Military · personnel · 2023 data

Which Country Has the Most Army personnel?

China leads the world with 2,545,000 soldiers, followed by India (2,197,117) and Pakistan (1,301,500).

2,545,000

#1 China

17,968,437

World total (145 countries)

42,000

Median country

34%

Share held by the top 3

Top 10

2,545,000

2,197,117

1,301,500

1,010,500

850,000

685,000

420,000

360,000

350,000

300,000

Top 5%
Top 30%
Lower half
None

Army personnel — full ranking

Rank	Country	Army personnel	Share of world
1	China	2,545,000	14.2%
2	India	2,197,117	12.2%
3	Pakistan	1,301,500	7.2%
4	United States	1,010,500	5.6%
5	North Korea	850,000	4.7%
6	Egypt	685,000	3.8%
7	South Korea	420,000	2.3%
8	Russia	360,000	2.0%
9	Iran	350,000	1.9%
10	Indonesia	300,000	1.7%
10	Myanmar	300,000	1.7%
12	Algeria	255,000	1.4%
13	Brazil	235,000	1.3%
14	Eritrea	200,000	1.1%
14	Israel	200,000	1.1%
14	Mexico	200,000	1.1%
14	Türkiye	200,000	1.1%
14	Ukraine	200,000	1.1%
19	Colombia	180,000	1.0%
19	Iraq	180,000	1.0%
19	Thailand	180,000	1.0%
22	Bangladesh	175,000	1.0%
22	Greece	175,000	1.0%
24	Ecuador	160,500	0.9%
25	Japan	150,000	0.8%
25	Morocco	150,000	0.8%
25	Vietnam	150,000	0.8%
28	France	142,000	0.8%
29	DR Congo	140,000	0.8%
29	Jordan	140,000	0.8%
31	Bahrain	130,000	0.7%
32	Austria	125,000	0.7%
33	Venezuela	115,000	0.6%
34	United Kingdom	114,100	0.6%
35	Angola	100,000	0.6%
35	Italy	100,000	0.6%
35	Libya	100,000	0.6%
35	Philippines	100,000	0.6%
35	Sri Lanka	100,000	0.6%
35	Taiwan	100,000	0.6%
41	Denmark	90,000	0.5%
42	Cambodia	85,000	0.5%
42	Peru	85,000	0.5%
44	Chile	80,000	0.4%
44	Malaysia	80,000	0.4%
44	Nigeria	80,000	0.4%
44	Syria	80,000	0.4%
48	Spain	76,000	0.4%
49	Ghana	75,000	0.4%
49	Guatemala	75,000	0.4%
49	Saudi Arabia	75,000	0.4%
52	Argentina	70,500	0.4%
53	Ethiopia	65,000	0.4%
53	Germany	65,000	0.4%
53	Kazakhstan	65,000	0.4%
53	Poland	65,000	0.4%
53	South Sudan	65,000	0.4%
53	Tunisia	65,000	0.4%
59	Lebanon	60,000	0.3%
60	Azerbaijan	55,000	0.3%
60	Bolivia	55,000	0.3%
62	Australia	50,000	0.3%
62	Georgia	50,000	0.3%
62	Honduras	50,000	0.3%
65	Armenia	46,000	0.3%
66	Nepal	45,000	0.3%
66	Oman	45,000	0.3%
66	Singapore	45,000	0.3%
66	Sudan	45,000	0.3%
70	Romania	43,000	0.2%
71	Qatar	42,500	0.2%
72	Canada	42,000	0.2%
72	Finland	42,000	0.2%
74	Cuba	40,000	0.2%
75	Bulgaria	36,000	0.2%
75	South Africa	36,000	0.2%
77	Paraguay	35,000	0.2%
77	Uganda	35,000	0.2%
77	Uzbekistan	35,000	0.2%
77	Yemen	35,000	0.2%
81	Chad	33,250	0.2%
82	Turkmenistan	33,000	0.2%
82	United Arab Emirates	33,000	0.2%
84	Hungary	32,000	0.2%
85	Mongolia	30,500	0.2%
86	Cameroon	30,000	0.2%
86	Dominican Republic	30,000	0.2%
88	Kuwait	25,000	0.1%
88	Mauritania	25,000	0.1%
88	Zimbabwe	25,000	0.1%
91	Netherlands	24,000	0.1%
92	Switzerland	22,000	0.1%
93	Panama	20,500	0.1%
94	Côte d'Ivoire	20,000	0.1%
94	Kenya	20,000	0.1%
94	Laos	20,000	0.1%
94	Nicaragua	20,000	0.1%
94	Norway	20,000	0.1%
99	Uruguay	17,000	0.1%
100	Belarus	16,500	0.1%
101	Portugal	15,500	0.1%
101	Tanzania	15,500	0.1%
103	Somalia	15,000	0.1%
104	El Salvador	14,200	0.1%
105	Serbia	13,200	0.1%
106	Bosnia and Herzegovina	13,000	0.1%
106	Czechia	13,000	0.1%
108	Madagascar	12,500	0.1%
108	Mali	12,500	0.1%
110	Belgium	12,120	0.1%
111	Kyrgyzstan	10,000	0.1%
111	Lithuania	10,000	0.1%
111	Republic of the Congo	10,000	0.1%
111	Senegal	10,000	0.1%
115	Namibia	9,000	0.1%
115	Tajikistan	9,000	0.1%
117	Albania	8,500	0.0%
117	Botswana	8,500	0.0%
117	Niger	8,500	0.0%
117	North Macedonia	8,500	0.0%
117	Zambia	8,500	0.0%
122	Central African Republic	7,500	0.0%
122	Ireland	7,500	0.0%
122	New Zealand	7,500	0.0%
125	Croatia	7,100	0.0%
126	Burkina Faso	7,000	0.0%
126	Latvia	7,000	0.0%
126	Sweden	7,000	0.0%
129	Mozambique	6,500	0.0%
129	Slovakia	6,500	0.0%
131	Estonia	6,100	0.0%
132	Bhutan	5,000	0.0%
132	Gabon	5,000	0.0%
132	Kosovo	5,000	0.0%
132	Sierra Leone	5,000	0.0%
132	Slovenia	5,000	0.0%
137	Benin	4,300	0.0%
138	Moldova	4,000	0.0%
139	Montenegro	2,000	0.0%
140	Belize	1,500	0.0%
140	Liberia	1,500	0.0%
142	Suriname	1,000	0.0%
143	Luxembourg	950	0.0%
144	Afghanistan	0	0.0%
144	Iceland	0	0.0%

About this ranking

This ranking counts ground-force personnel. China leads the world with 2,545,000 soldiers, followed by India (2,197,117) and Pakistan (1,301,500).

The world total is 17,968,437 soldiers. The top three — China, India and Pakistan — hold 34% of it. The median country has 42,000.

2 of the 145 countries in the ranking report none — Iceland, Afghanistan, Luxembourg, Suriname, Liberia and Belize.

Leaders by continent

Asia: China — 2,545,000 (world #1)
Americas: United States — 1,010,500 (world #4)
Africa: Egypt — 685,000 (world #6)
Europe: Russia — 360,000 (world #8)
Oceania: Australia — 50,000 (world #62)

A note on the data

Figures come from the Global Firepower 2023 military strength ranking. Equipment totals are estimates that include units in reserve or storage; readiness — the share actually available — is often much lower.