10 Strongest Countries with Compulsory Military Service

These 10 strongest countries with compulsory military service have forced upon their citizens an obligation to give up a sizeable chunk of their lives in order to serve in their armed forces.

Countries with compulsory military service mostly come in two flavors. Type A would be small countries facing significant national security threats and in dire need of a strong and numerous army. The best example of this is Israel. The other type would be totalitarian regimes who need to maintain large armies for both outside and internal threats. There is some overlap between the two and Venn diagram of our list of 10 strongest countries with compulsory military service would be very interesting, but we’ll leave that to our readers. Meanwhile, if you are interested in reading about the military that much, don’t skip our article on 10 most powerful countries in the world: military.

In order to rank the strongest countries with compulsory military service, we used the size of their military budgets from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. The info on compulsory military service came from the CIA World Factbook. Let’s take a look, shall we?

10. Taiwan

Military budget in 2015 in USD billions: 9.8
Compulsory Service Length
Men: 4 – 12 months, depending on age
Women: None

The official name of the Taiwanese military is the Republic of China Armed Forces. The name vexes their neighbors in the People’s Republic of China to no end, so it is seldom heard outside of Taiwan. The main goal of Taiwanese army is repelling an invasion from the mainland China. Considering the resources both countries have at their disposal, it doesn’t take a genius to conclude that they have a lot on their plate. Compulsory military service is a way of securing a sufficient number of active troops and a large trained reserve pool to be activated in case of war. Recently Taiwan made some changes in their conscription law, allowing for all males born after 1993 to serve just four months in mandatory basic training. The idea is to increase the professionalism in the active service, while still maintaining a high level of trained reserves.

9. Colombia

Military budget in 2015 in USD billions: 9.8
Compulsory Service Length
Men: 12 – 24 months, depending on the branch and education
Women: None

Colombia ranks 9th in our list of strongest countries with compulsory military service. It has been torn by the conflict between the government and left-wing guerrillas since 1964. The emergence of drug cartels (most famous among them was Pablo Escobar) only complicated matters further and brought more death and misery. In order to sustain this conflict and replace losses (almost 5,000 killed soldiers and more than 20,000 wounded since 2004), Colombia needed a strong and massive army and the only way it could afford it is through compulsory military service. The practice has been under a lot of scrutiny, and armed forces have been accused of employing the conscripts based on their wealth. Recruits from poor background often saw active combat duties deep in the jungle, while their wealthier counterparts got cushy jobs in the rear. There have also been numerous reports of illegal conscription by the army, which definitely doesn’t help with the recruits’ morale.

8. Iran

Military budget in 2015 in USD billions: 10.2
Compulsory Service Length
Men: 18 months
Women: None

Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, despite their distinctive lack of modern and high-tech weaponry and equipment, are often described as the “most powerful military force” in the region, apart from Israel Defense Force. In the 1970s, Iran’s arsenal was heavily supplied by the United States. After the revolution, the supplies of spare parts dried up and Iran was forced to turn to domestic production. The losses in the war with Iraq further aggravated the situation. Since then, Iran has managed to create respectful armed forces, in part via compulsory military service. The daring rescue of a downed Russian pilot in Syria in 2015 witnessed to Iranian Special Forces battle prowess.

7. Algeria

Military budget in 2015 in USD billions: 10.4
Compulsory Service Length
Men: 18 months
Women: None

The end of a bloody Algerian Civil War in 2002 left the country’s armed forces with a difficult task of reorganizing itself from an anti-guerrilla force to a modern conventional army. Vast resources have been poured into weapons and equipment, most notably in the air force and air defense, as Algeria has turbulent relations with almost all of its neighbors. Algerian People’s National Armed Forces are based on compulsory military service, where conscript undergoes 6 months of basic training and spend the next 12 months of their service engaged in civil projects. Algerian army is currently involved in quelling the insurgency in the Maghreb, fighting al-Qaeda elements together with other countries in the Maghreb region.

