List of countries by number of military and paramilitary personnel

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This is a list of countries by number of military and paramilitary personnel. It includes any government-sponsored soldiers used to further the domestic and foreign policies of their respective government. The term "country" is used in its most common use, in the sense of state which exercises sovereignty or has limited recognition.

Guide to the list

The list consists of columns that can be sorted by clicking on the appropriate title:

• The names of the states, accompanied by their respective national flags.
• The number of military personnel on active duty that are currently serving full-time in their military capacity.
• The number of military personnel in the reserve forces that are not normally kept under arms, whose role is to be available to mobilize when necessary.
• The number of personnel in paramilitary forces: armed units that are not considered part of a nation's formal military forces.
• The total number of active, reserve, and paramilitary personnel.
• The ratio per thousand inhabitants of total military (active, reserve, and paramilitary).
• The ratio per thousand inhabitants of active military only.

As military forces around the world are constantly changing in size, no definitive list can ever be compiled.

All of the 173 countries listed here, especially those with the highest number of total soldiers such as the two Koreas and Vietnam, include a large number of paramilitaries, civilians and policemen in their reserve personnel. Some countries, such as Italy and Japan, have only volunteers in their armed forces. Other countries, such as Mauritius and Panama, have no national armies, but only a paramilitary force.

Tooth-to-tail ratio

The numbers of military personnel listed include both support personnel (supplies, construction, and contracting) and actual combat personnel. For a typical country, the proportion of this total that comprises actual combat forces is about 26%^{[citation needed]} (so, for every soldier there will be around three support personnel). This proportion is referred to as the "tooth-to-tail ratio".

Some countries have a considerably smaller tooth-to-tail ratio: For example, the United States Armed Forces has a tooth-to-tail ratio of 17%, meaning that for every combat unit there are around five support units.^[1]

