Military Size by Country

Afghanistan has the thirtieth largest military in the world, encompassing 165,000 active personnel. Afghanistan spends approximately $278,250,788 every year on military expenditures. The country ranks one hundred and eighth in terms of the annual amount spent on its military.

Australia has the fifty-eighth largest military in the world, encompassing 59,600 active personnel. Australia spends approximately $31,753,716,216 every year on military expenditures. The country ranks twelfth in terms of the annual amount spent on its military.

Belarus has the seventy-seventh largest military in the world, encompassing 47,950 active personnel. The country of Belarus spends approximately $762,776,224 every year on military expenditures. The country ranks seventy-seventh in terms of the annual amount spent on its military.

Canada has the fifty-fifth largest military in the world, encompassing 66,500 active personnel. Canada spends approximately $26,449,162,679 every year on military expenditures. The country ranks thirteenth in terms of the annual amount spent on its military.

Costa Rica has the one-hundred-sixty-sixth largest military in the world, encompassing no active personnel. Costa Rica is one of the few countries in the world that does not have an army. This has been true since 1949 when President José Figueres Ferrer abolished the Costa Rican army in an effort to reallocate resources towards education and other public services. As a result, military expenditures were redirected to economic development, health care, and poverty reduction. The decision to forgo an army also allowed the nation to reduce its arms imports and instead focus on furthering its social welfare programs and expanding access to education for all citizens.

Egypt has the tenth largest military in the world, encompassing 438,500 active personnel. Egypt spends approximately $5,165,445,627 every year on military expenditures. The country ranks forty-third in terms of the annual amount spent on its military.

Finland has the ninety-eighth largest military in the world, encompassing 19,250 active personnel. Finland spends approximately $5,903,500,473 every year on military expenditures. The country ranks thirty-seventh in terms of the annual amount spent on its military.

France has the twenty-first largest military in the world, encompassing 203,250 active personnel. France spends approximately $56,646,996,216 every year on military expenditures. The country ranks sixth in terms of the annual amount spent on its military.

Germany has the twenty-sixth largest military in the world, encompassing 183,400 active personnel. Germany spends approximately $56,017,029,328 every year on military expenditures. The country ranks seventh in terms of the annual amount spent on its military.

Greece has the thirty-fifth largest military in the world, encompassing 143,300 active personnel. Greece spends approximately $8,079,943,236 every year on military expenditures. The country ranks thirty-first in terms of the annual amount spent on its military.

Haiti has the one-hundred-sixty-first largest military in the world, encompassing 500 active personnel. Haiti spends approximately $20,912,067 every year on military expenditures. The country ranks one-hundred forty-seventh in terms of the annual amount spent on its military.

Iceland has the one-hundred-sixty-fourth largest military in the world, encompassing 250 active personnel. Iceland's military size is quite small in comparison to other countries and mainly consists of 250 personnel within the Icelandic Coast Guard. Despite this very minor size, Iceland uniquely does not invest in its military forces; rather, the government utilizes NATO troops as a form of collective defense. This allows the country to allocate its resources toward other areas such as financial and social development. In addition, Iceland does not possess any nuclear weapons or weapon systems, preferring instead to focus on maintaining peace and security through nonviolent approaches.

India has the second largest military in the world, encompassing 1,460,350 active personnel. This force can be divided into three main branches: the Indian Army, which accounts for 80% of its personnel; the Indian Navy, which commands a fleet of nearly 200 ships and submarines; and the Indian Air Force, which boasts 1,700 aircraft. The total defense spending of India stands at around $76 billion per year and has increased steadily over recent years in order to bolster its defensive capabilities. Not only does India have an extremely large military size but they also boast one of the most experienced militaries in the world that have served in various global peacekeeping missions.

Iran has the seventh largest military in the world, encompassing 610,000 active personnel. Iran spends approximately $24,589,091,554 every year on military expenditures. The country ranks fourteenth in terms of the annual amount spent on its military.

Jamaica has the one-hundred-forty-first largest military in the world, encompassing 5,950 active personnel. While Jamaica's military size is relatively modest compared to many other nations, the nation does maintain a large reserve component consisting of 2,580 additional personnel. Jamaica also maintains its own coast guard and air wing, providing a certain level of maritime and aerial defense capabilities. In addition to this, Jamaica regularly participates in joint military operations with other Caribbean nations as part of its regional security initiatives. This collaboration is aimed at fostering greater stability and support within the region while also helping to deter any potential threats or hostile actors that could potentially disrupt peace in the region.

Japan's military, known as the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF), has approximately 247,000 active personnel and 57,000 reservists, making it one of the largest military forces in Asia. However, in comparison to the United States, Japan's military is significantly smaller. The United States has the third largest military in the world, with over 1.3 million active personnel and over 800,000 reservists. Despite its smaller size, the JSDF is considered to be a modern and well-equipped military force, with advanced technology and training. Japan's military is primarily focused on self-defense and maintaining regional security, due in part to constitutional restrictions on its ability to engage in offensive military operations. Additionally, Japan maintains a close military alliance with the United States and frequently conducts joint military exercises and operations with US forces.

