U.S. Submarine Count Surpasses Over 140 Countries, Securing Dominant Naval Position
Some of the most advanced weapons in any military arsenal aren’t on the battlefield or in the sky, but deep below the oceans. Much of the international balance of naval power is defined by these submarines, and their nuclear payloads.…
Some of the most advanced weapons in any military arsenal aren’t on the battlefield or in the sky, but deep below the oceans. Much of the international balance of naval power is defined by these submarines, and their nuclear payloads. These underwater assets are central to nuclear deterrence, sea control, and ultimately power projection. Today, three nations dominate this conversation. Here, 24/7 Wall St. is exploring the largest submarine fleets in the world.
To identify the countries with the most military submarines in the world, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 2025 Military Strength Ranking from Global Firepower, an annually updated defense-related statistics website with information on 145 countries. Countries were ranked on the total number of military ships and submarines in their fleet. We included supplemental information regarding aircraft carriers, destroyers, corvettes, patrol vessels, and frigates, as well as each country’s overall military strength score and defense budget.
Here is a look at the countries with the most military submarines in the world:
Why Are We Covering This?
Understanding global military dynamics is incredibly important due to the interconnected nature of international relations and conflicts. As long as civilization has existed, the world has witnessed shifting power balances and alliances which have ultimately shaped the current geopolitical landscape. While key players like the United States, China, and Russia are considered the strongest military powers in the world, there are a number of other nations with their own spheres of influence and strengths that impact global relations from a military perspective.
31. Azerbaijan
- Submarines: 4
- Helicopter carriers: 0
- Frigates: 0
- Corvettes: 0
- Destroyers: 0
- Patrol vessels: 17
- Mine warfare: 4
- Total naval vessels: 38
- Military defense budget: $5,000,000,000 – #49 out of 145
- Military strength score: 1.2531 – #60 out of 145
30. Peru
- Submarines: 4
- Helicopter carriers: 0
- Frigates: 7
- Corvettes: 8
- Destroyers: 0
- Patrol vessels: 13
- Mine warfare: 0
- Total naval vessels: 71
- Military defense budget: $3,420,000,000 – #58 out of 145
- Military strength score: 0.8588 – #49 out of 145
29. Chile
- Submarines: 4
- Helicopter carriers: 0
- Frigates: 8
- Corvettes: 0
- Destroyers: 0
- Patrol vessels: 40
- Mine warfare: 0
- Total naval vessels: 130
- Military defense budget: $5,032,500,000 – #48 out of 145
- Military strength score: 0.8361 – #47 out of 145
28. Colombia
- Submarines: 4
- Helicopter carriers: 0
- Frigates: 7
- Corvettes: 2
- Destroyers: 0
- Patrol vessels: 217
- Mine warfare: 0
- Total naval vessels: 233
- Military defense budget: $10,541,500,000 – #30 out of 145
- Military strength score: 0.8353 – #46 out of 145
27. Canada
- Submarines: 4
- Helicopter carriers: 0
- Frigates: 12
- Corvettes: 0
- Destroyers: 0
- Patrol vessels: 24
- Mine warfare: 0
- Total naval vessels: 73
- Military defense budget: $41,000,000,000 – #15 out of 145
- Military strength score: 0.5179 – #28 out of 145
26. Sweden
- Submarines: 4
- Helicopter carriers: 0
- Frigates: 0
- Corvettes: 7
- Destroyers: 0
- Patrol vessels: 179
- Mine warfare: 8
- Total naval vessels: 308
- Military defense budget: $13,000,000,000 – #28 out of 145
- Military strength score: 0.4835 – #27 out of 145
25. Taiwan
- Submarines: 4
- Helicopter carriers: 0
- Frigates: 22
- Corvettes: 7
- Destroyers: 4
- Patrol vessels: 37
