List of countries by number of military and paramilitary personnel

Encyclopedia

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.

Many of the 171 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% (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.

Countries by military per capita

List by the International Institute for Strategic Studies

The following list is sourced from the 2019 edition of “The Military Balance” published annually by the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

Flag Country Active military Reserve military Paramilitary Total Per 1,000 capita
(total)		 Per 1,000 capita
(active)
Afghanistan Afghanistan 180,900 0 91,600 272,500 7.8 5.2
Albania Albania 8,000 0 0 8,000 2.6 2.6
Algeria Algeria 130,000 150,000 187,200 467,200 11.2 3.1
Angola Angola 107,000 0 10,000 117,000 3.9 3.5
Antigua and Barbuda Antigua and Barbuda 180 80 0 260 2.7 1.9
Argentina Argentina 74,200 0 31,250 105,450 2.4 1.7
Armenia Armenia 44,800 210,000 4,300 259,100 85.3 14.7
Australia Australia 57,200 21,050 0 78,250 3.3 2.4
Austria Austria 22,850 143,800 0 166,650 19 2.6
Azerbaijan Azerbaijan 66,950 300,000 15,000 381,950 38 6.7
The Bahamas Bahamas 1,300 0 0 1,300 3.9 3.9
Bahrain Bahrain 8,200 0 11,260 19,460 13.5 5.7
Bangladesh Bangladesh 163,050 0 63,900 226,950 1.4 1
Barbados Barbados 610 430 0 1,040 3.6 2.1
Belarus Belarus 45,350 289,500 110,000 444,850 46.7 4.8
Belgium Belgium 26,300 5,100 0 31,400 2.7 2.3
Belize Belize 1,500 700 150 2,350 6.1 3.9
Benin Benin 7,250 0 4,800 12,050 1.1 0.6
Bolivia Bolivia 34,100 0 37,100 71,200 6.3 3
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina 10,500 0 0 10,500 2.7 2.7
Botswana Botswana 9,000 0 0 9,000 4 4
Brazil Brazil 366,500 1,340,000 395,000 2,101,500 10.1 1.8
Brunei Brunei 7,200 700 450 8,350 18.5 16
Bulgaria Bulgaria 36,950 3,000 0 39,950 5.7 5.2
Burkina Faso Burkina Faso 11,200 0 250 11,450 0.6 0.6
Burundi Burundi 30,050 0 21,000 51,050 4.3 2.5
Cambodia Cambodia 124,300 0 67,000 191,300 11.6 7.6
Cameroon Cameroon 25,400 0 9,000 34,400 1.3 1
Canada Canada 67,400 35,600 4,500 107,500 3 1.9
Cape Verde Cape Verde 1,200 0 0 1,200 2.1 2.1
Central African Republic Central African Republic 9,150 0 1,000 10,150 1.8 1.6
Chad Chad 33,250 0 4,500 37,750 2.4 2.1
Chile Chile 77,200 40,000 44,700 161,900 9 4.3
China China 2,035,000 510,000 660,000 3,205,000 2.3 1.5
Colombia Colombia 293,200 34,950 187,900 516,050 10.7 6.1
Costa Rica Costa Rica 0 0 9,800 9,800 2 0
Ivory Coast Côte d’Ivoire 27,400 0 0 27,400 1 1
Croatia Croatia 15,200 18,350 3,000 36,550 8.6 3.6
Cuba Cuba 49,000 39,000 1,146,500 1,234,500 110.9 4.4
Cyprus Cyprus 15,000 50,000 750 65,750 53.1 12.1
Czech Republic Czech Republic 21,750 0 0 21,750 2 2
Democratic Republic of the Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo 134,250 0 0 134,250 1.6 1.6
Denmark Denmark 14,500 44,000 0 58,500 10.1 2.5
Djibouti Djibouti 10,450 0 2,650 13,100 14.8 11.8
Dominican Republic Dominican Republic 56,050 0 15,000 71,050 6.9 5.4
East Timor East Timor 2,280 0 0 2,280 1.7 1.7
Ecuador Ecuador 40,250 118,000 500 158,750 9.6 2.4
Egypt Egypt 438,500 479,000 397,000 1,314,500 13.2 4.4
El Salvador El Salvador 24,500 9,900 17,000 51,400 8.3 4
Equatorial Guinea Equatorial Guinea 1,450 0 0 1,450 1.8 1.8
