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This entry provides estimates of military and security services personnel strengths. The numbers are based on a wide-range of publicly available information. Unless otherwise noted, military estimates focus on the major services (army, navy, air force, and where applicable, gendarmeries) and do not account for activated reservists or delineate military service members assigned to joint staffs or defense ministries.

  • Afghanistan

    in May 2022, the de facto Ministry of Defense announced that approximately 130,000 troops had been recruited for a new "National Army" (2022)

    note: as of 2022, there were also up to 10,000 foreign fighters in Afghanistan, most of whom were aligned with the Taliban

  • Albania

    approximately 7,000 total active duty personnel (5,000 Army; 1,500 Navy; 500 Air Force) (2022)

  • Algeria

    approximately 140,000 ANP personnel (120,000 Army; 6,000 Navy; 14,000 Air Force); approximately 130,000 National Gendarmerie; approximately 200,000 General Directorate of National Security (2022)

  • Angola

    approximately 101,000 active troops (95,000 Army; 1,000 Navy; 5,000 Air Force); estimated 10,000 Rapid Reaction Police (2022)

  • Antigua and Barbuda

    approximately 200 active military personnel (2022)

  • Argentina

    approximately 82,000 active duty personnel (50,000 Army; 18,000 Navy, including about 3,500 marines); 14,000 Air Force); estimated 20,000 Gendarmerie (2022)

  • Armenia

    approximately 45,000 active troops (42,000 ground; 3,000 air/defense) (2022)

  • Australia

    approximately 60,000 active troops (30,000 Army; 15,000 Navy; 15,000 Air Force) (2022)

  • Austria

    approximately 25,000 active duty personnel (20,000 Army; 5,000 Air Force) (2022)

  • Azerbaijan

    information varies; approximately 65,000 active armed forces (55,000 Army; 2,000 Navy; 8,000 Air Force); approximately 15,000 Ministry of Internal Affairs troops (2022)

  • Bahamas, The

    approximately 1,500 active RBDF personnel (2022)

  • Bahrain

    information varies; approximately 10,000 active personnel (7,500 Army; 1,000 Navy; 1,500 Air Force); approximately 3,000 National Guard (2022)

  • Bangladesh

    information varies; approximately 165,000 total active personnel (135,000 Army; 15,000 Navy; 15,000 Air Force) (2022)

  • Barbados

    approximately 600 active personnel (2022)

  • Belarus

    approximately 45,000 active duty troops; information on the individual services varies, but reportedly includes about 25,000 Army, 15,000 Air/Air Defense, and 5,000 Special Operations forces (2022)

  • Belgium

    approximately 25,000 active duty personnel (10,000 Land Component; 1,500 Marine Component; 5,000 Air Force Component; 1,500 Medical Service; 7,000 other, including joint staff, support, and training schools) (2022)

  • Belize

    approximately 1,300 BDF personnel; approximately 300 Belize Coast Guard (2022)

  • Benin

    approximately 7,000 active-duty troops; estimated 5,000 Republican Police (2022)

  • Bermuda

    the Royal Bermuda Regiment has about 350 troops (2022)

  • Bhutan

    the Royal Bhutan Army has an estimated 8,000 personnel (2022)

  • Bolivia

    information varies widely; approximately 40,000 active troops (28,000 Army; 5,000 Navy; 7,000 Air Force); note - a considerable portion of the Navy personnel are marines and naval police; approximately 40,000 National Police (2022)

  • Bosnia and Herzegovina

    approximately 9,000 active duty personnel (2022)

  • Botswana

    approximately 9,000 active BDF personnel (2022)

  • Brazil

    approximately 360,000 active military personnel (220,000 Army; 70,000 Navy; 70,000 Air Force) (2022)

  • Brunei

    approximately 6,000 total active troops (4,000 Army; 1,000 Navy; 1,000 Air Force) (2022)

  • Bulgaria

    approximately 28,000 active duty personnel (17,000 Army; 4,000 Navy; 7,000 Air Force) (2022)