6. Turkey

Military budget in 2015 in USD billions: 15.2
Compulsory Service Length
Men: 6 – 12 months, depending on education
Women: None

The recent failed coup has left the Turkish army reeling and in a state of deep panic. The bloody clashes between various fractions of armed forces resulted in many dead and injured soldiers, many of whom were conscripted. The lack of public trust created by the coup will be a central issue in army’s efforts in the years to come, but in the meantime, it also has to address its primary mission, defense of the country. The situation in the region has rarely been as complex and dangerous as it is today. With Syrian civil war still raging, Kurdish movements in both Syria and Turkey are gaining strength and territory and forcing Ankara to more radical moves. Hopefully, they won’t lead to more dead conscripts.

5. Israel

Military budget in 2015 in USD billions: 18.6
Compulsory Service Length
Men: 32 – 36 months, depending on the branch
Women: 24 months

Whenever the debate about the compulsory military service starts, Israel, the number 5 in our list of strongest countries with compulsory military service is mentioned. The small country has fought numerically superior enemies on several occasions in the second half of the 20th century, inflicting catastrophic losses on them in the process. On more than one occasion they were on the brink of extinction, but IDF managed to regroup and defeat its enemies despite all odds. One of the reasons for Israel’s military successes is a universal conscription, securing it a pool of highly trained and motivated reserve forces to call upon in the time of need. Still, the situation isn’t as perfect as it seems at first glance. The growing number of draft dodgers and the controversy over the religious exemption of conscription, as well as the need for higher levels of professionalism in the armed forces, have forced Israel to start the debate on the future of conscription in the country. In the meantime, it remains on our list of the strongest countries with compulsory military service.

4. Brazil

Military budget in 2015 in USD billions: 24.3
Compulsory Service Length
Men: 10 – 12 months, depending on education
Women: None

Brazil ranks 4th in our list of strongest countries with compulsory military service. It has had compulsory military service since 1906. The current law that regulates conscription dates back to 1964 and envisions severe restriction for people who didn’t serve their mandatory term or lack a proper document on service exemption. Draft dodgers are unable to get a passport, enroll at universities or get a job with any organization that uses public funds on either local or federal level. Still, without any real outside threat, armed forces are able to exempt up to 75% of potential recruits, due to the countries massive population and relatively small size of the army.

3. The Republic of Korea

Military budget in 2015 in USD billions: 33.5
Compulsory Service Length
Men: 21 – 24 months, depending on the branch, minimum requirement a high school diploma.

South Korea’s public has an ambivalent relation to compulsory military service. It is subject to a harsh critique and repeated calls for its dismissal can often be heard in the media. On the other hand, draft dodgers are exposed to even more scrutiny, and even a hint of wrongdoings can land a person in a world of trouble. There are many examples of celebrities whose careers have been ruined after it was discovered that they have tried to avoid conscription, like the so-called Toothless Rapper. ROK Armed Forces maintain a half a million strong active force, mostly because of their northern neighbors on the peninsula and in order to field such a large all-volunteer force of professionals, it would need to increase its military spending by 25%, something Seoul isn’t ready to do.

2. Russia

Military budget in 2015 in USD billions: 65.6
Compulsory Service Length
Men: 12 months
Women: None

During the Soviet Union, draft dodging was considered almost an act of treason, and as such, it was highly frowned upon. After the collapse of the USSR, everybody who could afford to bribe their way out of compulsory military service did so, leading to an almost complete loss of public trust in the conscription service. The term of service was cut from 24 months to just 12 in 2006, in order to both increase the number of conscripts and reduce cost. Today, things are a bit better, but the vast majority of conscripts are from poor families, with an incredible 40% of them growing up either in single-parent families or orphanages. Rich people of Russia still refuse to send their sons to perform their patriotic duty. And now, let’s see the number one in our list of strongest countries with compulsory military service.

1. China

Military budget in 2015 in USD billions: 145.8
Compulsory Service Length
Men: 24 months
Women: None

The number one on our list of the strongest countries with compulsory military service, China has been desperately trying to close the technological gap between its armed forces and those of its neighbors for decades. In the recent years, as the number of sophisticated high tech equipment and weapons reaching the hands of an average People’s Liberation Army recruit has drastically increased, Chinese high-level officers have discovered the old military maxim, that the weapon is as good as the soldier who uses it. In an effort to increase the education level of the armed forces, China has introduced several amendments to its conscription laws, removing the stipulation that allowed university students to defer military service and raising the maximum age for recruitment to 24 years of age.