Eritrea Eritrea 201,750 120,000 0 321,750 53.9 33.8
Estonia Estonia 6,600 12,000 15,800 34,400 27.6 5.3
Ethiopia Ethiopia 138,000 0 0 138,000 1.3 1.3
Fiji Fiji 3,500 6,000 0 9,500 10.3 3.8
Finland Finland 21,500 216,000 14,200 251,700 45.5 3.9
France France 203,900 36,300 143,400 383,600 5.7 3
Gabon Gabon 4,700 0 2,000 6,700 3.2 2.2
The Gambia Gambia 800 0 0 800 0.4 0.4
Georgia (country) Georgia 20,650 0 5,400 26,050 5.3 4.2
Germany Germany 179,400 28,250 0 207,650 2.6 2.2
Ghana Ghana 15,500 0 0 15,500 0.6 0.6
Greece Greece 143,850 221,600 4,000 369,450 34.3 13.4
Guatemala Guatemala 18,050 63,850 25,000 106,900 6.4 1.1
Guinea Guinea 9,700 0 2,600 12,300 1 0.8
Guinea-Bissau Guinea-Bissau 4,450 0 0 4,450 2.4 2.4
Guyana Guyana 3,400 670 0 4,070 5.5 4.6
Haiti Haiti 150 0 50 200 0 0
Honduras Honduras 14,950 60,000 8,000 82,950 9 1.6
Hungary Hungary 27,800 20,000 12,000 59,800 6.1 2.8
Iceland Iceland 0 0 250 250 0.7 0
India India 1,455,550 1,155,000 2,526,950 5,137,500 4 1.1
Indonesia Indonesia 395,500 400,000 280,000 1,075,500 4.1 1.5
Iran Iran 610,000 350,000 40,000 1,000,000 12 7.3
Iraq Iraq 193,000 0 145,000 338,000 8.4 4.8
Republic of Ireland Ireland 9,500 4,050 0 13,550 2.7 1.9
Israel Israel 169,500 465,000 8,000 642,500 76.3 20.1
Italy Italy 171,050 18,300 175,750 365,100 5.9 2.7
Jamaica Jamaica 3,950 980 0 4,930 1.8 1.4
Japan Japan 247,150 56,000 14,000 317,150 2.5 2
Jordan Jordan 100,500 65,000 15,000 180,500 17.3 9.6
Kazakhstan Kazakhstan 39,000 0 31,500 70,500 3.8 2.1
Kenya Kenya 24,100 0 5,000 29,100 0.6 0.5
Kosovo Kosovo 2,500 800 0 3,300 1.7 1.3
Kuwait Kuwait 17,500 23,700 7,100 48,300 16.6 6
Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan 10,900 0 9,500 20,400 3.5 1.9
Laos Laos 29,100 0 100,000 129,100 17.8 4
Latvia Latvia 6,210 15,900 0 22,110 11.5 3.2
Lebanon Lebanon 60,000 0 20,000 80,000 13.1 9.8
Lesotho Lesotho 2,000 0 0 2,000 1 1
Liberia Liberia 2,010 0 0 2,010 0.4 0.4
Libya Libya 0 0 0 0 0 0
Lithuania Lithuania 19,850 6,700 14,400 40,950 14.7 7.1
Luxembourg Luxembourg 900 0 600 1,500 2.5 1.5
Madagascar Madagascar 13,500 0 8,100 21,600 0.8 0.5
Malawi Malawi 10,700 0 4,200 14,900 0.8 0.5
Malaysia Malaysia 113,000 51,600 267,200 431,800 13.6 3.6
Mali Mali 10,000 0 7,800 17,800 1 0.5
Malta Malta 1,950 180 0 2,130 4.7 4.3
Mauritania Mauritania 15,850 0 5,000 20,850 5.4 4.1
Mauritius Mauritius 0 0 2,550 2,550 1.9 0
Mexico Mexico 277,150 81,500 58,900 417,550 3.3 2.2
Moldova Moldova 5,150 58,000 900 64,050 18.6 1.5
Mongolia Mongolia 9,700 137,000 7,500 154,200 49.7 3.1
Montenegro Montenegro 1,950 0 10,100 12,050 19.6 3.2
Morocco Morocco 195,800 150,000 50,000 395,800 11.5 5.7
Mozambique Mozambique 11,200 0 0 11,200 0.4 0.4
Myanmar Myanmar 406,000 0 107,000 513,000 9.2 7.3
Namibia Namibia 9,900 0 6,000 15,900 6.3 3.9
Nepal Nepal 96,600 0 15,000 111,600 3.8 3.3
Netherlands Netherlands 35,400 4,500 5,900 45,800 2.7 2.1
New Zealand New Zealand 9,000 2,300 0 11,300 2.5 2
Nicaragua Nicaragua 12,000 0 0 12,000 2 2
Niger Niger 5,300 0 5,400 10,700 0.5 0.3
Nigeria Nigeria 135,000 0 80,000 215,000 1.1 0.7
North Korea North Korea 1,280,000 600,000 5,889,000 7,769,000 306.1 50.4
North Macedonia North Macedonia 8,000 4,850 7,600 20,450 9.7 3.8
Norway Norway 23,250 40,000 0 63,250 11.8 4.3
