Top 20 most powerful militaries in the world 2021

in Living

Reading Time: 12min read

Top 20 most powerful militaries in the world

The military is considered to be a very important and vital part of a country and its security. Every year, countries allocate a huge budget fighting battles and protecting their territories. Each country takes different special initiatives in a bid to strengthen itself militarily. Hypothetically, it’s hard to compare military strength of different countries.

The Global Fire Power Index ranked countries’ militaries across the world using over 50 different metrics to give each country a score. This score is based on the size of their military, budget allocated, arsenals, advanced technologies implemented, training, power and number of allies, etc. The top power index score is 0.0000, which is realistically unattainable. The closer a country is to the perfect score of 0, the more stronger and powerful their military is.

The ranking assesses the diversity of each country’s weapons and pays particular attention to their available manpower. Geography, logistical capacity, available natural resources, and the status of local industry are also considered. Recognized nuclear powers receive a bonus, but their nuclear stockpiles are not factored into the score. NATO countries get a slight bonus because the alliance theoretically shares resources.

Here are the top 20 strongest militaries in the world.

1. United States

Power index rating: 0.0606

Population:	329,256,465
Military personnel:	2,260,000
Air assets:	13,264 total aircraft 2,085 fighter aircraft 715 dedicated attack aircraft 967 attack helicopters
Land assets:	6,289 combat tanks 39,253 armored fighting vehicles 1,465 self-propelled artillery 2,740 towed artillery 1,366 rocket projectors
Naval assets:	490 total fleet 20 aircraft carriers 91 destroyers 0 frigates 19 corvettes 66 submarines 11 mine warfare
Defense budget:	$750 billion

2. Russia

Power index rating: 0.0681

Population:	142,122,776
Military personnel:	3,013,628
Air assets:	4,163 total aircraft 873 fighter aircraft 742 dedicated attack aircraft 531 attack helicopters
Land assets:	12,950 combat tanks 27,038 armored fighting vehicles 6,038 self-propelled artillery 4,465 towed artillery 3,860 rocket projectors
Naval assets:	603 total fleet 1 aircraft carriers 16 destroyers 10 frigates 79 corvettes 62 submarines 48 mine warfare
Defense budget:	$48 billion

3. China

Power index rating: 0.0691

Population:	1,384,688,986
Military personnel:	2,693,000
Air assets:	3,210 total aircraft 1,232 fighter aircraft 371 dedicated attack aircraft 281 attack helicopters
Land assets:	3,500 combat tanks 33,000 armored fighting vehicles 3,800 self-propelled artillery 3,600 towed artillery 2,650 rocket projectors
Naval assets:	777 total fleet 2 aircraft carriers 36 destroyers 52 frigates 50 corvettes 74 submarines 29 mine warfare
Defense budget:	$237 billion

4. India

Power index rating: 0.0953

Population:	1,296,834,042
Military personnel:	3,544,000
Air assets:	2,123 total aircraft 538 fighter aircraft 172 dedicated attack aircraft 23 attack helicopters
Land assets:	4,292 combat tanks 8,686 armored fighting vehicles 235 self-propelled artillery 4,060 towed artillery 266 rocket projectors
Naval assets:	285 total fleet 1 aircraft carriers 10 destroyers 13 frigates 19 corvettes 16 submarines 3 mine warfare
Defense budget:	$61 billion

5. Japan

Power index rating: 0.1501

Population:	126,168,156
Military personnel:	303,160
Air assets:	1,561 total aircraft 279 fighter aircraft 12 dedicated attack aircraft 119 attack helicopters
Land assets:	1,004 combat tanks 3,130 armored fighting vehicles 238 self-propelled artillery 500 towed artillery 99 rocket projectors
Naval assets:	155 total fleet 4 aircraft carriers 40 destroyers 0 frigates 6 corvettes 20 submarines 25 mine warfare
Defense budget:	$49 billion

