Who has the biggest military? Breaking it down by active and reserve members.

• China has the largest military based on active personnel
• Vietnam has the largest military based on active personnel and reserves
• The United States has the largest military budget at 801 billion US dollars
• The United States has the most powerful military in the world

In 2340 BC, Sargon of Akkad, also known as Sargon the Great, created the world’s first professional military, according to the Warfare History Network. Before Sargon modernized the army, Sumerian cities would function with a series of militias. One change Sargon made was incorporating a phalanx that was six men deep with the men in the first line carrying a rectangular shield. 

Militaries expanded beyond what Sargon did and now exist all over the world. They’re used to defend their respective countries. Out of all the militaries in the world, which is the biggest?

Who has the biggest military?

According to Statista, the largest military based on active personnel is China. China has 2 million active military personnel as of 2022.

The top 10 largest militaries based on active personnel: 

1. China – 2,000,000
2. India – 1,450,000
3. United States – 1,390,000
4. North Korea – 1,200,000
5. Russia – 850,000
6. Pakistan – 640,000
7. Iran – 575,000
8. South Korea – 555,000
9. Vietnam – 470,000
10. Egypt – 450,000

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Despite having the largest active military, China does not have the largest military based on combined active personnel and reserves. According to the World Population Review, Vietnam has the largest active-duty and reserve military at 5,482,000 people.

The top 10 largest militaries based on active personnel and reserves: 

1. Vietnam – 5,482,000
2. South Korea – 3,699,000
3. China – 3,355,000
4. Russian Federation – 3,014,000
5. India – 2,610,550
6. United States – 2,233,050
7. North Korea – 1,880,000
8. Taiwan – 1,820,000
9. Brazil – 1,706,500
10. Pakistan – 1,204,000

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Who has the largest military budget?

According to Statista, the United States has the largest military budget sitting at 801 billion dollars as of 2021. 

The top 10 largest military budgets, in US dollars:

1. United States – 801 billion 
2. China – 293 billion 
3. India – 76.6 billion
4. United Kingdom – 68.4 billion
5. Russia – 65.9 billion
6. France – 56.6 billion
7. Germany – 56 billion 
8. Saudi Arabia – 55.6 billion
9. Japan – 54.1 billion
10. South Korea – 50.2 billion

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Who has the most powerful military?

According to Statista, the most powerful military in the world is the United States military. Statista uses an index with 50 different factors such as military might to budget to give each country a score.

The top eight most powerful militaries as of January 2022:  

1. United States 
2. Russia
3. China 
4. India 
5. Japan 
6. South Korea
7. France
8. United Kingdom