In this article, we look at the 10 most powerful countries in the world by military strength. You can see how we ranked these countries and also read about the impact rising defense expenditure has had on the armaments manufacturing industry by heading over to our article, 25 Most Powerful Countries In The World By Military.
10. Italy
GDP (2022): $2 trillion
Defense Spending (2022): $33.5 billion
Manpower: 170,000
Tanks: 197
Nuclear Weapons: 0
Military Aircraft, including Fighter Jets: 862
Naval Assets: 313
Military Satellites: 8
Overseas Military Bases (countries): 0
Active Airports: 129
Score: 4.13
Italy was the 12th highest spender on military in 2022, according to statistics released by SIPRI. The Italian Armed Forces are highly acclaimed for their capabilities, as well as their contributions to international peacekeeping efforts. Italy’s strong aircraft fleet includes about 14 F-35 fighter jets, and over 400 combat helicopters. The Italian Navy is equipped with two aircraft carriers, the Giuseppe Garibaldi and Cavour.
9. Germany
GDP (2022): $4.08 trillion
Defense Spending (2022): $55.8 billion
Manpower: 184,000
Tanks: 266
Nuclear Weapons: 0
Military Aircraft, including Fighter Jets: 617
Naval Assets: 80
Military Satellites: 7
Overseas Military Bases (countries): 0
Active Airports: 539
Score: 4.18
Germany is a major power in Europe. The government is currently increasing its defense expenditure in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and plans to expand its active manpower by an additional 20,000 new troops. The German parliament, in 2022, approved a $107 billion fund to upgrade military hardware and technology, and it is expected that a major chunk of it would go into acquiring F-35 fighter jets and CH-47F Chinook helicopters.
8. Japan
GDP (2022): $4.2 trillion
Defense Spending (2022): $46 billion
Manpower: 240,000
Tanks: 1,004
Nuclear Weapons: 0
Military Aircraft, including Fighter Jets: 1,449
Naval Assets: 155
Military Satellites: 2
Overseas Military Bases (countries): 0
Active Airports: 175
Score: 4.58
Japan is one of the most powerful countries in the world, both economically and militarily. Its armed forces boast an active manpower of 240,000 troops and more than 1,000 combat tanks. Japan is also among the most technologically advanced countries in the world, and that has allowed its defense industry to grow at home as well and to become a major supplier of the Japanese military. In April this year, Tokyo announced signing a $2.8 billion deal with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to develop long-range missiles.
7. France
GDP (2022): $2.78 trillion
Defense Spending (2022): $53.6 billion
Manpower: 205,000
Tanks: 222
Nuclear Weapons: 290
Military Aircraft, including Fighter Jets: 1,055
Naval Assets: 126
Military Satellites: 10
Overseas Military Bases (countries): 10
Active Airports: 464
Score: 5.06
France has the largest standing army in Europe in terms of manpower. Its aerial fleet comprises over 1,000 aircraft, whereas the navy has 126 assets, including 4 nuclear armed submarines, 4 destroyers and 17 frigates. According to the Power Atlas, France has overseas military bases across 10 different countries.
6. South Korea
GDP (2022): $1.7 trillion
Defense Spending (2022): $46.4 billion
Manpower: 555,000
Tanks: 2,331
Nuclear Weapons: 0
Military Aircraft, including Fighter Jets: 1,595
Naval Assets: 157
Military Satellites: 2
Overseas Military Bases (countries): 0
Active Airports: 111
Score: 5.23
Given its tense relations with North Korea, it is no surprise that South Korea has raised a strong military and spends heavily on defense to sustain and upgrade it. South Korea is also among the most technologically advanced countries in the world, which has enabled development of its own sophisticated combat jets, the most notable of which is the KF-21 Boramae “Fighting Hawk”, which has radar evading capabilities similar to those found in fifth-generation fighter jets.