List by the International Institute for Strategic Studies

According to International Institute for Strategic Studies

Country	Active military	Reserve military	Paramilitary	Total	Per 1,000 capita (total)	Per 1,000 capita (active)	Ref
Afghanistan	172,000	0	0	172,000	4.3	4.3	[2]
Albania	7,500	0	0	7,500	2.4	2.4	[3]
Algeria	139,000	150,000	187,200	476,200	10.3	3	[4]
Angola	107,000	0	10,000	117,000	3.3	3	[5]
Antigua and Barbuda	200	80	0	280	2.8	2	[6]
Argentina	72,100	0	31,250	103,350	2.2	1.5	[7]
Armenia	42,900	210,000	4,300	257,200	86	14.4	[8][a]
Australia	58,540	21,450	0	79,990	3	2.2	[9]
Austria	22,200	109,200	0	131,400	14.7	2.5	[10]
Azerbaijan	68,200	300,000	15,000	383,200	36	6.4	[11]
Bahamas	1,500	0	0	1,500	3.7	3.7	[12]
Bahrain	8,200	0	11,260	19,460	12.4	5.2	[13]
Bangladesh	171,250	0	63,900	235,150	1.4	1	[14]
Barbados	610	430	0	1,040	3.4	2	[15]
Belarus	48,600	289,500	110,000	448,100	47	5.1	[16]
Belgium	23,500	5,900	0	29,400	2.5	2	[17]
Belize	1,500	700	150	2,350	6.1	3.9	[15]
Benin	12,300	0	4,800	17,100	1.2	0.8	[18]
Bolivia	34,100	0	37,100	71,200	5.8	2.8	[19]
Bosnia and Herzegovina	10,650	6,000	0	16,650	4.4	2.8	[20]
Botswana	9,000	0	0	9,000	3.7	3.7	[21]
Brazil	374,500	1,415,000	395,000	2,184,500	9.9	1.7	[22]
Brunei	7,200	700	450	8,350	17.2	14.8	[23]
Bulgaria	36,950	3,000	0	39,950	5.9	5.4	[24]
Burkina Faso	7,000	0	4,450	11,450	4.7	2.9	[25]
Burundi	30,050	0	1,000	31,050	2.3	2.2	[26]
Cambodia	124,300	0	67,000	191,300	11.3	7.4	[27]
Cameroon	25,400	0	9,000	34,400	1.1	0.8	[28]
Canada	62,300	29,100	5,800	97,200	2.5	1.6	[29]
Cape Verde	1,200	0	0	1,200	2	2	[30]
Central African Republic	9,150	0	1,000	10,150	1.8	1.6	[31]
Chad	33,250	0	11,900	45,150	2.4	1.8	[32]
Chile	68,500	19,100	44,700	132,300	7.1	3.7	[33]
China	2,035,000	510,000	500,000	3,045,000	2.1	1.4	[34]
Colombia	269,000	34,950	165,050	469,000	9.5	5.4	[35]
Costa Rica	0	0	9,950	9,950	1.9	0	[36]
Côte d'Ivoire	27,400	0	0	27,400	0.9	0.9	[37][b]
Croatia	16,800	2,100	0	18,900	4.6	4	[38]
Cuba	49,000	39,000	26,500	114,500	10.4	4.5	[39][c]
Cyprus	12,000	50,000	250	62,250	47.6	9.2	[40]
Czech Republic	26,600	0	0	26,600	2.5	2.5	[41]
Democratic Republic of the Congo	128,350	0	0	128,350	1.1	1.1	[42]
Denmark	13,100	44,200	0	57,300	9.6	2.2	[43]
Djibouti	8,450	0	4,650	13,100	13.4	8.7	[44]
Dominican Republic	56,800	0	15,000	71,800	6.6	5.3	[45]
Ecuador	39,600	118,000	500	158,100	8.6	2.2	[46]
Egypt	438,500	479,000	397,000	1,314,500	11.8	3.9	[47]
El Salvador	2,600	9,900	2,600	15,100	2.3	0.4	[48]
Equatorial Guinea	1,750	0	0	1,750	1	1	[49][d]
Eritrea	301,750	0	0	301,750	47.6	47.6	[50][e]
Estonia	7,100	41,200	21,200	69,500	58.2	5.9	[51]
Ethiopia	503,000	0	0	503,000	4.2	4.2	[52]
Fiji	4,040	6,000	0	10,040	10.6	4.2	[53]
Finland	23,850	233,000	12,000	268,850	47.8	4.2	[54]
France	202,000	38,500	95,100	335,600	4.9	3	[55]
Gabon	4,700	0	2,000	6,700	2.7	1.9	[56]
Gambia	4,100	0	0	4,100	1.6	1.6	[57]
Georgia	20,650	0	5,400	26,050	5.3	4.2	[58]
Germany	179,850	34,100	0	213,950	2.5	2.1	[59]
Ghana	19,000	0	0	19,000	0.5	0.5	[60]
Greece	132,000	289,000	7,400	428,400	41	12.6	[61]
Guatemala	18,050	63,850	25,000	106,900	5.9	1	[62]
Guinea	9,700	0	2,600	12,300	0.9	0.7	[63]
Guinea-Bissau	4,450	0	0	4,450	2.1	2.1	[64]
Guyana	3,400	670	0	4,070	5.1	4.3	[65]
Haiti	700	0	9,000	9,700	0.8	0.1	[66]
Honduras	14,950	60,000	8,000	82,950	8.7	1.6	[67]
Hungary	32,150	20,000	0	52,150	5.3	3.3	[68]
Iceland	0	0	250	250	0.7	0	[69]
India	1,475,750	1,155,000	1,616,050	4,246,800	3	1	[70]
Indonesia	404,500	400,000	290,250	1,094,750	3.9	1.4	[71]
Iran	610,000	350,000	40,000	1,000,000	11.3	6.9	[72][f]
Iraq	193,000	0	266,000	459,000	11.1	4.7	[73]
Ireland	9,500	4,050	0	13,550	2.7	1.9	[69]
Israel	169,500	465,000	8,000	642,500	69.4	18.3	[74]
Italy	161,850	14,500	178,600	354,950	5.8	2.7	[75][g]
Jamaica	5,950	2,580	0	8,530	3	2.1	[76]
Japan	247,150	55,900	14,800	317,850	2.6	2	[77]
Jordan	100,500	65,000	15,000	180,500	16.3	9.1	[78]
Kazakhstan	39,000	0	31,500	70,500	3.5	1.9	[79]
Kenya	24,100	0	5,000	29,100	0.5	0.4	[80]
Kosovo	3,000	0	0	3,000	1.5	1.5	[81]
Kuwait	17,500	23,700	7,100	48,300	15.4	5.6	[82]
Kyrgyzstan	10,900	0	9,500	20,400	3.3	1.8	[83]
Laos	29,100	0	100,000	129,100	16.4	3.7	[84]
