Rankings · Military

Armed forces

Total active armed-forces personnel.

Nations ranked
166
Highest
3.1 m
Lowest
0
Observed
2000–2020

The ten highest

Bars are drawn to the highest value in the table. Highest, not best: this page orders figures, it does not grade nations.

  1. 1🇮🇳India

    3.1 m  ·  observed 2020

  2. 2🇨🇳China

    2.5 m  ·  observed 2020

  3. 3🇰🇵North Korea

    1.5 m  ·  observed 2020

  4. 4🇷🇺Russia

    1.5 m  ·  observed 2020

  5. 5🇺🇸United States

    1.4 m  ·  observed 2020

  6. 6🇵🇰Pakistan

    943,000  ·  observed 2020

  7. 7🇪🇬Egypt

    836,000  ·  observed 2020

  8. 8🇧🇷Brazil

    762,000  ·  observed 2020

  9. 9🇮🇩Indonesia

    676,000  ·  observed 2020

  10. 10🇮🇷Iran

    650,000  ·  observed 2020

Every nation with data

Figures are people. This table mixes vintages: each publisher carries a nation’s latest available year, so the observations here run from 2000 to 2020 — every row shows its own.

  1. 1🇮🇳India3.1 m · 2020
  2. 2🇨🇳China2.5 m · 2020
  3. 3🇰🇵North Korea1.5 m · 2020
  4. 4🇷🇺Russia1.5 m · 2020
  5. 5🇺🇸United States1.4 m · 2020
  6. 6🇵🇰Pakistan943,000 · 2020
  7. 7🇪🇬Egypt836,000 · 2020
  8. 8🇧🇷Brazil762,000 · 2020
  9. 9🇮🇩Indonesia676,000 · 2020
  10. 10🇮🇷Iran650,000 · 2020
  11. 11🇰🇷South Korea569,000 · 2020
  12. 12🇻🇳Vietnam522,000 · 2020
  13. 13🇹🇷Türkiye512,000 · 2020
  14. 14🇲🇲Myanmar463,000 · 2020
  15. 15🇮🇶Iraq459,000 · 2020
  16. 16🇹🇭Thailand455,000 · 2020
  17. 17🇨🇴Colombia428,000 · 2020
  18. 18🇻🇪Venezuela343,000 · 2020
  19. 19🇲🇽Mexico341,000 · 2020
  20. 20🇮🇹Italy338,000 · 2020
  21. 21🇩🇿Algeria326,000 · 2020
  22. 22🇱🇰Sri Lanka317,000 · 2020
  23. 23🇫🇷France304,000 · 2020
  24. 24🇺🇦Ukraine298,000 · 2020
  25. 25🇸🇦Saudi Arabia282,000 · 2020
  26. 26🇸🇾Syria269,000 · 2020
  27. 27🇯🇵Japan261,000 · 2020
  28. 28🇲🇦Morocco246,000 · 2020
  29. 29🇧🇩Bangladesh227,000 · 2020
  30. 30🇳🇬Nigeria223,000 · 2020
  31. 31🇪🇷Eritrea202,000 · 2020
  32. 32🇪🇸Spain199,000 · 2020
  33. 33🇰🇭Cambodia191,000 · 2020
  34. 34🇵🇱Poland189,000 · 2020
  35. 35🇩🇪Germany183,000 · 2020
  36. 36🇦🇫Afghanistan165,000 · 2020
  37. 37🇧🇾Belarus158,000 · 2020
  38. 37🇵🇪Peru158,000 · 2020
  39. 39🇵🇭Philippines157,000 · 2020
