,500	0			15	3		11	243	NATO shared
19.	Italy	240	68	42.80	1,180	2		4	15	8		7	385	NATO shared
20.	Japan	239	47	48.86	980^[37]	0		13^[38]	39^[38]			16^[38]	360^[39]
21.	France **	225	100	37.9^[40]	1,021	1		11	12	8	10		368	300-350 ^[41]
22.	Colombia	207^[42]	-	3.30		0			4			4	30	0
23.	Israel #	187	425	9.44	3,650^[43]	0				3		3	416^[44]	70-400^[45]
24.	Poland	155	188	10.79	947	0			5	3		5	102	0
25.	Ukraine	149	1,000	2.065 ^[46]	3784 ^[47]	0			2	1			351	0
26.	Eritrea	202	250	0.22		0							30	0
27.	Morocco	196	150	3.72	744	0			3^[48]	3^[49]			134	0
28.	United Kingdom **	195	191	68.911	393	4		8	17		13^[50]	2	341	300 ^[41]
29.	Mexico	192	300	6.07	435	0		2	4				107	0
30.	Algeria	230	150	4.99	900	0			6	32		8	350	0
31.	Ethiopia	182		0.29	400	0							48	0
32.	Spain	177	329	12.30	552	1			11			4	181	0
33.	Greece	177	58	7.64	867	0			14			9	235	NATO shared
34.	Sri Lanka	157		0.60		0				3			32	0
35.	Switzerland	140	80	2.54	556	0							138	0
36.	Bangladesh	137		0.83	180^[2]	0			5				125	0
37.	Azerbaijan	126	575	2^[51]	600+	0	1						198	0
38.	Saudi Arabia	124	75	27.20	1055^[52]	0			7				291	0
39.	Sudan	117		0.58	200	0							42	0
40.	Philippines	113	403	1.34	126	0			1	13			43	0
41.	Malaysia	110		1.69		0			4	4		1	93	0
42.	Peru	110	188	0.82	300	0	1	1	8			6		0
43.	Jordan	100	35	1.39	1,179	0							101	0
44.	Angola	100		2.00	300	0							65	0
45.	Venezuela	100	280	4.00		0			6			2	76	0
46.	Canada	62^[53]	25^[53]	7.5^[40]	166	0		3	12			4	138	NATO shared
47.	Romania	93		2.90	340	0			3	4		1	48	0
48.	Nepal	90		0.10		0							0	0
49.	Democratic Republic of the Congo	83		0.103		0								0
50.	Chile	80	50	5.19	320	0			7	7		4	58	0
51.	Belarus	79	289	0.471^[40]	1,608	0							212	0
52.	Nigeria	78		0.73		0			1	1			0
53.	Libya	76	45	1.30	800	0			1	3			215	0
54.	Serbia	75	200	1.4	860	0							40	0
55.	Cambodia	124		0.11		0								0
56.	Lebanon	72		0.54	310	0							0	0
57.	Argentina	71		4.30	348				4	9		3	66	0
58.	Afghanistan	70				0								0
59.	Kazakhstan	65			1,266	0							181	0
60.	Yemen	40			1,250	0				2			463	0
61.	Rwanda	61
62.	Armenia	60	32	0.495^[54]	110	0							39	0
63.	South Africa	60		3.70	168	0			4			2	43	0
64.	Singapore	60	312		100	0			6	6		4	119	0
65.	Uganda	60		0.10		0								0
66.	Ecuador	59	100	0.91	140	0			2	6		2		0
67.	Czech Republic	57		1.164^[40]	179	0							31	0
68.	Australia	54	20	23.18	210	0			13			6	160	0
69.	Netherlands	53	32	10.8	110	0			5			4	90	NATO shared
70.	Uzbekistan	53				0							0	0
71.=	Bulgaria	51	303	0.406^[40]	560	0			5	3		1	88	0
71.=	Croatia	51		1.089^[40]	200	0				6		1	24	0
73.	United Arab Emirates	50			436	0							80	0
74.	Cuba	46	12	0.20	1600	0							110	0
75.	Portugal	45			100	0			5	7		2	40	0
76.	Oman	42			35	0				2				0
77.	Belgium	41		3.4^[40]		0			3				68	NATO shared
78.	Burundi	40				0								0
79.	Finland	37	485	1.929^[40]	124	0							63	0
80.	Tunisia	35				0							56	0
81.	Austria	34		1.8^[40]	233	0							16	0
82.	Sweden	34	262	6.70	160	0				9		5	138	0
83.	Hungary	33		1.35	12	0							23	0
84.	Zimbabwe	32				0								0
85.	Bolivia	32	40	0.147									20	0
86.	Guatemala	31	35	0.12		0							10	0
87.	Chad	30				0							6	0
88.	Laos	29				0								0
89.	Norway	28	219	6.2^[55]	136	0			3			6	57	0
90.	Tanzania	27			96	0						0		0
91.	Slovakia	26			487	0								0
92.	Turkmenistan	26				0								0
93.	Dominican Republic	24				0								0
94.	Kenya	24			76	0							15	0
95.	Uruguay	24		0.25	85	0			3				28	0
96.	Cameroon	23				0								0
97.	Denmark	23	65	2.70^[40]	57	0		2	4	3			48	0
98.	Zambia	22				0								0
99.	Albania	20	0	0.102^[40]	435	0								0
100.	Paraguay	19	15	0.125	0	0								0
101.	Cyprus			0.51^[40]										0
102.	Bosnia			0.405^[40]										0
103.	Estonia			0.061^[40]										0

Breakdown of aircraft

Country	Fighters	Bombers	Attack
People’s Republic of China	1,445	120	380
United States of America	3,022	235	388
India	975	110	175
North Korea	150	80	0
Russian Federation	2,295	368	767
South Korea	210	0	283
Pakistan	450+	0	101
Vietnam	204	0	0

All information is gathered from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, otherwise where noted.