Latvia	6,600	16,000	0	22,600	12.5	3.7	[85]
Lebanon	60,000	0	20,000	80,000	15	11.3	[86]
Lesotho	2,000	0	0	2,000	0.9	0.9	[87]
Liberia	2,010	0	0	2,010	0.4	0.4	[88]
Libya	0	0	0	0	0	0	[89][h]
Lithuania	16,100	12,950	18,400	47,450	18.1	6.1	[90]
Luxembourg	900	0	600	1,500	2.2	1.3	[91]
Madagascar	13,500	0	8,100	21,600	0.7	0.5	[92]
Malawi	10,700	0	4,200	14,900	0.8	0.5	[92]
Malaysia	113,000	51,600	267,200	431,800	12.6	3.3	[93][i]
Maldives	4,000	0	0	4,000	10.3	10.3	[94]
Mali	21,000	0	20,000	41,000	1.9	1	[95]
Malta	1,700	260	0	1,960	4.2	3.6	[96]
Mauritania	15,850	0	5,000	20,850	4.8	3.7	[97]
Mauritius	0	0	2,550	2,550	1.9	0	[98]
Mexico	287,000	81,500	136,900	505,400	3.9	2.2	[99]
Moldova	5,150	58,000	900	64,050	17.8	1.4	[100]
Mongolia	9,700	137,000	7,500	154,200	49.7	3.1	[101]
Montenegro	2,885	2,800	4,100	9,785	15.9	4.7	[102]
Morocco	195,800	150,000	50,000	395,800	10.7	5.3	[103]
Mozambique	11,200	0	0	11,200	0.3	0.3	[104]
Myanmar	134,000	0	70,000	204,000	3.5	2.3	[105]
Namibia	11,600	0	6,000	17,600	6.3	4.1	[106]
Nepal	96,600	0	15,000	111,600	3.6	3.1	[107]
Netherlands	33,650	6,350	6,800	46,800	2.6	1.9	[108]
New Zealand	8,700	3,270	0	11,970	2.3	1.7	[109]
Nicaragua	12,000	0	0	12,000	1.8	1.8	[110]
Niger	39,100	0	48,000	87,100	3.3	1.5	[111]
Nigeria	143,000	0	80,000	223,000	1	0.6	[112]
North Korea	1,280,000	600,000	5,700,000	7,580,000	288.2	48.7	[113][j]
North Macedonia	8,000	4,850	7,600	20,450	9.6	3.7	[114]
Norway	25,400	40,000	0	65,400	11.9	4.6	[115]
Oman	42,600	0	4,400	47,000	12.3	11.1	[116]
Pakistan	660,000	550,000	291,000	1,501,000	5.9	2.6	[117]
Palestine	0	0	0	0	0	0	[118][k]
Panama	0	0	27,700	27,700	6.2	0	[119]
Papua New Guinea	4,000	0	0	4,000	0.4	0.4	[120]
Paraguay	13,950	164,500	14,800	193,250	26	1.9	[121]
Peru	81,000	188,000	77,000	346,000	10.7	2.5	[122]
Philippines	146,250	131,000	80,700	357,950	3	1.2	[123]
Poland	164,100	37,500	14,300	215,900	5.6	4.2	[124]
Portugal	26,050	23,500	22,820	72,370	7.1	2.5	[125]
Qatar	16,500	0	5,000	21,500	8.4	6.5	[126]
Republic of the Congo	10,000	0	3,500	13,500	2.7	2	[127]
Romania	69,900	55,000	57,000	181,900	10	3.9	[128]
Russia	1,134,000	1,500,000	569,000	3,203,000	22.7	8.1	[129]
Rwanda	33,000	0	2,000	35,000	2.6	2.4	[130]
Saudi Arabia	257,000	0	24,500	281,500	7.7	7	[131]
Senegal	13,600	0	5,000	18,600	1	0.7	[132]
Serbia	28,150	50,150	3,700	82,000	12.3	4.2	[133]
Seychelles	420	0	0	420	4.3	4.3	[134]
Sierra Leone	8,500	0	0	8,500	1.3	1.3	[134]
Singapore	51,000	252,500	7,400	310,900	52	8.5	[135]
Slovakia	15,850	0	0	15,850	2.9	2.9	[81]
Slovenia	6,200	950	0	7,150	3.4	3	[136]
Somalia	13,900	0	0	13,900	1.1	1.1	[137]
South Africa	69,200	15,050	0	84,250	1.4	1.1	[138]
South Korea	500,000	3,100,000	3,013,500	6,613,500	127	9.6	[139]
South Sudan	90,000	0	0	90,000	7.4	7.4	[140]
Spain	122,200	13,800	87,450	223,450	4.7	2.6	[141]
Sri Lanka	262,500	5,500	94,050	362,050	16.5	11.9	[142]
Sudan	104,300	0	60,000	164,300	3.3	2.1	[143]
Suriname	1,840	0	0	1,840	2.8	2.8	[144]
Sweden	14,850	21,500	21,500	57,850	5.5	1.4	[145]
Switzerland	21,300	196,450	0	217,750	24.8	2.4	[146]
Syria	0	0	0	0	0	0	[147][l]
Taiwan	169,000	1,657,000	11,800	1,837,800	77.9	7.2	[148]
Tajikistan	8,800	20,000	7,500	36,300	3.5	0.8	[149]
Tanzania	27,000	80,000	1,400	108,400	1.6	0.4	[150]
Thailand	360,850	200,000	138,700	699,550	10	5.2	[151]
Timor-Leste	2,250	0	0	2,250	1.5	1.5	[152]
Togo	13,750	0	5,000	18,750	2.1	1.5	[153]
Trinidad and Tobago	4,050	0	0	4,050	3.3	3.3	[144]
Tunisia	35,800	0	12,000	47,800	4	3	[154]
Turkey	355,200	378,700	160,800	894,700	10.6	4.2	[155]
Turkmenistan	36,500	0	20,000	56,500	9.8	6.4	[156]
Uganda	45,000	10,000	1,400	56,400	1.1	0.9	[157]
Ukraine	730,000	0	260,000	990,000	27.8	20.5	[158]
United Arab Emirates	63,000	0	0	63,000	6.3	6.3	[159]
United Kingdom	141,100	70,450	0	211,550	3.1	2.1	[160]
United States	1,315,600	797,200	0	2,112,800	6.2	3.8	[161]
Uruguay	21,100	0	1,400	22,500	6.6	6.2	[162]
Uzbekistan	48,000	0	20,000	68,000	1.9	1.3	[163]
Venezuela	123,000	8,000	220,000	351,000	11.5	4	[164]
Vietnam	450,000	5,000,000	40,000	5,490,000	51.9	4.3	[165]
Yemen	40,000	0	0	40,000	1.3	1.3	[166]
Zambia	17,100	3,000	1,400	21,500	1	0.8	[167]
Zimbabwe	29,000	0	21,800	50,800	3	1.7	[168]

