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.
Population: | 329,256,465 |
Military personnel: | 2,260,000 |
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Defense budget: | $750 billion |
2. Russia
Power index rating: 0.0681
Population: | 142,122,776 |
Military personnel: | 3,013,628 |
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Defense budget: | $48 billion |
3. China
Power index rating: 0.0691
Population: | 1,384,688,986 |
Military personnel: | 2,693,000 |
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Defense budget: | $237 billion |
4. India
Power index rating: 0.0953
Population: | 1,296,834,042 |
Military personnel: | 3,544,000 |
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Defense budget: | $61 billion |
5. Japan
Power index rating: 0.1501
Population: | 126,168,156 |
Military personnel: | 303,160 |
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Defense budget: | $49 billion |
6. South Korea
Power index rating: 0.1509
Population: | 51,418,097 |
Military personnel: | 3,680,000 |
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Defense budget: | $44 billion |
7. France
Power index rating: 0.1702
Population: | 67,364,357 |
Military personnel: | 451,635 |
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Defense budget: | $41.5 billion |
8. United Kingdom
Power index rating: 0.1717
Population: | 65,105,246 |
Military personnel: | 275,660 |
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Defense budget: | $55.1 billion |
9. Egypt
Power index rating: 0.1872
Population: | 99,413,317 |
Military personnel: | 920,000 |
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Defense budget: | $11.2 billion |
10. Brazil
Power index rating: 0.1988
Population: | 208,846,892 |
Military personnel: | 1,674,500 |
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Defense budget: | $27.8 billion |
11. Turkey
Power index rating: 0.2098
Population: | 81,257,239 |
Military personnel: | 735,000 |
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Defense budget: | $19 billion |
12. Italy
Power index rating: 0.2111
Population: | 62,246,674 |
Military personnel: | 357,000 |
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Defense budget: | $27.8 billion |
13. Germany
Power index rating: 0.2186
Population: | 80,457,737 |
Military personnel: | 212,650 |
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Defense budget: | $50 billion |
14. Iran
Power index rating: 0.2191
Population: | 83,024,745 |
Military personnel: | 873,000 |
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Defense budget: | $19.6 billion |
15. Pakistan
Power index rating: 0.2364
Population: | 207,862,518 |
Military personnel: | 1,204,000 |
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Defense budget: | $11.4 billion |
16. Indonesia
Power index rating: 0.2544
Population: | 262,787,403 |
Military personnel: | 800,000 |
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Defense budget: | $7.6 billion |
17. Saudi Arabia
Power index rating: 0.3034
Population: | 33,091,113 |
Military personnel: | 803,000 |
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Defense budget: | $67.6 billion |
18. Israel
Power index rating: 0.3111
Population: | 8,424,904 |
Military personnel: | 170,000 |
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Defense budget: | $20 billion |
19. Australia
Power index rating: 0.3225
Population: | 23,470,145 |
Military personnel: | 79,700 |
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Defense budget: | $26.3 billion |
20. Spain
Power index rating: 0.3388
Population: | 49,331,076 |
Military personnel: | 139,500 |
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Defense budget: | $15.1 billion |