Which country has the most Active Military Personnel?
Complete ranking of countries by active military personnel - from the largest standing armies to smaller professional forces worldwide.
Top 10 Countries by Active Military Personnel
Discover the world's largest standing armies. These nations maintain the most active military personnel, representing significant professional military forces and defense commitments.
China
India
United States
North Korea
Russia
Pakistan
Iran
South Korea
Vietnam
Egypt
🗺️ World Active Personnel Distribution Map
Visualize global distribution of active military personnel across continents. The interactive map uses color intensity from light green (fewer personnel) to dark green (largest forces). Hover over any country to see detailed statistics including rank and exact numbers.
Darker green indicates higher active personnel numbers. Hover over countries for details.
Complete Global Active Personnel Ranking
Browse the comprehensive ranking of all 61 countries with active military forces. The table displays national flags, country names, and exact personnel numbers, sorted from the largest to smallest standing armies worldwide.
| Rank | Flag | Country | Personnel |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
China
|
2,000,000
personnel
|
| 2 |
|
India
|
1,450,000
personnel
|
| 3 |
|
United States
|
1,390,000
personnel
|
| 4 |
|
North Korea
|
1,200,000
personnel
|
| 5 |
|
Russia
|
830,900
personnel
|
| 6 |
|
Pakistan
|
654,000
personnel
|
| 7 |
|
Iran
|
575,000
personnel
|
| 8 |
|
South Korea
|
555,000
personnel
|
| 9 |
|
Vietnam
|
470,000
personnel
|
| 10 |
|
Egypt
|
440,000
personnel
|
| 11 |
|
Turkiye
|
425,000
personnel
|
| 12 |
|
Indonesia
|
400,000
personnel
|
| 13 |
|
Colombia
|
360,000
personnel
|
| 14 |
|
Brazil
|
360,000
personnel
|
| 15 |
|
Thailand
|
350,000
personnel
|
| 16 |
|
Sri Lanka
|
250,000
personnel
|
| 17 |
|
Mexico
|
250,000
personnel
|
| 18 |
|
Japan
|
240,000
personnel
|
| 19 |
|
France
|
205,000
personnel
|
| 20 |
|
Morocco
|
200,000
personnel
|
| 21 |
|
Ukraine
|
200,000
personnel
|
| 22 |
|
United Kingdom
|
194,000
personnel
|
| 23 |
|
Germany
|
184,000
personnel
|
| 24 |
|
Eritrea
|
175,000
personnel
|
| 25 |
|
Israel
|
173,000
personnel
|
| 26 |
|
Taiwan
|
170,000
personnel
|
| 27 |
|
Italy
|
170,000
personnel
|
| 28 |
|
Venezuela
|
137,500
personnel
|
| 29 |
|
Greece
|
130,000
personnel
|
| 30 |
|
Algeria
|
130,000
personnel
|
| 31 |
|
Spain
|
120,000
personnel
|
| 32 |
|
Philippines
|
101,000
personnel
|
| 33 |
|
Sudan
|
100,000
personnel
|
| 34 |
|
Peru
|
95,000
personnel
|
| 35 |
|
Malaysia
|
85,000
personnel
|
| 36 |
|
Chile
|
80,000
personnel
|
| 37 |
|
Ecuador
|
70,000
personnel
|
| 38 |
|
Canada
|
70,000
personnel
|
| 39 |
|
Romania
|
67,000
personnel
|
| 40 |
|
Qatar
|
66,550
personnel
|
| 41 |
|
Azerbaijan
|
65,000
personnel
|
| 42 |
|
Australia
|
60,500
personnel
|
| 43 |
|
Bolivia
|
60,000
personnel
|
| 44 |
|
Singapore
|
60,000
personnel
|
| 45 |
|
Cuba
|
50,000
personnel
|
| 46 |
|
South Africa
|
40,200
personnel
|
| 47 |
|
Oman
|
40,000
personnel
|
| 48 |
|
Netherlands
|
35,000
personnel
|
| 49 |
|
Mauritania
|
31,500
personnel
|
| 50 |
|
Portugal
|
27,000
personnel
|
| 51 |
|
Belgium
|
26,000
personnel
|
| 52 |
|
Bulgaria
|
25,000
personnel
|
| 53 |
|
Finland
|
24,000
personnel
|
| 54 |
|
Guatemala
|
21,500
personnel
|
| 55 |
|
El Salvador
|
21,000
personnel
|
| 56 |
|
Paraguay
|
20,000
personnel
|
| 57 |
|
Kuwait
|
17,000
personnel
|
| 58 |
|
Honduras
|
16,000
personnel
|
| 59 |
|
Denmark
|
16,000
personnel
|
| 60 |
|
Croatia
|
15,000
personnel
|
| 61 |
|
New Zealand
|
9,600
personnel
|
Understanding Global Countries with Most Active Military Personnel
This comprehensive ranking presents 61 countries ranked by their countries with most active military personnel as of 2025. The data reveals significant variations in military capabilities across nations, reflecting different defense strategies, geopolitical positions, and national security priorities.
China leads the global ranking with 2.0 million personnel, demonstrating its position as a major military power. The top three nations—China, India, and United States—collectively represent a substantial portion of global military strength in this category.
The average across all 61 countries stands at approximately 259,000 personnel, though this figure varies dramatically between regions and nations. Factors influencing these numbers include population size, economic capacity, geographic location, historical conflicts, and current security threats.
Our interactive ranking table allows you to search and compare any country's position in this military category. The color-coded world map provides a visual representation of global distribution, making it easy to identify regional patterns and military concentrations. This data is essential for understanding international defense dynamics and geopolitical balance of power.