Military Size by Country 2022

The military is a country’s most valuable asset. The government employs the military to execute the country’s internal and international policies and safeguard its population. Every citizen in certain countries must serve in the military for a minimum time.

Military power evaluation factors to consider:

The strength of a nation’s military is influenced by a wide range of variables, some of which are more important than others. Equipment (vehicles, weapons, communications gear, etc.) is critical regarding functionality and availability. Quality of training is essential for soldiers to succeed.

Their commanders’ capacity to continuously develop good tactical plans is critical. However, the number of troops a nation can field is one of the most basic indicators of its military might.

Some readers may be surprised by the list of nations with the largest overall number of military personnel (active duty, reserves, and paramilitary). However, it’s important to remember that military personnel is often classified into active-duty, reserve, and paramilitary personnel.

• Members of the military who are on active duty, which means they are employed by the military full-time and may be deployed at any moment.
• Members of the National Guard or Army Reserve may earn a tuition bonus at their college or institution or take advantage of other benefits without giving their entire time to the military as reservists.
• Paramilitary personnel — Members of groups like Canada’s Canadian Rangers and France’s National Gendarmerie, military-like but not technically part of the armed forces, are considered paramilitary members.

These are the 10 countries having the most military personnel:

With 306.1 total members & 50.4 active members per capita, North Korea leads the list of countries with the most military personnel. In contrast, South Korea has 130.5 total active members per capita, and Eritrea has 33.8 active members per capita.

In reality, the vast majority of troops in Vietnam, North Korea, & South Korea are reserves or paramilitary, not on active duty. Only eight countries have active military forces of more than 500,000 soldiers:

The following are the 10 countries with the greatest number of military personnel on active duty:

1. China: 2,185,000
2. India: 1,455,550
3. United States: 1,388,100
4. North Korea: 1,280,000
5. Russia: 1,014,000
6. Pakistan: 654,000
7. Iran: 610,000
8. South Korea: 599,000
9. Vietnam: 482,000
10. Egypt: 438,500

That the three most populous nations have the three greatest standing militaries is notable and in the same order. The United States is in third place, followed by India and China.

In terms of the total population, active military personnel, and overall military might, the United States ranks third, but it also spends more per capita than any other nation.

With the inclusion of its reserve forces, Vietnam’s military now has the biggest standing army in the world, totaling almost 5 million soldiers. A military reserve force of 3.1 million people also exists in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

The following are the 10 countries with the greatest number of military personnel on active duty or in the reserves:

1. Vietnam: 5,482,000
2. South Korea: 3,699,000
3. China: 3,355,000
4. Russian Federation: 3,014,000
5. India: 2,610,550
6. United States: 2,233,050
7. North Korea: 1,880,000
8. Taiwan: 1,820,000
9. Brazil: 1,706,500
10. Pakistan: 1,204,000

When just considering a country’s paramilitary forces, the rankings are reshuffled. With more than 5.889 million paramilitary members, North Korea is the country with the most paramilitary personnel.

Since paramilitary groups in the United States are not included in the military (though some, such as the Civil Air Patrol, are designated auxiliary), the country’s paramilitary has a 0 member official count.

Also See: Largest Navies in the World 2022

The following are the 10 countries with the greatest concentration of paramilitaries:

1. North Korea: 5,889,000
2. Vietnam: 5,000,000
3. South Korea: 3,013,500
4. India: 2,526,950
5. Cuba: 1,146,500
6. China: 660,000
7. Russia: 554,000
8. Egypt: 397,000
9. Brazil: 395,000
10. Pakistan: 291,000

Some countries do not have any active military personnel, and others have a very limited military presence.

Costa Rica, Iceland, Libya, Marutius, Palestine, & Panama have no active military personnel. Please check the following table for a complete list of nations and the number of military personnel in each.