Ranking · Military
Largest armies in the world
China has the world's largest active military, with about 2 million troops. India is second with 1.5 million. The United States, North Korea and Russia each have about 1.3 million. North Korea draws its army from a population of only 26 million, about one in every 20 people.
- Under 200,000
- 200,000–400,000
- 400,000–1 million
- 1 million–1.5 million
- Over 1.5 million
- Not in this ranking
| # | Country | Active troops |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  China |
2,035,000 |
| 2 |  India |
1,500,700 |
| 3 |  United States |
1,340,150 |
| 4 |  North Korea |
1,280,000 |
| 5 |  Russia |
1,264,000 |
| 6 |  Ukraine |
677,000 |
| 7 |  Pakistan |
660,000 |
| 8 |  Iran |
610,000 |
| 9 |  Ethiopia |
503,000 |
| 10 |  South Korea |
450,000 |
| 11 |  Vietnam |
450,000 |
| 12 |  Egypt |
438,500 |
| 13 |  Indonesia |
433,700 |
| 14 |  Brazil |
374,500 |
| 15 |  Thailand |
360,850 |
| 16 |  Turkey |
355,200 |
| 17 |  Eritrea |
301,750 |
| 18 |  Mexico |
301,000 |
| 19 |  Colombia |
285,000 |
| 20 |  Sri Lanka |
260,450 |
| 21 |  Saudi Arabia |
257,000 |
| 22 |  Japan |
247,150 |
| 23 |  France |
203,900 |
| 24 |  Morocco |
195,800 |
| 25 |  Iraq |
193,000 |
| 26 |  Germany |
179,850 |
| 27 |  Poland |
173,000 |
| 28 |  Afghanistan |
172,000 |
| 29 |  Bangladesh |
171,250 |
| 30 |  Taiwan |
170,600 |
| 31 |  Israel |
169,500 |
| 32 |  Philippines |
162,450 |
| 33 |  Italy |
160,400 |
| 34 |  Nigeria |
143,000 |
| 35 |  United Kingdom |
141,100 |
| 36 |  Algeria |
139,000 |
| 37 |  Myanmar |
134,000 |
| 38 |  Greece |
131,650 |
| 39 |  Cambodia |
124,300 |
| 40 |  Venezuela |
123,000 |
| 41 |  Spain |
122,200 |
Why they rank where they do
-
China
China's military has shrunk from over 4 million troops in the early 1980s. A 2015 reform alone cut 300,000. China has not fought a major war since invading Vietnam in 1979.
-
India
India deploys most of its army along two hostile borders, with Pakistan and with China. Counting about 1.6 million paramilitary personnel and over a million reservists, India has more than 4 million people in uniform.
-
United States
The United States has far fewer troops than during the Cold War but operates the only military that can move and supply large forces anywhere on Earth.
-
North Korea
North Korean men serve for up to a decade. Much of the force is poorly fed and equipped, and thousands of North Korean soldiers have fought for Russia in Ukraine.
-
Pakistan
Pakistan's army has ruled the country directly for more than three decades since 1947 and shaped every civilian government in between. Most of Pakistan's strength faces India.
-
Iran
Iran runs two separate militaries. The regular army defends the borders. The Revolutionary Guards defend the regime, run the missile and drone programs, and direct allied militias across the region.
-
Eritrea
Eritrea, a country of about 3.6 million, keeps an army of around 300,000 through open-ended national service, which drives thousands of young Eritreans to flee every year.
-
Japan
Japan's constitution renounces war, so its armed forces are officially the Self-Defense Forces. Japan is carrying out its biggest military buildup since 1945 but struggles to recruit in an aging society.
How large is Ukraine's army?
Ukraine's active military has grown to about 677,000 troops. Before the war, Ukraine had a peacetime army of about 200,000. Mobilization expanded the force into one of the largest in Europe. The IISS estimate of 677,000 is below the roughly 880,000 that Kyiv has cited. Replacing exhausted troops at the front is the hardest problem Ukraine's military faces.
Do these numbers include reserve forces?
No. These figures cover active-duty troops only, as estimated by the IISS Military Balance. Reservists and paramilitary forces are excluded. That means countries built on reserves, like Israel, Taiwan and South Korea, look smaller than their wartime strength. South Korea has about 450,000 active troops but more than 3 million men in its reserve.
How big is Russia's army?
Russia has about 1.26 million active troops, making it the fifth largest military. Putin has set a target of 1.5 million uniformed personnel, but actual strength lags behind the decrees. Russia fills its ranks with contract soldiers paid record signing bonuses, convicts and foreign recruits to replace heavy losses in Ukraine.