  • Burkina Faso

    approximately 13,000 personnel (8,000 Army; 500 Air Force; 4,500 National Gendarmerie) (2022)

    note 1: in 2019, the Burkina Faso Government announced an initial strength goal for the VDF of 15,000 members, but in October 2022 announced plans to recruit up to 50,000 VDF volunteers

    note 2:      in 2022, Burkina Faso announced a special recruitment for 3,000 additional soldiers to assist with its fight against terrorist groups operating in the country

  • Burma

    estimates vary widely, from approximately 300,000 to as many as 400,000 active duty personnel (2022)

  • Burundi

    approximately 30,000 active duty troops, the majority of which are ground forces (2022)

  • Cabo Verde

    approximately 1,200 personnel including about 100 in the Coast Guard (2022)

  • Cambodia

    information varies; approximately 100,000 total active troops including less than 5,000 Navy and Air Force personnel; approximately 10,000 Gendarmerie (2022)

  • Cameroon

    information varies; approximately 40,000 active-duty troops; (25,000 ground forces, including the Rapid Intervention Battalion/BIR and Presidential Guard; 2,000 Navy; 1,000 Air Force; 12,000 Gendarmerie) (2022)

    note: the BIR has approximately 5,000 personnel

  • Canada

    approximately 70,000 active armed forces personnel (23,000 Army; 12,000 Navy; 12,000 Air Force; 23,000 other) (2022)

    note: the Army also has approximately 19,000 part-time volunteer soldiers in the Reserve Force, including about 5,500 Rangers

  • Central African Republic

    information varies; approximately 8,000 FACA troops; up to 2,000 Gendarmerie; approximately 2,000 Mixed Special Security Units (2022)

  • Chad

    limited and varied information; estimated to have up to 35,000 active ANT personnel (25-30,000 Ground Forces; 300 Air Force; approximately 5,000 GDSSIE); approximately 5,000 National Gendarmerie; approximately 3,000 Nomadic Guard (2022)

  • Chile

    approximately 70,000 active armed forces personnel (40,000 Army; 20,000 Navy; 10,000 Air Force); approximately 50,000 Carabineros (2022)

  • China

    approximately 2 million active-duty troops (approximately 1 million Ground; 250,000 Navy/Marines; 350-400,000 Air Force; 120,000 Rocket Forces; 150-175,000 Strategic Support Forces); estimated 600-650,000 People’s Armed Police (2022)

  • Colombia

    approximately 260,000 total active troops (200,000 Army; 45,000 Navy, including about 20,000 marines; 14,000 Air Force); approximately 170,000 National Police (2022)

  • Comoros

    estimated 600 Defense Force personnel; estimated 500 Federal Police (2022)

  • Congo, Democratic Republic of the

    limited and widely varied information; approximately 100,000 active troops (mostly Army, but includes several thousand Navy and Air Force personnel, as well as about 10,000 Republican Guard; note -  Navy personnel includes naval infantry) (2022)

  • Congo, Republic of the

    approximately 12,000 active duty troops (8,000 Army; 800 Navy; 1,000 Air Force; 2,000 Gendarmerie) (2022)

  • Costa Rica

    12,500 Public Force personnel; approximately 500-600 Air, 500-600 Coast Guard, and 300-400 Border Police personnel (2022)

  • Cote d'Ivoire

    approximately 25,000 active troops (23,000 Army, including about 2,000 Special Forces; 1,000 Navy; 1,000 Air Force); 5-10,000 Gendarmerie (2022)

  • Croatia

    approximately 15,000 active duty personnel (10,000 Army; 1,500 Navy; 1,500 Air force; 2,000 joint/other) (2022)

  • Cuba

    limited available information; estimated 50,000 active personnel (approximately 40,000 Army; 3,000 Navy; 8,000 Air Force) (2022)

  • Cyprus

    approximately 13,000 total active duty personnel (2022)

  • Czechia

    approximately 26,000 active personnel (20,000 Army; 6,000 Air Force) (2022)

  • Denmark

    approximately 17,000 active duty personnel (10,000 Army; 3,500 Navy; 3,500 Air Force) (2022)

