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Power Index

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Military Strength Index by Country 2024

A military, commonly known as armed forces, is a heavily armed organization primarily intended to conduct warfare. Most sovereign states authorize and maintain a military, which identifies its members with a distinct uniform. Modern militaries typically consist of multiple branches such as an army, navy, air force, marines and coast guard. Their primary duty is usually to defend the state and its interests against external armed forces, although countries vary greatly in the proportion of resources they devote towards developing their military. Overview

Most countries treat the terms "military" and "armed forces" as synonymous, although a few distinguish between the two. In these cases, armed forces include the military as well as paramilitary forces. In addition, various irregular military forces exist that don't belong to a generally recognized state.

Capability

The development of military strength is one of the most complex human activities because it includes tactical, operational and strategic capabilities. It also requires the identification of threat and development of doctrines under which it will use those capabilities. In addition, states must determine the concepts, methods and systems involved in executing those doctrines.

The following chart shows the top ten countries in terms of military strength in 2023, as measured by the Global Firepower Power Index (GFPI) and its major components. Information is organized by country, followed by GFPI, air power, land power, man power, naval power, and financials.

Country
Power Index
United States0.07
Russia0.07
China0.07
India0.1
United Kingdom0.14
South Korea0.15
Pakistan0.17
Japan0.17
France0.18
Italy0.2

A lower score on the GFPI indicates greater total military power, as this index assigns a value of zero to the maximum possible military power. Larger numbers thus represent decreasing military power. However, larger numbers indicate greater power in the subcategories. The chart above shows major subcategories of the GFPI, including air power, land power, man power, naval power and financials. However, the GFPI is based on more 60 individual indicators, which can result in a GFPI that doesn't correspond to the major indicators. For example, China and Russia rank behind the US on the GFPI despite scoring higher in most of the displayed subcategories.