  40. 40🇬🇧United Kingdom153,000 · 2020
  41. 41🇬🇷Greece147,000 · 2020
  42. 42🇸🇩Sudan144,000 · 2020
  43. 43🇪🇹Ethiopia138,000 · 2020
  44. 44🇲🇾Malaysia136,000 · 2020
  45. 45🇨🇩DR Congo134,000 · 2020
  46. 46🇱🇦Laos129,000 · 2020
  47. 47🇷🇴Romania128,000 · 2020
  48. 48🇦🇴Angola117,000 · 2020
  49. 49🇯🇴Jordan116,000 · 2020
  50. 50🇨🇱Chile114,000 · 2020
  51. 51🇳🇵Nepal112,000 · 2020
  52. 52🇦🇷Argentina103,000 · 2020
  53. 53🇿🇦South Africa89,000 · 2020
  54. 54🇦🇿Azerbaijan82,000 · 2020
  55. 55🇱🇧Lebanon80,000 · 2020
  56. 56🇨🇺Cuba76,000 · 2020
  57. 57🇨🇦Canada72,000 · 2020
  58. 58🇧🇴Bolivia71,000 · 2020
  59. 58🇩🇴Dominican Republic71,000 · 2020
  60. 58🇰🇿Kazakhstan71,000 · 2020
  61. 61🇺🇿Uzbekistan68,000 · 2020
  62. 62🇦🇪United Arab Emirates63,000 · 2020
  63. 63🇦🇺Australia60,000 · 2020
  64. 64🇹🇲Turkmenistan57,000 · 2020
  65. 65🇸🇸South Sudan53,000 · 2020
  66. 66🇵🇹Portugal52,000 · 2020
  67. 67🇿🇼Zimbabwe51,000 · 2020
  68. 68🇹🇳Tunisia48,000 · 2020
  69. 69🇦🇲Armenia47,000 · 2020
  70. 69🇴🇲Oman47,000 · 2020
  71. 71🇭🇺Hungary46,000 · 2020
  72. 71🇺🇬Uganda46,000 · 2020
  73. 73🇹🇩Chad45,000 · 2020
  74. 74🇬🇹Guatemala43,000 · 2020
  75. 75🇪🇨Ecuador42,000 · 2020
  76. 75🇸🇻El Salvador42,000 · 2020
  77. 77🇲🇱Mali41,000 · 2020
  78. 77🇳🇱Netherlands41,000 · 2020
  79. 79🇾🇪Yemen40,000 · 2020
  80. 80🇧🇬Bulgaria37,000 · 2020
  81. 80🇱🇹Lithuania37,000 · 2020
  82. 82🇷🇼Rwanda35,000 · 2020
  83. 83🇨🇲Cameroon34,000 · 2020
  84. 84🇷🇸Serbia32,000 · 2020
  85. 85🇧🇮Burundi31,000 · 2020
  86. 86🇵🇾Paraguay29,000 · 2020
  87. 87🇵🇦Panama28,000 · 2020
  88. 87🇹🇿Tanzania28,000 · 2020
  89. 89🇨🇿Czechia27,000 · 2020
  90. 89🇨🇮Ivory Coast27,000 · 2020
  91. 91🇬🇪Georgia26,000 · 2020
  92. 92🇰🇼Kuwait25,000 · 2020
  93. 92🇳🇴Norway25,000 · 2020
  94. 94🇧🇪Belgium24,000 · 2020
  95. 94🇰🇪Kenya24,000 · 2020
  96. 96🇦🇹Austria23,000 · 2020
  97. 96🇭🇳Honduras23,000 · 2020
  98. 98🇫🇮Finland22,000 · 2020
  99. 98🇲🇬Madagascar22,000 · 2020
  100. 98🇶🇦Qatar22,000 · 2020
  101. 98🇺🇾Uruguay22,000 · 2020
  102. 102🇰🇬Kyrgyzstan21,000 · 2020
  103. 102🇲🇷Mauritania21,000 · 2020
  104. 104🇭🇷Croatia20,000 · 2020
  105. 104🇨🇭Switzerland20,000 · 2020
  106. 106🇸🇳Senegal19,000 · 2020
  107. 107🇲🇳Mongolia18,000 · 2020