  • Djibouti

    approximately 10,000 active troops (8,000 Army; 250 Naval; 250 Air; 1,500 Gendarmerie) (2022)

  • Dominican Republic

    information varies; approximately 60,000 active personnel (30,000 Army; 13,000 Navy; 17,000 Air Force); approximately 30,000 National Police (2022)

  • Ecuador

    approximately 40,000 active military personnel (25,000 Army; 9,000 Navy; 6,000 Air Force) (2022)

  • Egypt

    information varies; approximately 450,000 active duty personnel (325,000 Army; 18,000 Navy; 30,000 Air Force; 75,000 Air Defense Command); approximately 300,000 Central Security Forces personnel (2022)

  • El Salvador

    approximately 21,000 active military personnel (17,000 Army; 2,000 Navy; 2,000 Air Force) (2022)

    note: in 2021, El Salvador announced intentions to double the size of the military, although no time frame was given

  • Equatorial Guinea

    approximately 1,500 active duty troops; approximately 500 Gendarmerie (2022)

  • Eritrea

    limited available information; estimated 150,000-200,000 personnel, including about 2,000 in the naval and air forces (2022)

  • Estonia

    approximately 7,000 active duty personnel; approximately 15,000 Defense League (2022)

  • Eswatini

    approximately 3,000 active duty personnel (2022)

  • Ethiopia

    information varies; prior to the 2020-21 Tigray conflict, approximately 150,000 active duty troops, including about 3,000 Air Force personnel (no personnel numbers available for the newly-established Navy) (2022)

  • European Union

    the 27 EU countries have a cumulative total of approximately 1.34 million active duty troops; the largest EU country military forces belong to France, Germany, and Italy (2021)

    note: the combined forces of NATO have approximately 3.3 million active duty personnel

  • Fiji

    approximately 4,000 active personnel (2022)

  • Finland

    approximately 22,000 active duty personnel (15,000 Army; 4,000 Navy; 3,000 Air Force) (2022)

  • France

    approximately 205,000 active-duty troops (115,000 Army; 35,000 Navy; 40,000 Air Force; 15,000 other, such as joint staffs, administration, logistics, procurement, medical service, etc.); approximately 100,000 National Gendarmerie; approximately 75,000 National Guard (2022)

  • Gabon

    approximately 6,500 active duty troops including the Republican Guard and Gendarmerie (2022)

  • Gambia, The

    information varies; approximately 3,000 active troops (2022)

  • Gaza Strip

    the military wing of HAMAS has an estimated 20-25,000 fighters (2022)

  • Georgia

    information varies; approximately 30,000 troops, including active National Guard forces (2022)

    note: in December 2020, the Parliament of Georgia adopted a resolution determining that the Georgian Defense Forces would have maximum peacetime strength of 37,000 troops

  • Germany

    approximately 184,000 active duty personnel (63,000 Army; 16,000 Navy; 27,000 Air Force; 27,000 Joint Support Service; 20,000 Medical Service, 16,000 Cyber and Information Space Command; 15,000 other, including central staff, support, etc.) (2022)

    note: Germany in 2020 announced it planned to increase the size of the military to about 200,000 troops by 2025

  • Ghana

    approximately 14,000 active personnel (10,000 Army; 2,000 Navy; 2,000 Air Force) (2022)

  • Greece

    approximately 125,000 active duty personnel (90,000 Army; 15,000 Navy; 20,000 Air Force); approximately 35,000 National Guard (2022)

  • Guatemala

    information varies; approximately 20,000 active military personnel (18,000 Land Forces; 1,000 Naval Forces; 1,000 Air Forces); approximately 30,000 National Civil Police (2022)

  • Guinea

    approximately 12,000 active personnel (9,000 Army; 400 Navy; 800 Air Force; 300 BASP; 1,500 Gendarmerie) (2022)

  • Guinea-Bissau

    approximately 4,000 total active troops, including a few hundred air and naval personnel (2022)

  • Guyana

    approximately 4,000 active duty military personnel (2022)