Moldova has the one-hundred-thirty-ninth largest military in the world, encompassing 55,150 active personnel. Moldova spends approximately $52,293,263 every year on military expenditures. The country ranks one-hundred thirty-ninth in terms of the annual amount spent on its military.

North Korea has the fourth largest military in the world, encompassing 1,280,000 active personnel. The amount of money North Korea spends annually on its military is currently unknown. The country employs mandatory military conscription for both males and females.

Pakistan has the sixth largest military in the world, encompassing 651,800 active personnel. Pakistan spends approximately $11,304,829,853 every year on military expenditures. The country ranks twenty-third in terms of the annual amount spent on its military.

China has the largest active-duty military force in the world, with an estimated 2 million personnel. In addition to its active-duty troops, China has an additional 510,000 reserve personnel. China has been rapidly modernizing its military in recent years, with significant investments in new technologies such as advanced missiles, drones, and cyber capabilities. The country also has the world's largest standing army and a nuclear arsenal, with an estimated 350 nuclear warheads. Finally, China's military spending has been increasing over the years, with a budget of over $200 billion in 2021, making it the second-highest military spender after the United States.

Poland has the forty-sixth largest military in the world, encompassing 114,050 active personnel. Poland spends approximately $13,710,679,108 every year on military expenditures. The country ranks twentieth in terms of the annual amount spent on its military.

Russia has a standing army of 900,000 personnel, making it the fifth-largest military force in the world. This figure includes both active-duty soldiers and reserve forces. The country's military budget has increased in recent years, with a focus on modernizing and upgrading its equipment and capabilities. Russia's military has been involved in various conflicts, including its ongoing intervention in Syria and its annexation of Crimea in 2014. Overall, Russia's military remains a significant global player, both in terms of size and strategic importance.

Saudi Arabia has the sixteenth largest military in the world, encompassing 257,000 active personnel. Saudi Arabia's military is well-equipped with a strong air force, naval fleet, and ground forces, with the majority of the personnel comprising their Army. The Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) operates an array of advanced combat aircraft such as F-15s, Eurofighter Typhoons, and Apache helicopters. The Royal Saudi Navy maintains one of the largest fleets in the Middle East region, consisting of over 80 major surface vessels and a number of submarines. It has also recently acquired four new corvettes from Spain. In addition to this, the Royal Saudi Land Forces are armed with T-90 tanks and other modern weapon systems making them an effective land force in the region.

South Korea has the eighth largest military in the world, encompassing 555,000 active personnel. South Korea spends approximately $50,226,948,867 every year on military expenditures. The country ranks tenth in terms of the annual amount spent on its military.

Switzerland has the ninety-seventh largest military size in the world, encompassing 19,550 active personnel. Switzerland spends approximately $5,738,402,626 every year on military expenditures. The country ranks thirty-ninth in terms of the annual amount spent on its military.

Taiwan has the twenty-ninth largest military in the world, encompassing 169,000 active personnel. Taiwan spends approximately $12,958,452,722 every year in military expenditures. The country ranks twenty-first in terms of the annual amount spent on its military.

Turkey has the fifthteenth largest military in the world, encompassing 355,200 active personnel. Turkey spends approximately $15,478,850,939 every year in military expenditures. The country ranks eighteenth in terms of the annual amount spent on its military.

Ukraine has the twenty-third largest military size in the world, encompassing 196,600 active personnel. Ukraine's armed forces are made up of the Ground Forces, the Air Force, the Naval Forces, and several other military units. In addition to that, Ukraine has four military academies and more than 700 training institutions for both regular and reserve officers. The country also maintains a fleet of over 400 warships and combat vessels for use in defense missions. The Ukrainian government continues to invest in its military infrastructure by purchasing new equipment and developing new defense strategies.

The United Kingdom has the thirty-third largest military in the world, encompassing 153,200 active personnel. The United Kingdom spends approximately $68,366,440,552 every year on military expenditures. The country ranks fourth in terms of the annual amount spent on its military.

The United States military is one of the largest in the world with an estimated active duty force of around 1.3 million personnel. It also has over 800,000 reserve forces, making it a significant force in times of conflict. The U.S. military is equipped with a wide range of advanced weaponry, including nuclear weapons, and has a significant presence around the world. In addition to its large ground forces, the U.S. also has a strong naval and air force presence, with numerous aircraft carriers and fighter jets at its disposal. The U.S. military budget is also one of the largest in the world, with an estimated expenditure of over $700 billion in 2021.

Vietnam has the ninth largest military in the world, encompassing 482,000 active personnel. Vietnam has no mandatory military conscription system in place.