Special Report

The World's Largest Active Military Forces

24/7 Wall St. Staff

Published: January 5, 2024 1:35 pm

In today’s dynamic world, countries of all sizes are concerned about defense and global security. And while having the largest military isn’t always indicative of strength, it certainly provides a significant advantage. Here we are examining the world’s most substantial military forces.

To determine the 20 countries with the largest militaries, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed 2023 Military Manpower Ranking from Global Firepower, an annually updated defense-related statistics website with information on 145 countries. 

Data on each country’s PowerIndex score (which estimates overall military strength with lower values indicating greater strength) and military reserves also came from Global Firepower. Data on the number of active military aircraft for 2023 came from FlightGlobal, an aviation and aerospace industry website. Military expenditure data for 2022 came from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Population data for 2023 came from the CIA World Factbook.

The People’s Republic of China has the world’s largest active-duty military, with approximately 2 million personnel. In recent decades, China has consistently channeled investments into bolstering its military capacity, particularly its naval forces. In East Asia, China’s military has a substantial effect, especially amid increased tensions with other nations disputing its territorial claims.

Across the Pacific, the United States has the third-largest active-duty military, with an estimated 1.39 million personnel. While the U.S. may not have the largest armed forces globally, it is acknowledged as the most powerful and technologically advanced, supported by an unparalled defense budget that sustains its military capabilities.

Nations leading this list, with the largest militaries, generally have lower Global Firepower PowerIndex scores, indicating their status among the most powerful militaries overall. These nations also frequently have higher budgets for military spending, often seen as a basic requirement due to their large troop size. Countries with substantial military personnel also typically maintain significant air forces and populations.

Here are the largest active-duty militaries in the world:

20. Saudi Arabia

Source: Photo by Abid Katib / Getty Images

• Active-duty personnel: 225,000
• Reserves personnel: N/A
• PowerIndex (military strength): 0.3626 (#22 most powerful out of 145)
• No. of military aircraft: 897 (1.68% of the world military aircraft)
• Population, 2023: 35.9 million (#42 largest out of 237 countries)
• Military expenditure, 2022: $75.0 billion (3.35% of world military expenditures)

19. Japan

Source: ziggy_mars / iStock via Getty Images

• Active-duty personnel: 240,000
• Reserves personnel: 55,000
• PowerIndex (military strength): 0.1711 (#8 most powerful out of 145)
• No. of military aircraft: 1,451 (2.72% of the world military aircraft)
• Population, 2023: 123.7 million (#11 largest out of 237 countries)
• Military expenditure, 2022: $46.0 billion (2.05% of world military expenditures)

18. Sri Lanka

Source: ertyo5 / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

• Active-duty personnel: 250,000
• Reserves personnel: 5,500
• PowerIndex (military strength): 1.2478 (#71 most powerful out of 145)
• No. of military aircraft: 86 (0.16% of the world military aircraft)
• Population, 2023: 23.3 million (#58 largest out of 237 countries)
• Military expenditure, 2022: $1.1 billion (0.05% of world military expenditures)

17. Mexico

Source: Azael Rodriguez / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

• Active-duty personnel: 250,000
• Reserves personnel: 65,000
• PowerIndex (military strength): 0.4687 (#31 most powerful out of 145)
• No. of military aircraft: 468 (0.88% of the world military aircraft)
• Population, 2023: 129.9 million (#10 largest out of 237 countries)
• Military expenditure, 2022: $8.5 billion (0.38% of world military expenditures)

16. Thailand

Source: Paula Bronstein / Getty Images

• Active-duty personnel: 350,000
• Reserves personnel: 100,000
• PowerIndex (military strength): 0.3738 (#24 most powerful out of 145)
• No. of military aircraft: 488 (0.92% of the world military aircraft)
• Population, 2023: 69.8 million (#20 largest out of 237 countries)
• Military expenditure, 2022: $5.7 billion (0.26% of world military expenditures)

15. Brazil

Source: pabst_ell / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

• Active-duty personnel: 360,000
• Reserves personnel: 1.34 million
• PowerIndex (military strength): 0.2151 (#12 most powerful out of 145)
• No. of military aircraft: 665 (1.25% of the world military aircraft)
• Population, 2023: 218.7 million (#7 largest out of 237 countries)
• Military expenditure, 2022: $20.2 billion (0.90% of world military expenditures)

14. Colombia

Source: dalomo84 / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• Active-duty personnel: 360,000
• Reserves personnel: 845,000
• PowerIndex (military strength): 0.7011 (#43 most powerful out of 145)
• No. of military aircraft: 465 (0.87% of the world military aircraft)
• Population, 2023: 49.3 million (#29 largest out of 237 countries)
• Military expenditure, 2022: $9.9 billion (0.44% of world military expenditures)

13. Burma

Source: Lauren DeCicca / Getty Images

• Active-duty personnel: 400,000
• Reserves personnel: N/A
• PowerIndex (military strength): 0.5768 (#38 most powerful out of 145)
• No. of military aircraft: 280 (0.53% of the world military aircraft)
• Population, 2023: 58.0 million (#26 largest out of 237 countries)
• Military expenditure, 2022: $1.9 billion (0.08% of world military expenditures)