  • Haiti

    approximately 1,200 active military troops (the force is planned to eventually have around 5,000 personnel); approximately 16,000 National Police (2022)

  • Honduras

    approximately 16,000 active personnel (7,500 Army; 1,500 Navy, including about 1,000 marines; 2,000 Air Force; 5,000 Military Police of Public Order); approximately 18,000 National Police (2022)

  • Hungary

    approximately 21,000 active duty troops (16,000 Army; 5,000 Air Force) (2022)

    note: in 2017, Hungary announced plans to increase the number of active soldiers to around 37,000, but did not give a timeline

  • Iceland

    the Icelandic Coast Guard has approximately 250 personnel (2022)

  • India

    information varies; approximately 1.45 million active personnel (estimated 1.25 million Army; 65,000 Navy; 140,000 Air Force; 12,000 Coast Guard) (2022)

  • Indonesia

    approximately 400,000 active duty troops (300,000 Army; 60,000 Navy, including about 20,000 marines; 30,000 Air Force) (2022)

  • Iran

    information varies; approximately 550-600,000 active armed forces personnel; approximately 400,000 Islamic Republic of Iran Regular Forces (350,000 Ground Forces; 18,000 Navy; 40,000 Air Force/Air Defense Forces); approximately 150-190,000 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (100-150,000 Ground Forces; 20,000 Navy; 15,000 Aerospace Force; 5-15,000 Qods Force); estimated 90,000 active Basij Paramilitary Forces (2022)

  • Iraq

    information varies; approximately 200,000 personnel under the Ministry of Defense (190,000 Army/Aviation Command/Special Forces; 5,000 Navy; 5,000 Air/Air Defense Forces); approximately 25,000 National-Level Security Forces; Ministry of Peshmerga: approximately 150,000-plus (45-50,000 Regional Guard Brigades; 40-45,000 Unit 70 Forces; 65-70,000 Unit 80 Forces); estimated 100-160,000 Popular Mobilization Forces (2022)

  • Ireland

    approximately 8,500 active duty personnel (6,800 Army; 900 Naval Service; 800 Air Corps) (2022)

  • Israel

    approximately 173,000 active duty personnel (130,000 Ground Forces; 9,000 Naval; 34,000 Air Force) (2022)

  • Italy

    approximately 170,000 active personnel (100,000 Army; 30,000 Navy; 40,000 Air Force); approximately 108,000 Carabinieri (2022)

  • Jamaica

    approximately 4,000 active duty personnel (2022)

  • Japan

    approximately 240,000 active personnel (150,000 Ground; 45,000 Maritime; 45,000 Air); 14,000 Coast Guard (2022)

  • Jordan

    approximately 94,500 active duty armed forces personnel (80,000 Army; 14,000 Air Force; 500 Coast Guard); approximately 15,000 Gendarmerie Forces (2022)

  • Kazakhstan

    information varies; approximately 40,000 active duty personnel (25,000 Land Forces; 3,000 Naval Forces; 12,000 Air and Air Defense Forces) (2022)

  • Kenya

    approximately 24,000 personnel (20,000 Army; 1,500 Navy; 2,500 Air Force) (2022)

  • Korea, North

    information varies widely; estimated 1.15 million active troops (950,000 Army; 120,000 Air Force; 60,000 Navy; 10,000 Strategic Missile Forces); estimated 200,000 internal security forces (2022)

  • Korea, South

    approximately 555,000 active duty personnel (420,000 Army; 70,000 Navy, including about 30,000 Marines; 65,000 Air Force) (2022)

  • Kosovo

    approximately 3,300 KSF personnel, including reserves (2022)

  • Kuwait

    approximately 17,000 active duty armed forces personnel (12,500 Army, including the Amiri Guard and 25th Commando Brigade; 2,000 Navy; 2,500 Air Force); approximately 6,500 National Guard (2022)

  • Kyrgyzstan

    approximately 12,000 active duty troops (8,500 Land Forces; 2,500 Air Force/Air Defense; 1,000 National Guard) (2022)

