Navies across the world contribute to international security by protecting maritime trade routes. A strong navy is capable of projecting national power far beyond a country’s borders. Each navy reveals a nation’s resources and priorities, and goals. These groups of men and women range from small coastal patrol forces to massive fleets with a variety of technologically advanced vessels like aircraft carriers, submarines, and destroyers. Aside from military purposes, navies also aid in things like disaster relief. As technology evolves and global politics shift, the world’s navies continue to adapt redefine power on the open seas.
To identify the countries with the most military ships and submarines, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 2024 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 submarines, aircraft carriers, destroyers, corvettes, patrol vessels, and frigates, as well as each country’s overall military strength score.
This post was updated on December 12, 2025 to provide a brief overview of navies throughout the world, as well as why this information matters.
Why We’re Writing About This
Understanding the size of different naval fleets, including the countries who have the largest, offers a window into power dynamics on a global scale. It speaks to security priorities and shifting military influences. Navies are not just collections of ships; they are strategic groups that protect trade routes, deter enemies, and contribute greatly to international diplomacy. Knowing who leads in naval strength helps us make sense of global tensions, alliances, and the ultimate goal of dominance on the world’s oceans. It also tells how nations choose to invest in technology and defense. These factors remind us that maritime power plays a critical role in military power dynamics.
Here is a look at the countries with the most military ships and submarines.
30. Bangladesh
- Total ships and submarines: 117
- Total submarines: 2
- Aircraft carriers: 0
- Corvettes: 6
- Frigates: 7
- Destroyers: 0
- Patrol vessels:: 55
- Military strength score: 0.5419 – #37 out of 145
29. United Kingdom
- Total ships and submarines: 117
- Total submarines: 10
- Aircraft carriers: 2
- Corvettes: 0
- Frigates: 11
- Destroyers: 6
- Patrol vessels:: 26
- Military strength score: 0.1443 – #6 out of 145
28. Morocco
- Total ships and submarines: 121
- Total submarines: 0
- Aircraft carriers: 0
- Corvettes: 1
- Frigates: 6
- Destroyers: 0
- Patrol vessels:: 22
- Military strength score: 1.0081 – #61 out of 145
27. Kuwait
- Total ships and submarines: 123
- Total submarines: 0
- Aircraft carriers: 0
- Corvettes: 0
- Frigates: 0
- Destroyers: 0
- Patrol vessels:: 106
- Military strength score: 1.4261 – #77 out of 145
26. Qatar
- Total ships and submarines: 123
- Total submarines: 0
- Aircraft carriers: 0
- Corvettes: 4
- Frigates: 0
- Destroyers: 0
- Patrol vessels:: 20
- Military strength score: 1.0789 – #63 out of 145
25. France
- Total ships and submarines: 128
- Total submarines: 9
- Aircraft carriers: 1
- Corvettes: 0
- Frigates: 11
- Destroyers: 10
- Patrol vessels:: 15
- Military strength score: 0.1878 – #11 out of 145
24. Chile
- Total ships and submarines: 130
- Total submarines: 4
- Aircraft carriers: 0
- Corvettes: 0
- Frigates: 8
- Destroyers: 0
- Patrol vessels:: 40
- Military strength score: 0.8128 – #52 out of 145
23. Nigeria
- Total ships and submarines: 133
- Total submarines: 0
- Aircraft carriers: 0
- Corvettes: 0
- Frigates: 1
- Destroyers: 0
- Patrol vessels:: 109
- Military strength score: 0.5619 – #39 out of 145
22. Brazil
- Total ships and submarines: 134
- Total submarines: 4
- Aircraft carriers: 0
- Corvettes: 2
- Frigates: 6
- Destroyers: 0
- Patrol vessels:: 23
- Military strength score: 0.1944 – #12 out of 145
21. Egypt
- Total ships and submarines: 140
- Total submarines: 8
- Aircraft carriers: 0
- Corvettes: 7
- Frigates: 13
- Destroyers: 0
- Patrol vessels:: 42
- Military strength score: 0.2283 – #15 out of 145
20. Japan
- Total ships and submarines: 155
- Total submarines: 23
- Aircraft carriers: 0
- Corvettes: 6
- Frigates: 4
- Destroyers: 36