Not included in the list are the militaries of Abkhazia, Bhutan, Comoros, Eswatini, Monaco, Northern Cyprus, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Saint Kitts and Nevis, San Marino, São Tomé and Príncipe, Somaliland, South Ossetia, and Tonga.

See also

• List of countries by level of military equipment
• List of countries by military expenditures
• List of countries by military expenditure per capita
• List of countries by Global Militarization Index
• List of countries without armed forces
• List of militaries by country
• List of militaries that recruit foreigners
• List of countries that prohibit paramilitary organizations outside government armed forces
• List of countries and dependencies by number of police officers

Notes

References

Bibliography

• International Institute for Strategic Studies (3 February 2010). The Military Balance 2010. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-1-857-43557-3.
• International Institute for Strategic Studies (2 March 2011). The Military Balance 2011. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-1-85-743606-8.
• International Institute for Strategic Studies (7 March 2012). The Military Balance 2012. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-1-85-743642-6.
• International Institute for Strategic Studies (14 March 2013). The Military Balance 2013. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-1-85-743680-8.
• International Institute for Strategic Studies (3 February 2014). The Military Balance 2014. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-1-85-743722-5.
• International Institute for Strategic Studies (14 February 2018). The Military Balance 2018. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-1-85-743-955-7.
• International Institute for Strategic Studies (15 February 2019). The Military Balance 2019. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-1-857-43988-5.
• International Institute for Strategic Studies (14 February 2020). The Military Balance 2020. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-367-46639-8.
• International Institute for Strategic Studies (25 February 2021). The Military Balance 2021. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-1-032-01227-8.
• International Institute for Strategic Studies (13 February 2024). The Military Balance 2024. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-1-032-78004-7.
• International Institute for Strategic Studies (12 February 2025). The Military Balance 2025. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-1-003-63076-0.

Further reading

• Cordesman, Anthony; Fitzgerald, Erin (27 August 2009). The 2010 Quadriennal Defense Review (PDF). Center for Strategic and International Studies. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 August 2010. Retrieved 31 August 2010.
• Cordesman, Anthony; Nerguizian, Aram (22 April 2010). The Gulf Military Balance in 2010 (PDF). Center for Strategic and International Studies. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 August 2010. Retrieved 31 August 2010.
• Cordesman, Anthony; Nerguizian, Aram (29 June 2010). The Arab-Israeli Military Balance. Center for Strategic and International Studies. ISBN 978-0275969394.