  108. 107🇸🇰Slovakia18,000 · 2020
  109. 109🇹🇯Tajikistan17,000 · 2020
  110. 110🇬🇭Ghana16,000 · 2020
  111. 110🇳🇦Namibia16,000 · 2020
  112. 110🇲🇰North Macedonia16,000 · 2020
  113. 110🇿🇲Zambia16,000 · 2020
  114. 114🇩🇰Denmark15,000 · 2020
  115. 114🇲🇼Malawi15,000 · 2020
  116. 114🇸🇪Sweden15,000 · 2020
  117. 117🇸🇴Somalia14,000 · 2020
  118. 118🇨🇾Cyprus13,000 · 2020
  119. 118🇩🇯Djibouti13,000 · 2020
  120. 118🇬🇳Guinea13,000 · 2020
  121. 121🇧🇯Benin12,000 · 2020
  122. 121🇨🇬Congo12,000 · 2020
  123. 121🇲🇪Montenegro12,000 · 2020
  124. 121🇳🇮Nicaragua12,000 · 2020
  125. 125🇧🇦Bosnia and Herzegovina11,000 · 2020
  126. 125🇧🇫Burkina Faso11,000 · 2020
  127. 125🇲🇿Mozambique11,000 · 2020
  128. 128🇨🇫Central African Republic10,000 · 2020
  129. 128🇨🇷Costa Rica10,000 · 2020
  130. 128🇳🇿New Zealand10,000 · 2020
  131. 128🇳🇪Niger10,000 · 2020
  132. 128🇹🇬Togo10,000 · 2020
  133. 133🇧🇼Botswana9,000 · 2020
  134. 133🇮🇪Ireland9,000 · 2020
  135. 133🇱🇻Latvia9,000 · 2020
  136. 133🇸🇱Sierra Leone9,000 · 2020
  137. 137🇦🇱Albania8,000 · 2020
  138. 137🇧🇳Brunei8,000 · 2020
  139. 139🇪🇪Estonia7,000 · 2020
  140. 139🇬🇦Gabon7,000 · 2020
  141. 139🇸🇮Slovenia7,000 · 2020
  142. 142🇧🇹Bhutan6,000 · 2000
  143. 142🇯🇲Jamaica6,000 · 2020
  144. 142🇲🇩Moldova6,000 · 2020
  145. 145🇹🇹Trinidad and Tobago5,000 · 2020
  146. 146🇫🇯Fiji4,000 · 2020
  147. 146🇬🇲Gambia4,000 · 2020
  148. 146🇬🇼Guinea-Bissau4,000 · 2020
  149. 146🇵🇬Papua New Guinea4,000 · 2020
  150. 150🇬🇾Guyana3,000 · 2020
  151. 150🇲🇺Mauritius3,000 · 2020
  152. 152🇧🇸Bahamas2,000 · 2020
  153. 152🇧🇿Belize2,000 · 2020
  154. 152🇱🇸Lesotho2,000 · 2020
  155. 152🇱🇷Liberia2,000 · 2020
  156. 152🇲🇹Malta2,000 · 2020
  157. 152🇸🇷Suriname2,000 · 2020
  158. 152🇹🇱Timor-Leste2,000 · 2020
  159. 159🇨🇻Cape Verde1,000 · 2020
  160. 159🇬🇶Equatorial Guinea1,000 · 2020
  161. 159🇭🇹Haiti1,000 · 2020
  162. 159🇱🇺Luxembourg1,000 · 2020
  163. 163🇮🇸Iceland0 · 2020
  164. 163🇱🇾Libya0 · 2020
  165. 163🇵🇸Palestine0 · 2020
  166. 163🇸🇨Seychelles0 · 2020

No data

20 nations publish no figure for this indicator in the sources below. Absence is a fact about the world’s statistical apparatus, not a zero — these nations are not ranked.