- Mine warfare: 14
- Total naval vessels: 97
- Military defense budget: $19,740,000,000 – #23 out of 145
- Military strength score: 0.3988 – #23 out of 145
24. Indonesia
- Submarines: 4
- Helicopter carriers: 0
- Frigates: 7
- Corvettes: 25
- Destroyers: 0
- Patrol vessels: 211
- Mine warfare: 12
- Total naval vessels: 331
- Military defense budget: $10,600,000,000 – #29 out of 145
- Military strength score: 0.2557 – #13 out of 145
23. Brazil
- Submarines: 4
- Helicopter carriers: 1
- Frigates: 6
- Corvettes: 2
- Destroyers: 0
- Patrol vessels: 23
- Mine warfare: 3
- Total naval vessels: 64
- Military defense budget: $26,157,300,000 – #19 out of 145
- Military strength score: 0.2415 – #11 out of 145
22. Israel
- Submarines: 5
- Helicopter carriers: 0
- Frigates: 0
- Corvettes: 7
- Destroyers: 0
- Patrol vessels: 46
- Mine warfare: 0
- Total naval vessels: 62
- Military defense budget: $30,500,000,000 – #17 out of 145
- Military strength score: 0.2661 – #15 out of 145
21. Norway
- Submarines: 6
- Helicopter carriers: 0
- Frigates: 4
- Corvettes: 6
- Destroyers: 0
- Patrol vessels: 18
- Mine warfare: 5
- Total naval vessels: 43
- Military defense budget: $9,710,000,000 – #32 out of 145
- Military strength score: 0.6811 – #38 out of 145
20. Singapore
- Submarines: 6
- Helicopter carriers: 0
- Frigates: 6
- Corvettes: 6
- Destroyers: 0
- Patrol vessels: 12
- Mine warfare: 4
- Total naval vessels: 50
- Military defense budget: $15,000,000,000 – #26 out of 145
- Military strength score: 0.5271 – #29 out of 145
19. Algeria
- Submarines: 6
- Helicopter carriers: 0
- Frigates: 8
- Corvettes: 8
- Destroyers: 0
- Patrol vessels: 75
- Mine warfare: 2
- Total naval vessels: 110
- Military defense budget: $25,000,000,000 – #21 out of 145
- Military strength score: 0.3589 – #20 out of 145
18. Australia
- Submarines: 6
- Helicopter carriers: 2
- Frigates: 7
- Corvettes: 0
- Destroyers: 3
- Patrol vessels: 10
- Mine warfare: 3
- Total naval vessels: 44
- Military defense budget: $55,700,000,000 – #8 out of 145
- Military strength score: 0.3298 – #18 out of 145
17. Germany
- Submarines: 6
- Helicopter carriers: 0
- Frigates: 11
- Corvettes: 5
- Destroyers: 0
- Patrol vessels: 0
- Mine warfare: 12
- Total naval vessels: 61
- Military defense budget: $50,000,000,000 – #11 out of 145
- Military strength score: 0.2601 – #14 out of 145
16. Egypt
- Submarines: 8
- Helicopter carriers: 2
- Frigates: 13
- Corvettes: 7
- Destroyers: 0
- Patrol vessels: 62
- Mine warfare: 17
- Total naval vessels: 150
- Military defense budget: $5,879,500,000 – #46 out of 145
- Military strength score: 0.3427 – #19 out of 145
15. Pakistan
- Submarines: 8
- Helicopter carriers: 0
- Frigates: 9
- Corvettes: 9
- Destroyers: 0
- Patrol vessels: 69
- Mine warfare: 3
- Total naval vessels: 121
- Military defense budget: $7,640,000,000 – #38 out of 145
- Military strength score: 0.2513 – #12 out of 145
14. Italy
- Submarines: 8
- Helicopter carriers: 0
- Frigates: 10
- Corvettes: 0
- Destroyers: 3
- Patrol vessels: 19
- Mine warfare: 10
- Total naval vessels: 196
- Military defense budget: $30,890,000,000 – #16 out of 145
- Military strength score: 0.2164 – #10 out of 145
13. Vietnam
- Submarines: 9
- Helicopter carriers: 0
- Frigates: 9
- Corvettes: 16
- Destroyers: 0
- Patrol vessels: 35
- Mine warfare: 8
- Total naval vessels: 110
- Military defense budget: $8,594,000,000 – #35 out of 145
- Military strength score: 0.4024 – #24 out of 145
12. France
- Submarines: 9
- Helicopter carriers: 3
- Frigates: 11
- Corvettes: 0
- Destroyers: 11
- Patrol vessels: 20
- Mine warfare: 17
- Total naval vessels: 129
- Military defense budget: $55,000,000,000 – #9 out of 145
- Military strength score: 0.1878 – #8 out of 145
11. United Kingdom
- Submarines: 9
