A standing army is the strongest deterrent against invasion. If a country had no military force then it would be at the mercy of hostile powers. The exception to this rule is Iceland, which has no standing military, and through the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has a guaranteed defense from other member nations should it come under attack by foreign powers. (These are the greatest armies ever assembled on Earth.)
Countries fill out their ranks of military personnel through voluntary or selective service, and some through mandatory service. Other countries even turn to paramilitary forces should the need become drastic.
It is worth noting that the size of one country’s military personnel does not define its strength as a whole. Assets like aircraft and naval vessels greatly improve the military capabilities of any given fighting force, but ultimately these assets must be piloted or driven by military personnel.
To identify the countries with the most military personnel, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed 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 personnel. We included supplemental information regarding active personnel, reserves, total population, fit-for-service, and overall military strength score.
Although the United States is considered to have the most powerful military on the planet, it by no means has the largest. Its military personnel ranks in the top 10 in the world by size, but much of its military strength is through its Air Force and Navy which are heavily stocked with some of the most technologically advanced aircraft and warships.
China and India are constantly vying for the title of the most populous nation with over one billion people each. However, neither ranks as the country with the most military personnel. (These are China’s 8 biggest weapons manufacturers, and what they build.)
Here are the countries with the most military personnel:
30. Azerbaijan
Source: Handout / Getty Images
- Total military personnel: 441,400
- Active personnel: 126,400
- Reserves: 300,000
- Paramilitary forces: 15,000
- Total population: 10,420,515
- Fit-for-service: 3,824,329
- Military strength score: 0.9934 – #59 out of 145
29. Colombia
Source: dalomo84 / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Total military personnel: 478,200
- Active personnel: 293,200
- Reserves: 35,000
- Paramilitary forces: 150,000
- Total population: 49,336,454
- Fit-for-service: 19,093,208
- Military strength score: 0.7347 – #44 out of 145
28. Peru
Source: feserc / Flickr
- Total military personnel: 565,000
- Active personnel: 120,000
- Reserves: 385,000
- Paramilitary forces: 60,000
- Total population: 32,440,172
- Fit-for-service: 12,619,227
- Military strength score: 0.8475 – #53 out of 145
27. Thailand
Source: Goldquest / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Total military personnel: 585,850
- Active personnel: 360,850
- Reserves: 200,000
- Paramilitary forces: 25,000
- Total population: 69,794,997
- Fit-for-service: 27,917,999
- Military strength score: 0.3389 – #25 out of 145
26. Poland
Source: Kamila Kozioå‚ (Koziolkamila) / iStock via Getty Images
- Total military personnel: 602,100
- Active personnel: 202,100
- Reserves: 350,000
- Paramilitary forces: 50,000
- Total population: 37,991,766
- Fit-for-service: 15,272,690
- Military strength score: 0.2917 – #21 out of 145
25. Algeria
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Total military personnel: 610,000
- Active personnel: 325,000
- Reserves: 135,000
- Paramilitary forces: 150,000
- Total population: 44,758,398
- Fit-for-service: 18,261,426
- Military strength score: 0.3589 – #26 out of 145
24. Serbia
Source: Srđan Popović / Wikimedia Commons
- Total military personnel: 627,000
- Active personnel: 25,000
- Reserves: 2,000
- Paramilitary forces: 600,000
- Total population: 6,693,375
- Fit-for-service: 2,590,336
- Military strength score: 0.9038 – #56 out of 145
23. Tajikistan
Source: thenationalguard / Flickr
- Total military personnel: 629,500
- Active personnel: 9,500
- Reserves: 600,000
- Paramilitary forces: 20,000
- Total population: 9,245,937
- Fit-for-service: 3,356,275
- Military strength score: 2.1265 – #107 out of 145
22. Mexico
Source: Joel Carillet / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
- Total military personnel: 630,655
- Active personnel: 412,000
- Reserves: 98,655
- Paramilitary forces: 120,000
- Total population: 129,875,529
- Fit-for-service: 49,482,577
- Military strength score: 0.4274 – #31 out of 145
21. Israel
Source: usembassyjlm / Flickr
- Total military personnel: 670,000
- Active personnel: 170,000
- Reserves: 465,000
- Paramilitary forces: 35,000
- Total population: 9,043,387
- Fit-for-service: 3,156,142
- Military strength score: 0.2596 – #17 out of 145
20. Turkey
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Total military personnel: 883,900
- Active personnel: 355,200
- Reserves: 378,700
- Paramilitary forces: 150,000
- Total population: 83,593,483
- Fit-for-service: 3,561,604
- Military strength score: 0.1697 – #8 out of 145
19. Brazil
Source: pabst_ell / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
- Total military personnel: 900,000
- Active personnel: 360,000
- Reserves: 340,000
- Paramilitary forces: 200,000
- Total population: 218,689,757
- Fit-for-service: 88,131,972