  • Laos

    information is limited and estimates vary; approximately 30,000 active duty troops (26,000 Army; 4,000 Air Force) (2022)

  • Latvia

    approximately 7,500 active duty troops (6,500 Land Forces; 500 Naval Force/Coast Guard; 500 Air Force; note - some Land Forces are considered joint forces); 8,200 National Guard (2022)

  • Lebanon

    approximately 80,000 active troops (77,000 Army; 1,500 Navy; 1,500 Air Force) (2022)

  • Lesotho

    approximately 2,000 personnel (2022)

  • Liberia

    approximately 2,000 active personnel (2022)

  • Libya

    estimates not available

  • Lithuania

    approximately 17,000 active duty personnel (13,500 Army, including about 5,000 National Defense Voluntary Forces; 500 Navy; 1,000 Air Force; 2,000 other, including special operations forces, logistics support, training, etc); estimated 11,000 Riflemen Union (2022)

  • Luxembourg

    approximately 900 active personnel (2022)

  • Madagascar

    approximately 13,000 personnel (12,000 Army; 500 Navy; 500 Air Force); estimated 10,000 Gendarmerie (2022)

  • Malawi

    information varies; approximately 8,000 active duty troops (including about 500 air and marine forces personnel) (2022)

  • Malaysia

    approximately 115,000 active duty troops (80,000 Army; 18,000 Navy; 17,000 Air Force) (2022)

  • Maldives

    approximately 2,500 personnel (2022)

  • Mali

    information varies; approximately 20,000 active FAMA personnel (includes up to 2,000 Air Force); approximately 5,000 Gendarmerie; approximately 10,000 National Guard (2022)

  • Malta

    approximately 2,000 active duty personnel (2021)

  • Mauritania

    approximately 16,000 active armed forces personnel (15,000 Army; 700 Navy; 300 Air Force); estimated 3,000 Gendarmerie; estimated 2,000 National Guard (2022)

  • Mauritius

    approximately 1,700 Special Mobile Force; approximately 800 National Coast Guard (2022)

  • Mexico

    information varies; approximately 218,000 armed forces personnel (160,000 Army; 8,000 Air Force; 50,000 Navy, including about 20,000 marines); approximately 110,000 National Guard personnel (2022)

  • Moldova

    approximately 6,500 active troops (2022)

  • Mongolia

    information varies; approximately 9,000 active duty troops (2022)

  • Montenegro

    approximately 2,000 active duty troops (2022)

  • Morocco

    approximately 200,000 active personnel (175,000 Army; 10,000 Navy; 15,000 Air Force); estimated 20,000 Gendarmerie; estimated 5,000 Mobile Intervention Corps (2022)

  • Mozambique

    information limited and varied; approximately 12,000 personnel (11,000 Army and about 1,000 Air Force and Navy) (2022)

  • Namibia

    information varies; approximately 12,500 personnel (11,000 Army; 1,000 Navy; 500 Air Force) (2022)

  • Nepal

    approximately 95,000 active troops (including a small air wing of about 500 personnel) (2022)

  • Netherlands

    approximately 40,000 active duty personnel (20,000 Army; 7,500 Navy; 6,500 Air Force; 6,000 Constabulary) (2022)

    note: the Navy includes about 2,300 marines

  • New Zealand

    approximately 9,500 active-duty troops (4,700 Army; 2,300 Navy; 2,500 Air Force) (2022)

  • Nicaragua

    approximately 12,000 active personnel (10,000 Army; 800 Navy; 1,200 Air Force) (2022)

  • Niger

    information varies; approximately 12,000 active FAN troops (8,000 Army; 200 Air Force; 4,000 Gendarmerie); approximately 3,000 National Guard (2022)

  • Nigeria

    information varies; approximately 135,000 active duty armed forces personnel (100,000 Army; 20,000 Navy/Coast Guard; 15,000 Air Force); approximately 80,000 Security and Civil Defense Corps (2022)

  • North Macedonia

    approximately 6,000 active duty personnel (2022)