- Patrol vessels:: 6
- Military strength score: 0.1601 – #7 out of 145
19. Spain
- Total ships and submarines: 168
- Total submarines: 3
- Aircraft carriers: 0
- Corvettes: 0
- Frigates: 11
- Destroyers: 0
- Patrol vessels:: 23
- Military strength score: 0.2882 – #20 out of 145
18. Turkey
- Total ships and submarines: 186
- Total submarines: 12
- Aircraft carriers: 0
- Corvettes: 9
- Frigates: 16
- Destroyers: 0
- Patrol vessels:: 34
- Military strength score: 0.1697 – #8 out of 145
17. Greece
- Total ships and submarines: 187
- Total submarines: 11
- Aircraft carriers: 0
- Corvettes: 0
- Frigates: 13
- Destroyers: 0
- Patrol vessels:: 35
- Military strength score: 0.4349 – #32 out of 145
16. Mexico
- Total ships and submarines: 194
- Total submarines: 0
- Aircraft carriers: 0
- Corvettes: 4
- Frigates: 11
- Destroyers: 5
- Patrol vessels:: 150
- Military strength score: 0.4274 – #31 out of 145
15. South Korea
- Total ships and submarines: 200
- Total submarines: 22
- Aircraft carriers: 0
- Corvettes: 5
- Frigates: 17
- Destroyers: 13
- Patrol vessels:: 35
- Military strength score: 0.1416 – #5 out of 145
14. Algeria
- Total ships and submarines: 213
- Total submarines: 6
- Aircraft carriers: 0
- Corvettes: 16
- Frigates: 8
- Destroyers: 0
- Patrol vessels:: 75
- Military strength score: 0.3589 – #26 out of 145
13. Myanmar
- Total ships and submarines: 227
- Total submarines: 3
- Aircraft carriers: 0
- Corvettes: 3
- Frigates: 6
- Destroyers: 0
- Patrol vessels:: 124
- Military strength score: 0.5251 – #35 out of 145
12. Colombia
- Total ships and submarines: 237
- Total submarines: 4
- Aircraft carriers: 0
- Corvettes: 2
- Frigates: 9
- Destroyers: 0
- Patrol vessels:: 219
- Military strength score: 0.7347 – #44 out of 145
11. Finland
- Total ships and submarines: 246
- Total submarines: 0
- Aircraft carriers: 0
- Corvettes: 0
- Frigates: 0
- Destroyers: 0
- Patrol vessels:: 8
- Military strength score: 0.7967 – #50 out of 145
10. Sri Lanka
- Total ships and submarines: 270
- Total submarines: 0
- Aircraft carriers: 0
- Corvettes: 0
- Frigates: 5
- Destroyers: 0
- Patrol vessels:: 59
- Military strength score: 1.3459 – #75 out of 145
9. Thailand
- Total ships and submarines: 293
- Total submarines: 0
- Aircraft carriers: 0
- Corvettes: 6
- Frigates: 7
- Destroyers: 0
- Patrol vessels:: 49
- Military strength score: 0.3389 – #25 out of 145
8. India
- Total ships and submarines: 294
- Total submarines: 18
- Aircraft carriers: 2
- Corvettes: 18
- Frigates: 12
- Destroyers: 12
- Patrol vessels:: 137
- Military strength score: 0.1023 – #4 out of 145
7. Italy
- Total ships and submarines: 309
- Total submarines: 8
- Aircraft carriers: 2
- Corvettes: 0
- Frigates: 13
- Destroyers: 4
- Patrol vessels:: 18
- Military strength score: 0.1863 – #10 out of 145
6. Indonesia
- Total ships and submarines: 333
- Total submarines: 4
- Aircraft carriers: 0
- Corvettes: 25
- Frigates: 8
- Destroyers: 0
- Patrol vessels:: 205
- Military strength score: 0.2251 – #13 out of 145
5. Sweden
- Total ships and submarines: 353
- Total submarines: 5
- Aircraft carriers: 0
- Corvettes: 7
- Frigates: 0
- Destroyers: 0
- Patrol vessels:: 298
- Military strength score: 0.4009 – #29 out of 145
4. United States
- Total ships and submarines: 472
- Total submarines: 64
- Aircraft carriers: 11
- Corvettes: 23
- Frigates: 0
- Destroyers: 75
- Patrol vessels:: 5
- Military strength score: 0.0699 – #1 out of 145
3. North Korea
- Total ships and submarines: 505
- Total submarines: 35
- Aircraft carriers: 0
- Corvettes: 4
- Frigates: 1
- Destroyers: 0
- Patrol vessels:: 169
- Military strength score: 0.5313 – #36 out of 145
2. China
- Total ships and submarines: 730
- Total submarines: 61
- Aircraft carriers: 2
- Corvettes: 72
- Frigates: 42
- Destroyers: 49
- Patrol vessels:: 150
- Military strength score: 0.0706 – #3 out of 145
1. Russia
- Total ships and submarines: 781
- Total submarines: 65
- Aircraft carriers: 1
- Corvettes: 83
- Frigates: 12
- Destroyers: 14
- Patrol vessels:: 122
- Military strength score: 0.0702 – #2 out of 145
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