- Military strength score: 0.1944 – #12 out of 145
18. Finland
Source: wstryder / Flickr
- Total military personnel: 947,800
- Active personnel: 24,000
- Reserves: 870,000
- Paramilitary forces: 53,800
- Total population: 5,614,571
- Fit-for-service: 1,908,954
- Military strength score: 0.7967 – #50 out of 145
17. Indonesia
Source: AWG97 / Wikimedia Commons
- Total military personnel: 1,050,000
- Active personnel: 400,000
- Reserves: 400,000
- Paramilitary forces: 250,000
- Total population: 279,476,346
- Fit-for-service: 113,746,873
- Military strength score: 0.2251 – #13 out of 145
16. United Kingdom
Source: ikholwadia / iStock via Getty Images
- Total military personnel: 1,108,860
- Active personnel: 184,860
- Reserves: 924,000
- Paramilitary forces: 0
- Total population: 68,138,484
- Fit-for-service: 25,074,962
- Military strength score: 0.1443 – #6 out of 145
15. Iran
Source: Majid Saeedi / Getty Images News via Getty Images
- Total military personnel: 1,180,000
- Active personnel: 610,000
- Reserves: 350,000
- Paramilitary forces: 220,000
- Total population: 87,590,873
- Fit-for-service: 41,167,710
- Military strength score: 0.2269 – #14 out of 145
14. Egypt
Source: MC3 Scott Pittman/usnavy / Flickr
- Total military personnel: 1,220,000
- Active personnel: 440,000
- Reserves: 480,000
- Paramilitary forces: 300,000
- Total population: 109,546,720
- Fit-for-service: 37,684,072
- Military strength score: 0.2283 – #15 out of 145
13. Cuba
Source: PhotosByByron / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Total military personnel: 1,230,500
- Active personnel: 45,500
- Reserves: 40,000
- Paramilitary forces: 1,145,000
- Total population: 10,985,974
- Fit-for-service: 4,745,941
- Military strength score: 1.1869 – #68 out of 145
12. Philippines
Source: ClaudineVM / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Total military personnel: 1,385,000
- Active personnel: 150,000
- Reserves: 1,200,000
- Paramilitary forces: 35,000
- Total population: 116,434,200
- Fit-for-service: 41,101,273
- Military strength score: 0.4691 – #34 out of 145
11. Pakistan
Source: dvids / Flickr
- Total military personnel: 1,704,000
- Active personnel: 654,000
- Reserves: 550,000
- Paramilitary forces: 500,000
- Total population: 247,653,551
- Fit-for-service: 84,202,207
- Military strength score: 0.1711 – #9 out of 145
10. North Korea
Source: alexkuehni / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Total military personnel: 1,980,000
- Active personnel: 1,320,000
- Reserves: 560,000
- Paramilitary forces: 100,000
- Total population: 26,072,217
- Fit-for-service: 5,266,588
- Military strength score: 0.5313 – #36 out of 145
9. United States
Source: thenationalguard / Flickr
- Total military personnel: 2,127,500
- Active personnel: 1,328,000
- Reserves: 799,500
- Paramilitary forces: 0
- Total population: 339,665,118
- Fit-for-service: 123,977,768
- Military strength score: 0.0699 – #1 out of 145
8. Ukraine
Source: Sean Gallup / Getty Images News via Getty Images
- Total military personnel: 2,200,000
- Active personnel: 900,000
- Reserves: 1,200,000
- Paramilitary forces: 100,000
- Total population: 43,306,477
- Fit-for-service: 15,460,412
- Military strength score: 0.2598 – #18 out of 145
7. Taiwan
Source: presidentialoffice / Flickr
- Total military personnel: 2,580,000
- Active personnel: 215,000
- Reserves: 2,310,000
- Paramilitary forces: 55,000
- Total population: 23,588,613
- Fit-for-service: 1,061,488
- Military strength score: 0.3302 – #24 out of 145
6. China
Source: presidentialoffice / Flickr
- Total military personnel: 3,170,000
- Active personnel: 2,035,000
- Reserves: 510,000
- Paramilitary forces: 625,000
- Total population: 1,413,142,846
- Fit-for-service: 626,022,281
- Military strength score: 0.0706 – #3 out of 145
5. Russia
Source: Laski Collection / Getty Images
- Total military personnel: 3,570,000
- Active personnel: 1,320,000
- Reserves: 2,000,000
- Paramilitary forces: 250,000
- Total population: 141,698,923
- Fit-for-service: 46,477,247
- Military strength score: 0.0702 – #2 out of 145
4. South Korea
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Total military personnel: 3,820,000
- Active personnel: 600,000
- Reserves: 3,100,000
- Paramilitary forces: 120,000
- Total population: 51,966,948
- Fit-for-service: 21,306,449
- Military strength score: 0.1416 – #5 out of 145
3. India
Source: BDphoto / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
- Total military personnel: 5,137,550
- Active personnel: 1,455,550
- Reserves: 1,155,000
- Paramilitary forces: 2,527,000
- Total population: 1,399,179,585
- Fit-for-service: 519,095,626
- Military strength score: 0.1023 – #4 out of 145
2. Vietnam
Source: knittymarie / Flickr
- Total military personnel: 5,850,000
- Active personnel: 600,000
- Reserves: 5,000,000
- Paramilitary forces: 250,000
- Total population: 104,799,174
- Fit-for-service: 44,644,448
- Military strength score: 0.3158 – #22 out of 145
1. Bangladesh
Source: Karimphoto / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Total military personnel: 6,963,000
- Active personnel: 163,000
- Reserves: 0
- Paramilitary forces: 6,800,000
- Total population: 167,184,465
- Fit-for-service: 65,536,310
- Military strength score: 0.5419 – #37 out of 145
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