Note

* - Estimated combined number
** - Declared nuclear weapon state.
# - Neither confirms nor denies possession of nuclear weapons.
AC/LPH - Aircraft Carriers/Landing Platform Helicopter
Cr - Cruisers
D - Destroyers
F - Frigates
Co - Corvettes
NS - Nuclear submarines
S - Conventional submarines
Nu - Nuclear Weapons

References

^ China: National Security
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ The Asian Conventional Military Balance in 2006 Retrieved on 03-27-08
^ The FY 2009 Pentagon Spending Request - Global Military Spending http://www.armscontrolcenter.org/policy/securityspending/articles/fy09_dod_request_global/ Center for Arms Control and Non/Proliferation study
^ http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/18/world/asia/18china.html
^ http://www.sinodefence.com/navy/surface/default.asp
^ http://www.sinodefence.com/navy/surface/default.asp
^ http://www.sinodefence.com/navy/sub/default.asp
^ http://www.sinodefence.com/navy/sub/default.asp
^ http://www.sinodefence.com/airforce/fighter/default.asp
^ Nuclear Stockpiles: P.R. China, warheads and megatonnage, various estimates
^ http://siadapp.dmdc.osd.mil/personnel/MILITARY/rg0708.pdf
^ The FY 2009 Pentagon Spending Request - Global Military Spending http://www.armscontrolcenter.org/policy/securityspending/articles/fy09_dod_request_global/ Center for Arms Control and Non/Proliferation study
^ Nuclear Submarines Worldwide: Current force structure and future developments - Bellona.org
^ http://en.wikipedia.org/topic/Submarines_in_the_United_States_Navy
^ Nuclear Stockpiles: United States, warheads and megatonnage, various estimates
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f The Asian Conventional Military Balance in 2006 II Retrieved on 03-27-08
^ India's defence budget rises, but problems remain | Business | Reuters
^ R 22 Viraat
^ "Indian Air Force Combat Jets in USAF Exercise", Armed Forces International Retrieved 21st Dec 2008
^ ^a ^b David Albright, India's and Pakistan's Fissile Material and Nuclear Weapons Inventories, end of 1999, Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) October 11, 2000 Retrieved 21st Dec 2008
^ The FY 2009 Pentagon Spending Request - Global Military Spending http://www.armscontrolcenter.org/policy/securityspending/articles/fy09_dod_request_global/ Center for Arms Control and Non/Proliferation study
^ http://www.warfare.ru/?lang=&linkid=1720&catid=243&type=destroyers
^ http://www.warfare.ru/?lang=&linkid=1720&catid=243&type=frigates
^ http://www.warfare.ru/?lang=&linkid=1720&catid=243&type=corvettes
^ http://www.warfare.ru/?lang=&linkid=1720&catid=243&type=ssn
^ http://www.warfare.ru/?lang=&linkid=1720&catid=243&type=ssk
^ http://www.warfare.ru/?linkid=2180&catid=241&type=fighters
^ Nuclear Stockpiles: USSR/Russia, warheads, various estimates
^ NationMaster - Korean Military statistics
^ South Korea: NATIONAL SECURITY
^ ROK Air Force Equipment
^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/may/31/books.pakistan
^ Pakistan Current Capabilities
^ [1]
^ ^a ^b "Iranian Armed Forces, CSIS (Page 7)", 2006-07-25, http://www.csis.org/media/csis/pubs/060728_gulf_iran.pdf
^ ^a ^b Cordesman (Middle East) p12 (2005 figures)
^ Ground Self-Defense Forces
^ ^a ^b ^c Japanese Warships
^ Aircraft of the Japan Air Self Defence Force
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ Cordesman (Western) p7 (1999 figures)
^ ^a ^b Nuclear Stockpiles: United Kingdom and France, warheads and megatonnage, various estimates
^ "Colombian Armed Forces", 2006-07-25, http://www.mongabay.com/reference/new_profiles/354.html
^ Army Equipment - Israel
^ IAF Equipment - Israel
^ Federation of American Scientists - Estimates of Israeli nuclear warheads
^ Ukrainian Armed Forces White Book
^ IISS Military Balance 2007, Routledge for the IISS, London, p.176-77
^ Haze Gray & Underway: World Navies Today
^ Le Maroc opte pour des corvettes néerlandaises
^ Submarine Service : Operations and Support : Royal Navy
^ Azerbaijan announces rise in army spending
^ Saudi Arabia: NATIONAL SECURITY
^ ^a ^b Department of National Defence (August 2007). "About DND/CF". Retrieved on 2008-08-19.
^ http://www.asbarez.com/index.html?showarticle=35442_9/29/2008_1
^ According to the Norwegian Ministry of Defence, the 2008 budget was NOK 31.5 billion, as of July 2008 equal to USD 6.2 billion. [2]

AH Cordesman, AA Burke, The Balance of Western Conventional Forces: A Comparative Summary of Military Expenditures; Manpower; Land, Air, Naval Forces; and National Force Trends, CSIS, January 2001 retrieved 14 Nov 2008.
AH Cordesman, The Middle East Military Balance: Definition, Regional Developments and Trends, CSIS, March 2005 retrieved 31 Dec 2008

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