Oman Oman 42,600 0 4,400 47,000 13.5 12.2
Pakistan Pakistan 653,800 0 282,000 935,800 4.5 3.1
State of Palestine Palestine 0 0 43,800 43,800 9.4 0
Panama Panama 0 0 26,000 26,000 6.8 0
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea 3,600 0 0 3,600 0.5 0.5
Paraguay Paraguay 11,900 164,500 14,800 191,200 27.2 1.7
Peru Peru 81,000 188,000 77,000 346,000 11 2.6
Philippines Philippines 142,350 131,000 61,100 334,450 3.2 1.3
Poland Poland 117,800 0 73,400 191,200 5 3.1
Portugal Portugal 27,200 211,950 24,700 263,850 25.5 2.6
Qatar Qatar 16,500 0 5,000 21,500 9.1 7
Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo 10,000 0 2,000 12,000 2.4 2
Romania Romania 69,300 50,000 57,000 176,300 8.2 3.2
Russia Russia 1,014,000 2,000,000 554,000 3,568,000 25.1 7.1
Rwanda Rwanda 33,000 0 2,000 35,000 2.9 2.7
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia 480,000 0 25,000 505,000 15.3 14.5
Senegal Senegal 13,600 0 5,000 18,600 1.2 0.9
Serbia Serbia 28,150 50,150 3,700 82,000 11.6 4
Seychelles Seychelles 420 0 0 420 4.4 4.4
Sierra Leone Sierra Leone 8,500 0 0 8,500 1.3 1.3
Singapore Singapore 51,000 252,500 8,400 311,900 52 8.5
Slovakia Slovakia 15,850 0 0 15,850 2.9 2.9
Slovenia Slovenia 7,250 1,500 5,950 14,700 7 3.4
Somalia Somalia 19,800 0 0 19,800 1.8 1.8
South Africa South Africa 65,350 15,050 0 80,400 1.5 1.2
South Korea South Korea 599,000 3,100,000 3,009,000 6,708,000 130.5 11.6
South Sudan South Sudan 185,000 0 0 185,000 18.1 18.1
Spain Spain 120,350 15,150 75,800 211,300 4.4 2.5
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka 255,000 5,500 92,600 353,100 15.6 11.3
Sudan Sudan 104,300 85,000 20,000 209,300 4.9 2.4
Suriname Suriname 1,840 0 0 1,840 3.1 3.1
Sweden Sweden 29,750 0 21,200 50,950 5.1 3
Switzerland Switzerland 21,450 217,800 0 239,250 28.9 2.6
Syria Syria 139,000 0 100,000 239,000 12.3 7.1
Taiwan Taiwan 163,000 1,657,000 11,450 1,831,450 77.8 6.9
Tajikistan Tajikistan 8,800 0 7,500 16,300 1.9 1
Tanzania Tanzania 27,000 80,000 1,400 108,400 2 0.5
Thailand Thailand 360,850 200,000 138,700 699,550 10.2 5.3
Togo Togo 8,550 0 750 9,300 1.1 1
Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago 4,050 0 0 4,050 3.3 3.3
Tunisia Tunisia 35,800 0 12,000 47,800 4.2 3.1
Turkey Turkey 355,200 378,700 156,800 890,700 11 4.4
Turkmenistan Turkmenistan 36,500 0 5,000 41,500 7.7 6.7
Uganda Uganda 45,000 10,000 1,400 56,400 1.4 1.1
Ukraine Ukraine 209,000 900,000 88,000 1,197,000 27.2 4.8
United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates 63,000 0 0 63,000 6.5 6.5
United Kingdom United Kingdom 148,350 80,000 0 228,350 3.5 2.3
United States United States 1,379,800 849,450 0 2,229,250 6.8 4.2
Uruguay Uruguay 21,000 0 1,400 22,400 6.6 6.2
Uzbekistan Uzbekistan 48,000 0 20,000 68,000 2.3 1.6
Venezuela Venezuela 123,000 8,000 220,000 351,000 11.1 3.9
Vietnam Vietnam 482,000 0 5,040,000 5,522,000 56.9 5
Yemen Yemen 40,000 0 0 40,000 1.4 1.4
Zambia Zambia 15,100 3,000 1,400 19,500 1.2 0.9
Zimbabwe Zimbabwe 29,000 0 21,800 50,800 3.6 2.1

Not included in the list are the militaries of Abkhazia, Andorra, Artsakh, Transnistria, Bhutan, Comoros, Eswatini, Maldives, Monaco, Northern Cyprus, San Marino, Saint Kitts and Nevis, São Tomé and Príncipe, Somaliland, Tonga and Vanuatu.