  • Norway

    approximately 27,000 active personnel (9,000 Army; 4,300 Navy; 4,700 Air Force; 9,000 other, including special operations, cyber, joint staff, intelligence, logistics support, active Home Guard, etc.); approximately 40,000 Home Guard (2022)

    note:  active personnel includes about 10,000 conscripts

  • Oman

    approximately 40,000 active duty troops (25,000 Army, 5,000 Navy; 5,000 Air Force; 5,000 Royal Guard) (2022)

  • Pakistan

    information varies; approximately 630,000 active duty personnel (550,000 Army; 30,000 Navy; 50,000 Air Force); approximately 150,000 Frontier Corps and Pakistan Rangers (2022)

  • Panama

    approximately 20,000 National Police; 4,000 National Border Service; 3,000 National Air-Naval Service (2022)

  • Papua New Guinea

    approximately 3,000 active duty troops (2022)

  • Paraguay

    approximately 15,000 active duty personnel (10,000 Army; 3,500 Navy; 1,500 Air Force) (2022)

  • Peru

    information varies; approximately 95,000 active duty personnel (60,000 Army; 25,000 Navy, including about 4,000 naval infantry and 1,000 Coast Guard; 10,000 Air Force) (2022)

  • Philippines

    approximately 130,000 active duty personnel (90,000 Army; 25,000 Navy, including about 8,000 Marine Corps; 15,000 Air Force) (2022)

  • Poland

    approximately 120,000 active duty personnel (65,000 Army; 7,000 Navy; 15,000 Air Force; 3,000 Special Forces; 25,000 joint service/other; 5,000 active Territorial Defense Forces); approximately 25,000 other Territorial Defense Forces (reserves) (2022)

    note: in June 2019, the Polish Government approved a plan to increase the size of the military over a period of 10 years to over 200,000 troops, including doubling the size of the Territorial Defense Forces; in 2021, it announced additional plans to increase the size of the military to over 300,000 personnel

  • Portugal

    approximately 27,000 active duty personnel (14,000 Army; 7,000 Navy, including about 1,000 marines; 6,000 Air Force); 24,500 National Republican Guard (military personnel) (2022)

  • Qatar

    information varies; approximately 15,000 active duty personnel (10,000 Land Force, including Emiri Guard; 3,000 Navy; 2,000 Air Force) (2022)

  • Romania

    approximately 75,000 active duty personnel (58,000 Land Forces; 7,000 Naval Forces; 10,000 Air Force) (2022)

  • Russia

    prior to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, approximately 850,000 active-duty troops (300,000 Ground Troops; 40,000 Airborne Troops; 150,000 Navy; 160,000 Aerospace Forces; 70,000 Strategic Rocket Forces; approximately 20,000 special operations forces; approximately 100,000 other uniformed personnel (command and control, cyber, support, logistics, security, etc.); estimated 200-250,000 Federal National Guard Troops (2022)

    note 1: in September 2022, the Russian Government called up 300,000 reservists to active military duty to support the war in Ukraine, and in August 2022 ordered the military to increase the total number of armed forces personnel by 137,000

    note 2: as of late 2022, Russia was estimated to have as many as 50,000 private military contractors fighting in Ukraine

  • Rwanda

    approximately 33,000 active RDF personnel (32,000 Army; 1,000 Air Force) (2022)

  • Saint Kitts and Nevis

    the SKNDF has approximately 400 personnel (2022)

  • Sao Tome and Principe

    the FASTP has approximately 500 personnel (2022)

  • Saudi Arabia

    the Saudi military forces have about 225,000 total active troops; approximately 125,000 under the Ministry of Defense (75,000 Land Forces; 15,000 Naval Forces, including about 3,000 marines; 35,000 Air Force/Air Defense/Strategic Missile Forces) and approximately 100,000 in the Saudi Arabia National Guard (SANG) (2022)

    note: SANG also has an irregular force (Fowj), primarily Bedouin tribal volunteers, with a total strength of approximately 25,000

  • Senegal

    approximately 19,000 active personnel (12,000 Army; 1,000 Navy/Coast Guard; 1,000 Air Force; 5,000 National Gendarmerie) (2022)