6. South Korea

Power index rating: 0.1509

Population:	51,418,097
Military personnel:	3,680,000
Air assets:	1,649 total aircraft 414 fighter aircraft 71 dedicated attack aircraft 112 attack helicopters
Land assets:	2,614 combat tanks 14,000 armored fighting vehicles 3,040 self-propelled artillery 3,854 towed artillery 575 rocket projectors
Naval assets:	234 total fleet 2 aircraft carriers 12 destroyers 18 frigates 12 corvettes 22 submarines 11 mine warfare
Defense budget:	$44 billion

7. France

Power index rating: 0.1702

Population:	67,364,357
Military personnel:	451,635
Air assets:	1,229 total aircraft 269 fighter aircraft 0 dedicated attack aircraft 62 attack helicopters
Land assets:	528 combat tanks 6,028 armored fighting vehicles 109 self-propelled artillery 12 towed artillery 13 rocket projectors
Naval assets:	180 total fleet 4 aircraft carriers 11 destroyers 11 frigates 0 corvettes 9 submarines 17 mine warfare
Defense budget:	$41.5 billion

8. United Kingdom

Power index rating: 0.1717

Population:	65,105,246
Military personnel:	275,660
Air assets:	733 total aircraft 133 fighter aircraft 15 dedicated attack aircraft 49 attack helicopters
Land assets:	227 combat tanks 5,000 armored fighting vehicles 89 self-propelled artillery 126 towed artillery 35 rocket projectors
Naval assets:	88 total fleet 2 aircraft carriers 6 destroyers 13 frigates 0 corvettes 10 submarines 13 mine warfare
Defense budget:	$55.1 billion

9. Egypt

Power index rating: 0.1872

Population:	99,413,317
Military personnel:	920,000
Air assets:	1,054 total aircraft 215 fighter aircraft 88 dedicated attack aircraft 81 attack helicopters
Land assets:	4,295 combat tanks 11,700 armored fighting vehicles 1,139 self-propelled artillery 2,189 towed artillery 1,084 rocket projectors
Naval assets:	316 total fleet 2 aircraft carriers 0 destroyers 7 frigates 7 corvettes 8 submarines 31 mine warfare
Defense budget:	$11.2 billion

10. Brazil

Power index rating: 0.1988

Population:	208,846,892
Military personnel:	1,674,500
Air assets:	715 total aircraft 43 fighter aircraft 78 dedicated attack aircraft 12 attack helicopters
Land assets:	437 combat tanks 1,820 armored fighting vehicles 132 self-propelled artillery 565 towed artillery 84 rocket projectors
Naval assets:	112 total fleet 0 aircraft carriers 0 destroyers 7 frigates 2 corvettes 6 submarines 5 mine warfare
Defense budget:	$27.8 billion

11. Turkey

Power index rating: 0.2098

Population:	81,257,239
Military personnel:	735,000
Air assets:	1,055 total aircraft 206 fighter aircraft 0 dedicated attack aircraft 100 attack helicopters
Land assets:	2,622 combat tanks 8,777 armored fighting vehicles 1,278 self-propelled artillery 1,260 towed artillery 438 rocket projectors
Naval assets:	149 total fleet 0 aircraft carriers 0 destroyers 16 frigates 10 corvettes 12 submarines 11 mine warfare
Defense budget:	$19 billion

12. Italy

Power index rating: 0.2111

Population:	62,246,674
Military personnel:	357,000
Air assets:	860 total aircraft 99 fighter aircraft 110 dedicated attack aircraft 59 attack helicopters
Land assets:	200 combat tanks 6,947 armored fighting vehicles 54 self-propelled artillery 108 towed artillery 21 rocket projectors
Naval assets:	249 total fleet 2 aircraft carriers 4 destroyers 12 frigates 0 corvettes 8 submarines 10 mine warfare
Defense budget:	$27.8 billion

13. Germany

Power index rating: 0.2186

Population:	80,457,737
Military personnel:	212,650
Air assets:	712 total aircraft 128 fighter aircraft 74 dedicated attack aircraft 56 attack helicopters
Land assets:	245 combat tanks 4,583 armored fighting vehicles 108 self-propelled artillery 0 towed artillery 38 rocket projectors
Naval assets:	80 total fleet 0 aircraft carriers 0 destroyers 9 frigates 5 corvettes 6 submarines 12 mine warfare
Defense budget:	$50 billion