- Helicopter carriers: 0
- Frigates: 8
- Corvettes: 0
- Destroyers: 6
- Patrol vessels: 26
- Mine warfare: 7
- Total naval vessels: 109
- Military defense budget: $71,500,540,000 – #6 out of 145
- Military strength score: 0.1785 – #6 out of 145
10. Greece
- Submarines: 10
- Helicopter carriers: 0
- Frigates: 13
- Corvettes: 0
- Destroyers: 0
- Patrol vessels: 39
- Mine warfare: 7
- Total naval vessels: 192
- Military defense budget: $6,500,000,000 – #44 out of 145
- Military strength score: 0.5337 – #30 out of 145
9. North Korea
- Submarines: 13
- Helicopter carriers: 0
- Frigates: 2
- Corvettes: 4
- Destroyers: 0
- Patrol vessels: 155
- Mine warfare: 1
- Total naval vessels: 207
- Military defense budget: $4,736,000,000 – #51 out of 145
- Military strength score: 0.6016 – #34 out of 145
8. Turkey
- Submarines: 13
- Helicopter carriers: 1
- Frigates: 17
- Corvettes: 9
- Destroyers: 0
- Patrol vessels: 41
- Mine warfare: 11
- Total naval vessels: 182
- Military defense budget: $47,000,000,000 – #13 out of 145
- Military strength score: 0.1902 – #9 out of 145
7. India
- Submarines: 18
- Helicopter carriers: 0
- Frigates: 14
- Corvettes: 18
- Destroyers: 13
- Patrol vessels: 135
- Mine warfare: 0
- Total naval vessels: 293
- Military defense budget: $75,000,000,000 – #4 out of 145
- Military strength score: 0.1184 – #4 out of 145
6. South Korea
- Submarines: 22
- Helicopter carriers: 2
- Frigates: 17
- Corvettes: 5
- Destroyers: 13
- Patrol vessels: 35
- Mine warfare: 14
- Total naval vessels: 227
- Military defense budget: $46,300,000,000 – #14 out of 145
- Military strength score: 0.1656 – #5 out of 145
5. Japan
- Submarines: 24
- Helicopter carriers: 4
- Frigates: 6
- Corvettes: 0
- Destroyers: 42
- Patrol vessels: 6
- Mine warfare: 22
- Total naval vessels: 159
- Military defense budget: $57,000,000,000 – #7 out of 145
- Military strength score: 0.1839 – #7 out of 145
4. Iran
- Submarines: 25
- Helicopter carriers: 0
- Frigates: 7
- Corvettes: 3
- Destroyers: 0
- Patrol vessels: 21
- Mine warfare: 1
- Total naval vessels: 107
- Military defense budget: $15,450,000,000 – #25 out of 145
- Military strength score: 0.3048 – #16 out of 145
3. China
- Submarines: 61
- Helicopter carriers: 4
- Frigates: 47
- Corvettes: 72
- Destroyers: 50
- Patrol vessels: 150
- Mine warfare: 36
- Total naval vessels: 754
- Military defense budget: $266,850,000,000 – #2 out of 145
- Military strength score: 0.0788 – #3 out of 145
2. Russia
- Submarines: 63
- Helicopter carriers: 0
- Frigates: 12
- Corvettes: 83
- Destroyers: 10
- Patrol vessels: 123
- Mine warfare: 47
- Total naval vessels: 419
- Military defense budget: $126,000,000,000 – #3 out of 145
- Military strength score: 0.0788 – #2 out of 145
1. United States
- Submarines: 70
- Helicopter carriers: 9
- Frigates: 0
- Corvettes: 26
- Destroyers: 81
- Patrol vessels: 0
- Mine warfare: 8
- Total naval vessels: 440
- Military defense budget: $895,000,000,000 – #1 out of 145
- Military strength score: 0.0744 – #1 out of 145
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Chris Lange is a financial and geopolitical writer with more than a decade of experience covering a myriad of topics. He has published thousands of articles for 24/7 Wall St., with past coverage focused heavily on stocks, IPOs, healthcare, defense, global affairs, and technology.
His work has been quoted, or referenced by a number of outlets including Business Insider, USA Today, Yahoo Finance, MSN, The Motley Fool, and many other publications. A graduate of Southwestern University, he studied business with a focus on investments and has previous experience in banking and startups.
When not reading or writing the news, he is following his passion for Lacrosse, playing chess, or building solar projects with his dad.