  • Serbia

    approximately 25,000 active duty troops (15,000 Land Forces; 5,000 Air/Air Defense; 5,000 other); approximately 3,000 Gendarmerie (2022)

  • Seychelles

    approximately 500 personnel (2022)

  • Sierra Leone

    approximately 9,000 personnel, mostly ground forces (2022)

  • Singapore

    information varies; approximately 60,000 active duty troops (45,000 Army; 7,000 Navy; 8,000 Air Force) (2022)

  • Slovakia

    approximately 14,000 active duty personnel (8,000 Land Forces; 4,000 Air Forces; 2,000 other, including staff, special operations, and support forces) (2022)

  • Slovenia

    approximately 6,000 active duty troops (2022)

  • Somalia

    estimates vary widely due to inconsistent data and ongoing efforts to integrate various militias; up to 20,000 active-duty SNA personnel (2022)

    note 1: in 2017, the Somali Government announced a plan for the SNA to eventually number about 18,000 troops; the same plan called for 32,000 federal and regional police

    note 2: as of 2021, there were estimates of up to 50,000 militia forces operating in the country

  • South Africa

    approximately 75,000 active duty personnel (40,000 Army; 7,000 Navy; 10,000 Air Force; 8,000 Military Health Service; 10,000 other, including administrative, logistics, military police); 180,000 South African Police Service (2022)

  • South Sudan

    estimated 150-200,000 active personnel, mostly ground forces with small contingents of air and riverine forces (2022)

    note: some active SSPDF personnel may be militia; the National/Necessary Unified Forces (NUF) will have about 50-80,000 troops from the SSPDF and armed opposition groups when it is formed; as of August 2022, approximately 20,000 NUF had been trained

  • Spain

    approximately 120,000 active-duty troops (75,000 Army; 25,000 Navy, including about 5,000 marines; 20,000 Air Force); 80,000 Guardia Civil (2022)

    note:  a 2007 law established a maximum strength of 130,000 military personnel

  • Sri Lanka

    approximately 240,000 total personnel (170,000 Army; 40,000 Navy; 30,000 Air Force); approximately 11,000 Special Task Force personnel (2022)

  • Sudan

    information varies widely; estimated 100-125,000 active duty armed forces personnel; approximately 30-40,000 Rapid Support Forces (2022)

  • Suriname

    approximately 2,000 total personnel (2022)

  • Sweden

    approximately 15,000 continuous service/full-time troops (7,000 Army; 3,000 Navy; 3,000 Air Force; 2,000 other, including staff, logistics, support, medical, cyber, intelligence, etc); approximately 21,000 Home Guard; approximately 12,000 temporary service personnel (2022)

    note: Swedish Armed Forces' (SAF) personnel are divided into continuously serving (full-time) and temporary service troops (part-timers who serve periodically and have another main employer or attend school); additional personnel have signed service agreements with the SAF and mostly serve in the Home Guard; the SAF also has about 9,000 civilian employees

  • Switzerland

    the Swiss Armed Forces maintain a full-time professional cadre of about 4,000 personnel along with approximately 18-20,000 conscripts brought in annually for 18-23 weeks of training; approximately 120,000 reserve forces (2022)

  • Syria

    current estimates not available; since the start of the civil war in 2011, the Syrian Armed Forces (SAF) have taken significant losses in personnel due to casualties and desertions; prior to the civil war, the SAF had approximately 300,000 active duty troops, including 200-225,000 Army, plus about 300,000 reserve forces (2022)

    note: pro-government and pro-Iranian militias probably number in the tens of thousands

  • Taiwan

    approximately 170,000 active duty troops (90,000 Army; 40,000 Navy, including approximately 10,000 marines; 40,000 Air Force) (2022)

    note: Taiwan trains about 120,000 reservists annually, but in 2022 announced intentions to increase that figure to 260,000

  • Tajikistan

    approximately 9,500 active duty troops (8,000 Land and Mobile Forces; 1,500 Air and Air Defense Forces) (2022)

