List of countries by number of military and paramilitary personnel

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Countries by number of active soldiers (2015) Countries by soldier count.svg
Countries by number of active soldiers (2015)

This is a list of countries by number of military and paramilitary personnel. It includes any government-sponsored soldiers used to further the domestic and foreign policies of their respective government. The term "country" is used in its most common use, in the sense of state which exercises sovereignty or has limited recognition.

Contents

Guide to the list

The list consists of columns that can be sorted by clicking on the appropriate title:

As military forces around the world are constantly changing in size, no definitive list can ever be compiled.

All of the 172 countries listed here, especially those with the highest number of total soldiers such as the two Koreas and Vietnam, include a large number of paramilitaries, civilians and policemen in their reserve personnel. Some countries, such as Italy and Japan, have only volunteers in their armed forces. Other countries, such as Mauritius and Panama, have no national armies, but only a paramilitary force.

Tooth-to-tail ratio

The numbers of military personnel listed include both support personnel (supplies, construction, and contracting) and actual combat personnel. For a typical country, the proportion of this total that comprises actual combat forces is about 26%[ citation needed ] (so, for every soldier there will be around three support personnel). This proportion is referred to as the "tooth-to-tail ratio".

Some countries have a considerably smaller tooth-to-tail ratio: For example, the United States Armed Forces has a tooth-to-tail ratio of 17%, meaning that for every combat unit there are around five support units. [1]

Military personnel per capita Countries by military per capita.svg
Military personnel per capita

List by the International Institute for Strategic Studies

Not included in the list are the militaries of Abkhazia, Andorra, Bhutan, Comoros, Eswatini, Maldives, Monaco, Northern Cyprus, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Saint Kitts and Nevis, San Marino, São Tomé and Príncipe, Somaliland, South Ossetia, and Tonga.

See also

Notes

  1. The reserve military of Armenia consists mostly of ex-conscripts who have seen service within the last 15 years.
  2. Size of paramilitary is not known
  3. The reserve paramilitary of Cuba consists of the Youth Labour Army, Civil Defence and Territorial Troops Militia and count 1,120,000 units. Ready reserves serve 45 days per year.
  4. Size of paramilitary is not known
  5. Personnel-strength figures for the Eritrean reserve forces are not known.
  6. The Basij, a paramilitary militia with claimed membership of 12.6 million (including women and children), can after mobilization reach about 600,000 people able to fight.
  7. The paramilitary forces of Italy consists of the Carabinieri and the Guardia di Finanza.
  8. No data due to the ongoing civil war.
  9. The paramilitary forces of Malaysia includes 240,000 reservists from the People's Volunteer Corps.
  10. The Worker-Peasant Red Guards count 5,700,000 units and are used as a reserve paramilitary.
  11. Precise personnel-strength figures for the various Palestinian groups are not known.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Moroccan Armed Forces</span> Combined military forces of Morocco

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russian Armed Forces</span> Military forces of the Russian Federation

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The Armed Forces of Senegal consists of about 17,000 personnel in the army, air force, navy, and gendarmerie. The Senegal military force receives most of its training, equipment, and support from France and the United States. Germany also provides support but on a smaller scale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sudanese Armed Forces</span> Combined military forces of Sudan

The Sudanese Armed Forces are the military forces of the Republic of the Sudan. In 2011, IISS estimated the forces' numbers at 109,300 personnel. The CIA estimates that the SAF may have up to 200,000 personnel. While, Al Jazeera Media Network reported, that the Sudanese Armed Force has around 300,000 personnel

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Syrian Armed Forces</span> Combined military forces of Syria

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Republic of China Armed Forces</span> Combined armed forces of the Republic of China

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zimbabwe Defence Forces</span> Combined military forces of Zimbabwe

The Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) are the military forces responsible for the defence of Zimbabwe against external threats from other countries, and also to suppress internal armed factions. It is composed of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) and the Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ).. Since December 2017 the ZDF is headed by General Philip Valerio Sibanda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madagascar Armed Forces</span> Combined military forces of Madagascar

The Madagascar Armed Forces is the national military of Madagascar. The IISS detailed the armed forces in 2012 as including an Army of 12,500+, a Navy of 500, and a 500-strong Air Force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2S1 Gvozdika</span> Soviet 122 mm self-propelled howitzer

The 2S1 Gvozdika is a Soviet self-propelled howitzer introduced in 1972 and is in service in Russia and other countries as of 2024. It is based on the MT-LBu multi-purpose chassis, mounting a 122 mm 2A18 howitzer. "2S1" is its GRAU designation. An alternative Russian designation is SAU-122, but in the Russian Army it is commonly known as Gvozdika. The 2S1 is fully amphibious with very little preparation, and once afloat is propelled by its tracks. A variety of track widths are available to allow the 2S1 to operate in snow or swamp conditions. It is NBC protected and has infrared night-vision capability.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russian Ground Forces</span> Land forces of the Russian military

The Russian Ground Forces, also known as the Russian Army in English, are the land forces of the Russian Armed Forces.

India maintains 10 paramilitary forces.

The Algerian Land Forces are the land forces of the Algerian People's National Army. The forces' equipment is mostly supplied by Russia and China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Libyan Army (1951–2011)</span> Military unit

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces</span> Military unit

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Djiboutian Army</span> Land warfare branch of Djiboutis military

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation</span>

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Bibliography

Further reading