- As per defence data aggregator Global Firepower’s 2023 Index, the US has ranked on top, followed by Russia and China in the second and third spots respectively.
- India has the fourth most-powerful military in the world.
- The UK, South Korea, Pakistan, Japan, France, and Italy are also among the top 10 countries on the list.
- Pakistan enters the top 10 in seventh place this year.
- The report lists 145 countries and also compares each nation’s year-on-year ranking changes.
Analyzing the strengths of militaries across the world, Global Firepower (GFP) assessed over 60 individual factors for the ‘2023 Military Strength Ranking’. The United States has the strongest military force in the world, with Russia and China in second and third and India in fourth place, according to Global Firepower, a data website that tracks global defense-related information.
The 2023 Military Strength list – which also includes the nations with the weakest military force in the world, including Bhutan and Iceland, assessed over 60 factors. Global Firepower said it established a given nation’s score with categories ranging from quantity of military units and financial standing to logistical capabilities and geography.
“Our unique, in-house formula allows for smaller and more technologically-advanced nations to compete with larger and lesser-developed powers. special modifiers, in the form of bonuses and penalties, are applied to further refine the list which is compiled annually. Trends do not necessarily indicate a declining power as changes to the GFP formula can also account for this.”
The report lists 145 countries and also compares each nation’s year-on-year ranking changes. Here are the 10 nations with the most powerful militaries in the world: the United States, Russia, China, India, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Pakistan, Japan, France, and Italy.
Here are the 10 nations with the least powerful militaries in the world: Bhutan, Benin, Moldova, Somalia, Liberia, Suriname, Belize, Central African Republic, Iceland, and Sierra Leone.
The top four nations remain as they were in the 2022 Global Firepower list. However, the UK has moved up from eighth place last year to fifth this year. South Korea remains in sixth place as it was last year. Pakistan enters the top 10 in seventh place, and Japan and France ranked fifth and seventh last year, drop to eighth and ninth this year.
(With inputs from agencies)