  • Lower scores are preferable in the Power Index, but higher scores are preferable in the subcategories.
  • Data year 2023. Estimates have been used for countries for which official data were unavailable.
  • The Global Firepower Power Index is determined by compiling more than 60 individual indicators related to a country's military strength. These indicators can be averaged and grouped into several subcategories, including (but not limited to) Manpower, Air Power, Land Power, Naval Power, Financials, Geography, Natural Resources, and Logistics.
  • Not all categories appear in the table below. However, all categories are considered when compiling the Power Index. This is why Russia and China rank behind the US in the total Power Index despite scoring higher in most or all subcategories shown.
Country
Power Index
Air Power
Land Power
Man Power
Naval Power
Financials
United States0.07144138.6117.3120.8110.8
Russia0.07142.6143.2137125.2119
China0.07141.1140.2141.8143118
India0.1122.8104.2133.791.6111.8
United Kingdom0.14128.5100.6101.7100.6110.3
South Korea0.15136.8139134.2120.3117
Pakistan0.17135.5138.6138.3100.2105.3
Japan0.17136122123.8116.7114
France0.18120.191.8124.7118110.5
Italy0.2131.695.8120.5102111.3
Turkey0.2118.6135.8130.588.1112.3
Brazil0.22112.6114.6137.298.9113
Indonesia0.22138.8133142.3108.4118
Egypt0.22117.3138.4134.2105.9104.3
Ukraine0.25103.1129.6123.263.8108.5
Australia0.26121.44989.795.7107.3
Iran0.27124.5135129.883.4122.5
Israel0.28127125.6122.855.3116.3
Vietnam0.2968.4130.8106.886.9110
Poland0.3492.698.295.580.9113
Spain0.36106.482.2114.285.2105
Saudi Arabia0.36132.3123.899.868.8120.8
Taiwan0.3696.4122.4122.5102118.5
Thailand0.37104.8102.6123.889.3113.3
Germany0.39114.885.49672112.3
Algeria0.39127.5122.2121.771.2126.5
Canada0.491.635103.752.2108.5
Argentina0.4298.598.29166.498.5
Singapore0.4610285.810580.1111
Greece0.4693125.6122.271.794.3
Mexico0.4788.853.2124.875.4110.5
Philippines0.4883.158.4118.355.8109.8
South Africa0.4981.495.4105.866.4101
North Korea0.5193.5138138.290.1105.5
Norway0.5362.667.475.381.1104.8
Nigeria0.5692.392.691.857109.3
Sweden0.5782.351.667.875.8103
Myanmar0.5897.9122102.287.4100
Netherlands0.5877.356.49365100.3
Bangladesh0.5966.997.810584106
Portugal0.6161.16098.568.199
Malaysia0.6294.469.6112.882.7102.3
Colombia0.7109.347.8130.373.6108.8
Switzerland0.7263.93765.3109.3
Iraq0.74103.8125.29638.8109.5
Chile0.7788.988.4111.357.2102.5
Romania0.7763.4109.4103.564.7105.5
Czech Republic0.7886.54539.8106.3
Ethiopia0.857.5102.671.883
Denmark0.872.837.275.338.3101.8
Finland0.816297.4110.54194.3
Venezuela0.82100.496.6119.852.193.3
Peru0.8598.496.6115.266.7103.5
Hungary0.8655.465.876.5102.3
Angola0.87100.492.683.337.896.5
United Arab Emirates0.91268178.254.9113
Azerbaijan0.9476.1116.6104.563.4100
Serbia0.9671.691.872.833.196
Bulgaria0.9867.4106.676.853.9100
Belarus1.0580.5115.489.589.5
Morocco1.0587.1112116.354.996.5
Uzbekistan1.0783.385.677.897.3
Kazakhstan1.0986.1104.883.333.898.3
Syria1.1187.6131.891.23889.3
Qatar1.1379.6758939.299.3
Cuba1.1555.310910561.9100.8
Slovakia1.185568.635.586.5
Belgium1.1845.115.470.547.295.8
Croatia1.2131.57978.335.196.3
Ecuador1.2262.359.610563.686.8
Sri Lanka1.257367.2116.844.792.3
DR Congo1.3166.978.888.320.179
Tunisia1.3249.552.479.523.892
Yemen1.479.8698850.183
Sudan1.4185.486.6105.319.765.3
Oman1.4174.377.896.735.2108.8
Bolivia1.433230.286.728.493.8
Kuwait1.4477.978.685.728.7112
Bahrain1.4561.568.89053.984.8
Libya1.4771.447.690.760.3120.8
Jordan1.5199.1112.6105.222.299.3
Turkmenistan1.672.5106.47122.2105.3
Uganda1.6353.870.274.37.991
Austria1.6546.839.865.592.8
Georgia1.7258.397.262.837.780.3
Slovenia1.7327.466.873.217.275.8
Kenya1.7777.956.278.719.895.3
Paraguay1.7928.533.496.721.989.8
Zambia1.7943.568.452.378.3
Ireland1.8240.53.45818.376.5
Albania1.8514.91756.220.882.5
Honduras1.8966.330.897.826.188.3
Lithuania1.924.84380.232.689.8
Armenia1.9169.499.681.886
Latvia1.9212.141.472.834.187
Uruguay1.9356.961.670.24796
Chad1.986861.856.278.8
Zimbabwe1.9856.92259.272.3
Mongolia2.0324.883.478.374.8
Cameroon2.0342.148.273.824.986
Tanzania2.0439.415.68319.891
Guatemala2.0441.4339521.490.3
New Zealand2.0644.122.661.732.697.8
Estonia2.0716.6679.731.878
Ivory Coast2.0936.534.667.318.690
Cambodia2.1327.6101.685.321.697
Kyrgyzstan2.1725.186.44977
North Macedonia2.1726.869.466.780.3
Ghana2.1740.131.25621.386.8
Mali2.279.44648.784.3
Lebanon2.2434.399.280.524.6102.5
Mozambique2.2948.921.44518.680.8
Eritrea2.351.496.89020.876.8
Afghanistan2.31872088.5
Laos2.3228.982.474.723.671
South Sudan2.5339.451.46377.3
Nicaragua2.5725.875.244.521.776.8
Dominican Republic2.575928.28621.290
Niger2.6364.82.44882.5
Tajikistan2.6440.545.450.276.3
Burkina Faso2.6665.129.260.279.8
Republic of the Congo2.6647.860.848.77.780
Namibia2.715045.460.532.983.8
Botswana2.7940.659.832.798
Senegal2.85429.24818.380.8
Luxembourg2.8216112.563
El Salvador2.8643.620.48717.682.5
Montenegro2.8713.329.85518.778
Nepal2.8725.66.663.795.3
Madagascar2.9112.122.460.718.779.8
Gabon2.9237.33055.718.278.8
Mauritania3.0452.93.289.217.778.8
Bosnia and Herzegovina3.0815.563.848.384.8
Panama3.2944.5734979.3
Central African Republic3.2923.59.644.275
Iceland3.4877.5
Sierra Leone3.5224.88.24418.775
Belize3.7223.328.31973.8
Suriname411.94.241.220.374.8
Liberia42.225.218.175
Somalia4.029.247.318.369.3
Moldova4.0923.51.858.877.3
Benin4.1316.337.77.276.8
Bhutan6.211.615.376
showing: 144 rows

What country has the strongest military?

Based on the country's military strength rating of 6.20, the country of Bhutan is currently the country that has the strongest military.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources