These are the largest armed forces in the world ranked by active military personnel, 2024
As of March 2024, China had the largest number of active military personnel in the world, with approximately 2.03 million active soldiers. The next four largest armies were India with 1.45 million, the United States with 1.32 million, Russia with 1.31 million, and North Korea with 1.28 million active soldiers. Active personnel, also known as active duty in the United States and active service in the United Kingdom, are those individuals whose full-time occupation is being a part of a military force.
The size and strength of a nation’s military is a crucial factor in determining its global influence and security. This report explores the military landscape of different nations, delving into which ones have the most extensive armies and the factors that contribute to their strength. We’ll cover nations from different continents, including Ukraine, Pakistan, Iran, South Korea, and Vietnam. Each of these countries maintains an active military force of 900,000, 654,000, 610,000, 600,000, and 580,000 personnel, respectively.
Largest armed forces in the world, 2024
| Rank | Country | Active Soldiers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | 2,035,000 |
| 2 | India | 1,455,550 |
| 3 | United States | 1,328,000 |
| 4 | Russia | 1,310,000 |
| 5 | North Korea | 1,280,000 |
| 6 | Ukraine | 900,000 |
| 7 | Pakistan | 654,000 |
| 8 | Iran | 610,000 |
| 9 | South Korea | 600,000 |
| 10 | Vietnam | 580,000 |
| 11 | Egypt | 440,000 |
| 12 | Mexico | 412,000 |
| 13 | Indonesia | 400,000 |
| 14 | Thailand | 360,850 |
| 15 | Brazil | 360,000 |
| 16 | Turkiye | 355,200 |
| 17 | Sri Lanka | 346,000 |
| 18 | Algeria | 325,000 |
| 19 | Colombia | 293,200 |
| 20 | Saudi Arabia | 257,000 |
| 21 | Japan | 247,150 |
| 22 | Nigeria | 230,000 |
| 23 | Cambodia | 221,000 |
| 24 | Taiwan | 215,000 |
| 25 | Poland | 202,100 |
| 26 | France | 200,000 |
| 27 | Morocco | 195,800 |
| 28 | Iraq | 193,000 |
| 29 | South Sudan | 185,000 |
| 30 | United Kingdom | 184,860 |
| 31 | Germany | 181,600 |
| 32 | Israel | 170,000 |
| 33 | Syria | 170,000 |
| 34 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 166,580 |
| 35 | Italy | 165,500 |
| 36 | Bangladesh | 163,000 |
| 37 | Ethiopia | 162,000 |
| 38 | Myanmar | 150,000 |
| 39 | Philippines | 150,000 |
| 40 | Greece | 142,700 |
| 41 | Spain | 133,282 |
| 42 | Azerbaijan | 126,400 |
| 43 | Eritrea | 120,000 |
| 44 | Peru | 120,000 |
| 45 | Malaysia | 113,000 |
| 46 | Kazakhstan | 110,000 |
| 47 | Venezuela | 109,000 |
| 48 | Argentina | 108,000 |
| 49 | Angola | 107,000 |
| 50 | Guatemala | 106,114 |
| 51 | Switzerland | 101,584 |
| 52 | Jordan | 100,500 |
| 53 | Laos | 100,000 |
| 54 | Nepal | 95,000 |
| 55 | Sudan | 92,000 |
| 56 | Tunisia | 89,800 |
| 57 | Romania | 81,300 |
| 58 | Chile | 80,000 |
| 59 | Kuwait | 72,000 |
| 60 | South Africa | 71,235 |
| 61 | Canada | 68,000 |
| 62 | Yemen | 66,700 |
| 63 | Qatar | 66,550 |
| 64 | United Arab Emirates | 65,000 |
| 65 | Belarus | 63,000 |
| 66 | Lebanon | 60,000 |
| 67 | Armenia | 57,500 |
| 68 | Australia | 57,350 |
| 69 | Georgia | 55,000 |
| 70 | Honduras | 52,225 |
| 71 | Singapore | 51,000 |
| 72 | Kenya | 50,000 |
| 73 | Dominican Republic | 50,000 |
| 74 | Uzbekistan | 48,000 |
| 75 | Cuba | 45,500 |
| 76 | Nicaragua | 45,000 |
| 77 | Uganda | 45,000 |
| 78 | Oman | 42,600 |
| 79 | Hungary | 41,600 |
| 80 | Netherlands | 41,380 |
| 81 | Ecuador | 41,250 |
| 82 | Cameroon | 40,000 |
| 83 | Bolivia | 40,000 |
| 84 | Mali | 40,000 |
| 85 | Bulgaria | 37,000 |
| 86 | Turkmenistan | 36,500 |
| 87 | Mongolia | 35,000 |
| 88 | Chad | 33,250 |
| 89 | Libya | 32,000 |
| 90 | Mauritania | 31,540 |
| 91 | Zimbabwe | 29,000 |
| 92 | Czechia | 28,000 |
| 93 | Tanzania | 27,000 |
| 94 | Niger | 25,000 |
| 95 | Serbia | 25,000 |
| 96 | El Salvador | 25,000 |
| 97 | Belgium | 25,000 |
| 98 | Uruguay | 25,000 |
| 99 | Sweden | 24,400 |
| 100 | Portugal | 24,000 |
| 101 | Finland | 24,000 |
| 102 | Norway | 23,250 |
| 103 | Kyrgyzstan | 23,000 |
| 104 | Lithuania | 23,000 |
| 105 | Ivory Coast | 22,000 |
| 106 | Botswana | 21,000 |
| 107 | Denmark | 20,000 |
| 108 | Slovakia | 19,500 |
| 109 | Bahrain | 18,400 |
| 110 | Latvia | 17,250 |
| 111 | Senegal | 17,000 |
| 112 | Austria | 16,000 |
| 113 | Paraguay | 15,650 |
| 114 | Ghana | 15,500 |
| 115 | Zambia | 15,150 |
| 116 | Somalia | 15,000 |
| 117 | Croatia | 14,325 |
| 118 | Madagascar | 13,500 |
| 119 | Namibia | 13,000 |
| 120 | Sierra Leone | 13,000 |
| 121 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 12,770 |
| 122 | Burkina Faso | 12,000 |
| 123 | Mozambique | 11,200 |
| 124 | Kosovo | 10,000 |
| 125 | Central African Republic | 10,000 |
| 126 | Tajikistan | 9,500 |
| 127 | North Macedonia | 9,000 |
| 128 | New Zealand | 8,670 |
| 129 | Republic of the Congo | 8,500 |
| 130 | Moldova | 8,500 |
| 131 | Ireland | 7,765 |
| 132 | Estonia | 7,700 |
| 133 | Bhutan | 7,500 |
| 134 | Slovenia | 7,300 |
| 135 | Albania | 6,600 |
| 136 | Gabon | 4,800 |
| 137 | Benin | 4,750 |
| 138 | Montenegro | 2,350 |
| 139 | Suriname | 2,000 |
| 140 | Beliz | 1,650 |
| 141 | Liberia | 1,500 |
| 142 | Luxembourg | 1,000 |
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