  • Tanzania

    approximately 25,000 active duty personnel (21,000 Land Forces; 1,000 Naval Forces; 3,000 Air Force) (2022)

  • Thailand

    estimated 300,000 active duty personnel (200,000 Army; 70,000 Navy; 30,000 Air Force); approximately 230,000 Royal Thai Police (2022)

  • Timor-Leste

    approximately 2,000 personnel (2022)

  • Togo

    approximately 11,000 personnel (6,500 Army; 500 Air and Navy; 3,000 Gendarmerie) (2022)

    note: in January 2022, the Togolese Government announced its intent to boost the size of the FAT to more than 20,000 by 2025

  • Tonga

    approximately 650 personnel (2022)

  • Trinidad and Tobago

    approximately 4,500 TTDF personnel (2022)

  • Tunisia

    approximately 35,000 active duty personnel (25,000 Army; 5,000 Navy; 5,000 Air Force); estimated 10,000 National Guard (2022)

  • Turkey (Turkiye)

    approximately 445,000 active duty personnel (350,000 Army; 45,000 Navy; 50,000 Air Force); approximately 150,000 Gendarmerie (2022)

  • Turkmenistan

    information varies; estimated 30,000 active duty troops (25,000 National Army; 1,000 Navy; 4,000 Air and Air Defense Forces) (2022)

  • Uganda

    approximately 50,000 troops, including about 1,000-1,500 air and marine personnel; approximately 20-30,000 personnel in the Local Defense Units (2022)

  • Ukraine

    up to 700,000 active duty personnel, including the Armed Forces, Territorial Defense Forces, National Guard, and State Border Guard (July 2022)

    note 1: following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, President ZELENSKY announced a general mobilization of the country; prior to the invasion, approximately 200,000 active Armed Forces troops (125,000 Army; 25,000 Airborne/Air Assault Forces; 2,000 Special Operations Forces; 10,000 Navy; 40,000 Air Force); approximately 50,000 National Guard; approximately 40,000 State Border Guard

  • United Arab Emirates

    approximately 65,000 active personnel (45,000 Land Forces; 3,000 Navy; 5,000 Air Force; 12,000 Presidential Guard) (2022)

  • United Kingdom

    approximately 153,000 regular forces (81,000 Army; 34,000 Navy, including about 7,000 Royal Marines; 38,000 Air Force) (2022)

    note: the military also has approximately 40-45,000 reserves and other personnel on active duty

  • United States

    approximately 1.39 million active duty personnel (475,000 Army; 345,000 Navy; 335,000 Air Force (includes about 8,000 Space Force); 180,000 Marine Corps; 40,000 Coast Guard); 335,000 Army National Guard; 105,000 Air National Guard (2022)

  • Uruguay

    approximately 22,000 active duty personnel (14,000 Army; 5,000 Navy; 3,000 Air Force) (2022)

  • Uzbekistan

    information varies; approximately 60,000 active duty troops, including 10-15,000 Air Force (2022)

  • Venezuela

    information varies; approximately 125-150,000 active personnel, including about 25-30,000 National Guard; approximately 200-225,000 Bolivarian Militia (2022)

  • Vietnam

    information is limited and varied; estimated 470,000 active duty troops (400,000 ground; 40,000 naval; 30,000 air); estimated 40,000 Border Defense Force and Coast Guard (2022)

  • West Bank

    the PA Security Forces have approximately 30,000 active personnel (2022)

  • World

    estimated 20 million active duty military personnel worldwide (2021)

    note: as of 2021, the largest militaries in the world based on personnel numbers belonged to China, India, the US, North Korea, and Russia

  • Yemen

    information limited and widely varied; Yemen Government: up to 300,000 estimated military, paramilitary, militia, and other security forces; UAE- and Saudi-backed forces: estimated 150-200,000 trained militia and paramilitary fighters; Huthis: up to 200,000 estimated fighters (2021)

  • Zambia

    approximately 17,000 active troops (15,000 Army; 2,000 Air) (2022)

  • Zimbabwe

    information varies; approximately 30,000 active duty troops, including about 4,000 Air Force personnel (2022)