Map Options
De jure
Infrequent
No
Uncertain
unclear
Yes
Most nations in the world have some form of military. However, the methods used to fill the ranks of those armed forces vary from one country to the next. Primary methods of recruitment include the following:
The United States has the highest defense spending budget of any country, despite the fact that fewer than 1% of its citizens actively serve in the military. Many Americans may be surprised to learn that the Selective Service—commonly referred to as the draft—still exists. Resolutions introduced in the House of Representatives in 2019 (H.R. 5492) and 2021 (H.R. 2509) would both have abolished the Selective Service. However, as of December 2023, both resolutions appeared to have died in committee.
South Korea amended its compulsory conscription law in 2020 to enable globally relevant entertainers such as K-pop group BTS, whose members would soon be forced to quit the group to serve their time in the military, to defer their 18-21 months of service until age 30.
Country | Mandatory Military Service | Details |
---|---|---|
Afghanistan | unclear | |
Albania | No | Conscription abolished 2010 |
Algeria | Yes | 12 months for males aged 19-30 |
Angola | Yes | 24 months for males aged 20-45 |
Antigua and Barbuda | No | No conscription |
Argentina | De jure | Conscription suspended in 1995, but government has authority to draft citizens into service Argentin... |
Armenia | Yes | 24 months for males 18-27. If enrolled in officer-producing program at university, can defer service... |
Australia | No | Conscription abolished 1973 |
Austria | Yes | 6 months military service or 9 months alternative civil/community service for males 18 to 50 years o... |
Azerbaijan | Yes | 18 months for men 18-25 (12 months for university graduates) |
Bahamas | No | No conscription |
Bahrain | No | No conscription |
Bangladesh | No | No conscription |
Barbados | No | No conscription |
Belarus | Yes | 12-18 months military service or 24-36 months alternative service for males aged 18-27; duration dep... |
Belgium | No | Conscription abolished 1995 |
Belize | De jure | Law authorizes conscription if necessary, but as volunteers outnumber available positions 3:1, it ha... |
Benin | Yes | 18 months selective compulsory service for males and females aged 18-35; higher education degree req... |
Bermuda | No | No conscription |
Bhutan | Yes | Military training required for males 20-25, but full enlistment is voluntary |
Bolivia | Yes | 12 months military service or 24 months Search and Rescue for males aged 18-22 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | No | Conscription abolished 2005 |
Botswana | No | No conscription |
Brazil | Yes | 10-12 months for males aged 18-45 |
Brunei | No | No conscription |
Bulgaria | No | Conscription ended 2007 |
Burkina Faso | No | No conscription |
Burundi | No | No conscription |
Cambodia | Yes | 18 months for males aged 18-30 |
Cameroon | No | No conscription |
Canada | No | No conscription |
Cape Verde | Yes | 24 months selective compulsory for males and females 18-35 |
Central African Republic | No | No conscription |
Chad | Yes | 36 months for males age 20, 12 months for females age 21 (females can opt for civic service) |
Chile | Infrequent | 12 months (Army) to 22 months (Navy, Air Force) selective compulsory service for males 18-45 — But i... |
China | De jure | De jure system (legally recognized, but not practiced). 24 months for males aged 18-22 — However, co... |
Colombia | Yes | 18 months for males aged 18-24 |
Comoros | No | No conscription |
Croatia | No | Conscription abolished 2008 |
Cuba | Yes | 24 months for males aged 17-28 |
Curacao | No | No conscription |
Cyprus | Yes | 14 months in Cypriot National Guard (CNG) for males aged 18-50 |
Czech Republic | No | Conscription abolished 2004 |
Denmark | Yes | 4-12 months training required for men at age 18. No immediate service required, but soldier remains ... |
Djibouti | No | No conscription |
Dominican Republic | No | No conscription |
DR Congo | Yes | Law authorizes conscription of citizens aged 18-45 if necessary; degree of implementation is unclear |
Ecuador | No | Conscription suspended |
Egypt | Yes | 18-36 months for males 18-30, who then become reserves for 9 years |
El Salvador | Yes | 12 months (11 for officers and non-commissioned officers) selective compulsory service for males at ... |