14. Iran

Power index rating: 0.2191

Population:	83,024,745
Military personnel:	873,000
Air assets:	509 total aircraft 155 fighter aircraft 23 dedicated attack aircraft 12 attack helicopters
Land assets:	2,056 combat tanks 4,300 armored fighting vehicles 570 self-propelled artillery 2,088 towed artillery 1,935 rocket projectors
Naval assets:	398 total fleet 0 aircraft carriers 0 destroyers 7 frigates 3 corvettes 34 submarines 8 mine warfare
Defense budget:	$19.6 billion

15. Pakistan

Power index rating: 0.2364

Population:	207,862,518
Military personnel:	1,204,000
Air assets:	1,372 total aircraft 356 fighter aircraft 90 dedicated attack aircraft 56 attack helicopters
Land assets:	2,200 combat tanks 7,330 armored fighting vehicles 429 self-propelled artillery 1,226 towed artillery 100 rocket projectors
Naval assets:	100 total fleet 0 aircraft carriers 0 destroyers 9 frigates 2 corvettes 8 submarines 3 mine warfare
Defense budget:	$11.4 billion

16. Indonesia

Power index rating: 0.2544

Population:	262,787,403
Military personnel:	800,000
Air assets:	462 total aircraft 41 fighter aircraft 39 dedicated attack aircraft 16 attack helicopters
Land assets:	313 combat tanks 1,178 armored fighting vehicles 153 self-propelled artillery 366 towed artillery 36 rocket projectors
Naval assets:	282 total fleet 0 aircraft carriers 0 destroyers 7 frigates 24 corvettes 5 submarines 10 mine warfare
Defense budget:	$7.6 billion

17. Saudi Arabia

Power index rating: 0.3034

Population:	33,091,113
Military personnel:	803,000
Air assets:	879 total aircraft 270 fighter aircraft 81 dedicated attack aircraft 34 attack helicopters
Land assets:	1,062 combat tanks 12,825 armored fighting vehicles 705 self-propelled artillery 1,818 towed artillery 122 rocket projectors
Naval assets:	55 total fleet 0 aircraft carriers 0 destroyers 3 frigates 4 corvettes 0 submarines 3 mine warfare
Defense budget:	$67.6 billion

18. Israel

Power index rating: 0.3111

Population:	8,424,904
Military personnel:	170,000
Air assets:	589 total aircraft 259 fighter aircraft 18 dedicated attack aircraft 48 attack helicopters
Land assets:	2,760 combat tanks 10,275 armored fighting vehicles 650 self-propelled artillery 300 towed artillery 100 rocket projectors
Naval assets:	65 total fleet 0 aircraft carriers 0 destroyers 0 frigates 4 corvettes 5 submarines 0 mine warfare
Defense budget:	$20 billion

19. Australia

Power index rating: 0.3225

Population:	23,470,145
Military personnel:	79,700
Air assets:	464 total aircraft 82 fighter aircraft 6 dedicated attack aircraft 22 attack helicopters
Land assets:	59 combat tanks 3,051 armored fighting vehicles 0 self-propelled artillery 54 towed artillery 0 rocket projectors
Naval assets:	48 total fleet 2 aircraft carriers 2 destroyers 8 frigates 0 corvettes 6 submarines 6 mine warfare
Defense budget:	$26.3 billion

20. Spain

Power index rating: 0.3388

Population:	49,331,076
Military personnel:	139,500
Air assets:	512 total aircraft 137 fighter aircraft 12 dedicated attack aircraft 19 attack helicopters
Land assets:	327 combat tanks 2,023 armored fighting vehicles 95 self-propelled artillery 140 towed artillery 0 rocket projectors
Naval assets:	77 total fleet 1 aircraft carriers 0 destroyers 11 frigates 0 corvettes 3 submarines 6 mine warfare
Defense budget:	$15.1 billion