12. Indonesia

Source: Yamtono_Sardi / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

• Active-duty personnel: 400,000
• Reserves personnel: 400,000
• PowerIndex (military strength): 0.2221 (#13 most powerful out of 145)
• No. of military aircraft: 466 (0.87% of the world military aircraft)
• Population, 2023: 279.5 million (#4 largest out of 237 countries)
• Military expenditure, 2022: $9.0 billion (0.40% of world military expenditures)

11. Turkey

Source: IC / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• Active-duty personnel: 425,000
• Reserves personnel: 200,000
• PowerIndex (military strength): 0.2016 (#11 most powerful out of 145)
• No. of military aircraft: 1,065 (2.00% of the world military aircraft)
• Population, 2023: 83.6 million (#19 largest out of 237 countries)
• Military expenditure, 2022: $10.6 billion (0.48% of world military expenditures)

10. Egypt

Source: Courtesy of Egyptian Military Academy via Facebook

• Active-duty personnel: 440,000
• Reserves personnel: 480,000
• PowerIndex (military strength): 0.2224 (#14 most powerful out of 145)
• No. of military aircraft: 1,069 (2.01% of the world military aircraft)
• Population, 2023: 109.5 million (#15 largest out of 237 countries)
• Military expenditure, 2022: $4.6 billion (0.21% of world military expenditures)

9. Vietnam

Source: Photo by D. Myles Cullen / U.S. Department of Defense

• Active-duty personnel: 470,000
• Reserves personnel: 2.5 million
• PowerIndex (military strength): 0.2855 (#19 most powerful out of 145)
• No. of military aircraft: 223 (0.42% of the world military aircraft)
• Population, 2023: 104.8 million (#16 largest out of 237 countries)
• Military expenditure, 2022: N/A

8. South Korea

Source: Chung Sung-Jun / Getty Images News via Getty Images

• Active-duty personnel: 555,000
• Reserves personnel: 500,000
• PowerIndex (military strength): 0.1505 (#6 most powerful out of 145)
• No. of military aircraft: 1,602 (3.01% of the world military aircraft)
• Population, 2023: 52.0 million (#28 largest out of 237 countries)
• Military expenditure, 2022: $46.4 billion (2.07% of world military expenditures)

7. Iran

Iranian Velayat-90 Naval Exercise by IRIN (CC BY 4.0) by Mohammad Sadegh Heydari

• Active-duty personnel: 575,000
• Reserves personnel: 350,000
• PowerIndex (military strength): 0.2712 (#17 most powerful out of 145)
• No. of military aircraft: 541 (1.02% of the world military aircraft)
• Population, 2023: 87.6 million (#17 largest out of 237 countries)
• Military expenditure, 2022: $6.8 billion (0.31% of world military expenditures)

6. Pakistan

Source: John Moore / Getty Images

• Active-duty personnel: 654,000
• Reserves personnel: 550,000
• PowerIndex (military strength): 0.1694 (#7 most powerful out of 145)
• No. of military aircraft: 1,413 (2.65% of the world military aircraft)
• Population, 2023: 247.7 million (#5 largest out of 237 countries)
• Military expenditure, 2022: $10.3 billion (0.46% of world military expenditures)

5. Russia

Source: Mordolff / E+ via Getty Images

• Active-duty personnel: 830,900
• Reserves personnel: 250,000
• PowerIndex (military strength): 0.0714 (#2 most powerful out of 145)
• No. of military aircraft: 4,182 (7.85% of the world military aircraft)
• Population, 2023: 141.7 million (#9 largest out of 237 countries)
• Military expenditure, 2022: $86.4 billion (3.86% of world military expenditures)

4. North Korea

Source: alexkuehni / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• Active-duty personnel: 1.2 million
• Reserves personnel: 600,000
• PowerIndex (military strength): 0.5118 (#34 most powerful out of 145)
• No. of military aircraft: 947 (1.78% of the world military aircraft)
• Population, 2023: 26.1 million (#55 largest out of 237 countries)
• Military expenditure, 2022: N/A

3. United States

Source: DanielBendjy / E+ via Getty Images

• Active-duty personnel: 1.39 million
• Reserves personnel: 442,000
• PowerIndex (military strength): 0.0712 (#1 most powerful out of 145)
• No. of military aircraft: 13,300 (24.97% of the world military aircraft)
• Population, 2023: 339.7 million (#3 largest out of 237 countries)
• Military expenditure, 2022: $876.9 billion (39.15% of world military expenditures)

2. India

Source: abhisheklegit / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• Active-duty personnel: 1.45 million
• Reserves personnel: 1.155 million
• PowerIndex (military strength): 0.1025 (#4 most powerful out of 145)
• No. of military aircraft: 2,210 (4.15% of the world military aircraft)
• Population, 2023: 1.399 billion (#2 largest out of 237 countries)
• Military expenditure, 2022: $81.4 billion (3.63% of world military expenditures)

1. China

Source: Александр Семенов / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• Active-duty personnel: 2.0 million
• Reserves personnel: 510,000
• PowerIndex (military strength): 0.0722 (#3 most powerful out of 145)
• No. of military aircraft: 3,166 (5.94% of the world military aircraft)
• Population, 2023: 1.413 billion (#1 largest out of 237 countries)
• Military expenditure, 2022: $292.0 billion (13.03% of world military expenditures)