Equatorial Guinea | Yes | 24 months selective compulsory for males at age 18, though conscription is rare in practice. |
Eritrea | Yes | 6 months training and 12 months national service (typically military) for males aged 18-40 and femal... |
Estonia | Yes | 8-11 months military or government service for males 18-27; duration depends on education, with NCOs... |
Eswatini | No | No conscription |
Ethiopia | De jure | No ongoing compulsory military service, but the military may conduct compulsory callups when necessa... |
Fiji | No | No conscription |
Finland | Yes | 6-12 months military or border guard service for males at age 18, after which they become reserves u... |
France | No | No conscription |
Gabon | No | No conscription |
Gambia | No | No conscription |
Georgia | Yes | 12 months for males aged 18-27 |
Germany | No | Conscription ended 2011 |
Ghana | No | No conscription |
Greece | Yes | 9 months (Air Force, Navy) to 12 months (Army) for males aged 19-45 |
Guatemala | Yes | 12-24 months selective conscription service for males aged 17-21, though conscription is rare in pra... |
Guinea | No | No conscription |
Guinea Bissau | Yes | 24 months selective compulsory service for males and females aged 18-25 |
Guyana | No | No conscription |
Honduras | No | No conscription |
Hungary | No | Conscription abolished 2005 |
India | No | No conscription |
Indonesia | De jure | Selective conscription is authorized, but not currently utilized. Obligation is 18-24 months for mal... |
Iran | Yes | 18-24 months for males at age 18 |
Iraq | No | No conscription |
Ireland | No | No conscription |
Israel | Yes | 32 months for men and 24 months for women (varies based on military occupation), 48 months for offic... |
Italy | No | Conscription abolished 2004 |
Ivory Coast | De jure | Selective conscription of males and females aged 18-25 is authorized, but is not currently enforced. |
Jamaica | No | No conscription |
Japan | No | No conscription |
Jordan | Yes | 12 months for unemployed males 25-29; obligation consists of 3 months military training and 9 months... |
Kazakhstan | Yes | 12 months for males aged 18-27 |
Kenya | No | No conscription |
Kuwait | Yes | 12 months for males aged 18-35 |
Kyrgyzstan | Yes | 9 months (university graduates) to 12 months military or Interior Ministry service for males aged 18... |
Laos | Yes | 18 months for males at age 18 |
Latvia | No | No conscription |
Lebanon | No | No conscription |
Lesotho | No | No conscription |
Liberia | No | No conscription |
Libya | No | No conscription |
Lithuania | Yes | 9 months for males aged 19-26 |
Luxembourg | No | No conscription |
Madagascar | No | No conscription |
Malawi | No | No conscription |
Malaysia | No | No conscription |
Maldives | No | No conscription |
Mali | Yes | 24 months selective compulsory for males and females at age 18 |
Malta | No | No conscription |
Mauritania | No | No conscription |
Mauritius | No | No conscription |
Mexico | Yes | 12 months for lottery-selected males at age 18; after which they become reserves until age 40 |
Moldova | Yes | 12 months for males aged 18-27 - may be abolished soon |
Mongolia | Yes | 12 months Army, Air Force, or police service or 24 months civil service for males aged 18-27; after ... |
Montenegro | No | Conscription abolished 2006 |
Morocco | Yes | 12 months for males and females at age 19 |
Mozambique | Yes | 24 months of selective compulsory service for males and females aged 18-35 |
Myanmar | De jure | Law reintroducing conscription passed in 2010, but has not yet entered into force |
Namibia | No | No conscription |
Nepal | No | No conscription |
Netherlands | No | Conscription abolished 1996 |
New Zealand | No | No conscription |
Nicaragua | No | No conscription |
Niger | Yes | 24 months selective compulsory service in military (females may also serve in health care) for unmar... |
Nigeria | No | No conscription |
North Korea | Yes | 8 years (males) to 5 years (females) military service at age 17 |
North Macedonia | No | Conscription abolished 2007 |
Norway | Yes | 19 months (12 months plus 4-5 refreshers) for males and females aged 19-44 (18-55 in wartime). Howev... |
Oman | No | No conscription |
Pakistan | No | No conscription |
Papua New Guinea | No | No conscription |
Paraguay | Yes | 12 months (Army) to 24 months (Navy) for males at age 18 |
Peru | No | No conscription |
Philippines | No | No conscription |