5. United Kingdom
GDP (2022): $3.07 trillion
Defense Spending (2022): $68.5 billion
Manpower: 194,000
Tanks: 227
Nuclear Weapons: 225
Military Aircraft, including Fighter Jets: 693
Naval Assets: 73
Military Satellites: 6
Overseas Military Bases (countries): 25
Active Airports: 460
Score: 5.55
Next on our list is Europe’s most powerful military, the United Kingdom. Lately, the country has taken measures to enhance its military strength further, especially to boost its air power. For that we have seen the Royal Air Force ordering another 114 F-35 fighter jets in recent years, in addition to the 23 it already has in its fleet, according to Flight International. The UK military also has a large nuclear stockpile with 225 weapons. Geographically, it has overseas military presence in 25 countries, according to the Power Atlas, and has about 6 satellites in space that are used for intelligence purposes.
4. India
GDP (2022): $3.38 trillion
Defense Spending (2022): $81.4 billion
Manpower: 1,450,000
Tanks: 4,616
Nuclear Weapons: 156
Military Aircraft, including Fighter Jets: 2,182
Naval Assets: 295
Military Satellites: 9
Overseas Military Bases (countries): 1
Active Airports: 346
Score: 6.60
India has the second largest military in the world in terms of manpower after China. It boasts nearly 1.5 million active troops, a massive fleet of tanks, fighter jets like Rafale and Su-30, and a navy that is capable of building its own warships. A key strength of India is its huge market size which has allowed it to become one of the largest economies in the world with a GDP of $3.38 trillion. This allows the government sufficient resources to spend on upgrading the military.
3. China
GDP (2022): $18.1 trillion
Defense Spending (2022): $292 billion
Manpower: 2,035,000
Tanks: 4,950
Nuclear Weapons: 350
Military Aircraft, including Fighter Jets: 3,285
Naval Assets: 730
Military Satellites: 125
Overseas Military Bases (countries): 1
Active Airports: 507
Score: 12.92
China has the largest military in the world with a manpower in excess of 2 million active troops. The country also has a distinct advantage due to the size of its economy, which Beijing leverages to upgrade its armed forces. China is also one of the most technologically advanced nations on the planet, and therefore, it is no surprise to see them competing with the US on military technology. China has developed its own stealth fighter jet J-20A which is projected to eclipse America’s F-22 in inventory. The country also has significant presence in space with 125 satellites.
2. Russia
GDP (2022): $2.2 trillion
Defense Spending (2022): $86.4 billion
Manpower: 830,900
Tanks: 12,566
Nuclear Weapons: 6,255
Military Aircraft, including Fighter Jets: 4,173
Naval Assets: 598
Military Satellites: 102
Overseas Military Bases (countries): 9
Active Airports: 1,218
Score: 17.44
Despite facing setbacks in its ambitions in Ukraine, Russia remains one of the most powerful countries in the world when it comes to military strength. It manages to stay ahead of China due to its huge fleet of tanks and a nuclear arsenal that has 350 times more warheads than the Chinese do. However, it only seems a matter of time before China surpasses Russia, after having seen the limitations of Russia’s outdated military equipment in Ukraine.
1. United States
GDP (2022): $25.4 trillion
Defense Spending (2022): $877 billion
Manpower: 1,390,000
Tanks: 5,500
Nuclear Weapons: 5,550
Military Aircraft, including Fighter Jets: 13,246
Naval Assets: 484
Military Satellites: 218
Overseas Military Bases (countries): 79
Active Airports: 13,513
Score: 31.44
The United States of America is the most powerful country in the world by military force. It accounts for 40% of global military expenditure, having spent nearly thrice of China’s defense budget in 2022. The US is home to several of the world’s largest armament manufacturing and aerospace companies. Its aircraft fleet is unmatched with more than 13,000 aircraft and fighter jets, including an estimated 360 F-35s according to Nikkei Asia. It also has the highest number of active airfields in the world. The country also boasts about 750 military bases in 79 countries.
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