Poland | De jure | De jure system. Not used since 2009, but the president may, at the advice of the legislature, introd... |
Portugal | De jure | Compulsory service abolished 2004. Conscription authorized, but is not currently enforced. |
Qatar | Yes | 4-12 months (depending upon education and profession) for males 18-35 |
Republic of the Congo | No | No conscription |
Romania | No | Conscription ended 2006 |
Russia | Yes | 12 months for males 18-27, after which they become reserves until age 50. May end conscription in ne... |
Rwanda | No | No conscription |
Saint Kitts and Nevis | No | No conscription |
Saint Lucia | No | No conscription |
San Marino | De jure | No organized conscription, but government has the authority to call up all citizens aged 16-60 to se... |
Sao Tome and Principe | De jure | [Limited information] Conscription authorized for citizens at age 18, but is apparently unenforced. |
Saudi Arabia | No | No conscription |
Senegal | Yes | 24 months selective compulsory service for males (and possibly females) at age 20 |
Serbia | No | Conscription abolished 2011 |
Seychelles | No | No conscription |
Sierra Leone | No | No conscription |
Singapore | Yes | 24 months for males 18-21, who then become reserves until age 40 (enlisted) or 50 (officers) |
Slovakia | De jure | Conscription in peacetime suspended in 2004 |
Slovenia | No | Conscription abolished in 2003, but could be reinstated in event of war |
Somalia | De jure | Conscription of males aged 18-40 and females aged 18-30 is authorized, but is not currently enforced |
South Africa | No | No conscription |
South Korea | Yes | 21 months (Army), 23 months (Navy) or 24 months (Air Force) for males 18-28 (scheduled to decrease t... |
South Sudan | Yes | 12-24 months for citizens (gender requirements unclear) at age 18 |
Spain | De jure | Conscription abolished 2001, but government has right to mobilize citizens aged 19-25 years in case ... |
Sri Lanka | No | No conscription |
Sudan | Yes | 12-24 months for males and females 18-33 |
Suriname | No | No conscription |
Sweden | Yes | 7.5 months (Army), 7-15 months (Navy), or 8-12 months (Air Force) for males and females aged 18-47, ... |
Switzerland | Yes | 245 days (18 weeks) training for males 18-30, followed by six 19-day recalls over next 10 years |
Syria | Yes | 18 months for males aged 18-42 |
Taiwan | Yes | 4 months military training for males aged 18-36 (civil service can be substituted in some cases), pl... |
Tajikistan | Yes | 24 months for males aged 18-27; an exemption can be purchased for US$2,200 as of 2021 |
Tanzania | Uncertain | No military conscription, but selective conscription for 24 months public service is authorized. Cur... |
Thailand | Yes | 24 months for lottery-chosen males at age 21 |
Timor Leste | Uncertain | Conscription of males and females aged 18-30 for 18 months of service was authorized in 2007, but cu... |
Togo | No | No conscription |
Tonga | No | No conscription |
Trinidad and Tobago | No | No conscription |
Tunisia | Yes | 12 months for ages 20-35 (gender requirements unclear) |
Turkey | Yes | 6-12 months for males at age 20 (6 months for privates and non-commissioned officers and 12 months f... |
Turkmenistan | Yes | 24 months (30 months for Navy) for males aged 18-30 |
Uganda | No | No conscription |
Ukraine | Yes | 12 months for ages 20-27 (gender requirements unclear); conscripts cannot serve on front lines. Cons... |
United Arab Emirates | Yes | 24 months (16 months for secondary school graduates) for males aged 18-30 |
United Kingdom | No | Conscription abolished 1963 |
United States | De jure | De jure system. No conscription currently active, but Selective Service retains right to randomly "d... |
Uruguay | De jure | No military conscription currently active, but government has the authority to conscript in emergenc... |
Uzbekistan | Yes | 12 months for males aged 18-27; shortened (1-month) term can be purchased and requires remaining in ... |
Vatican City | No | No conscription |
Venezuela | Yes | "Forcible recruitment" forbidden, but all citizens aged 18-50 must register for possible military tr... |
Vietnam | Yes | 24-36 months for males 18-27 (females eligible, but are not drafted) |
Yemen | No | Conscription abolished 2001 |
Zambia | No | No conscription |
Zimbabwe | No | No conscription |
There are 67 countries that have mandatory military service.