The US Navy stands as the backbone to NATO naval power. With more aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines than any country in the world, the US Navy can project power with unmatched reach. In fact, in terms of manpower alone, the US Navy has more personnel than the combined navies of every NATO member. Here, 24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look at the NATO alliance and how its navies rank in terms of personnel.
To determine the NATO countries with the most navy personnel, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed 2025 Military Strength Ranking from Global Firepower, an annually updated defense-related statistics website with information on 145 countries. Global Firepower ranked 145 countries based on their PowerIndex, a composite of over 60 measures in categories such as military might, financials, logistical capability, and geography. The smaller the PowerIndex value the more powerful a nation’s theoretical conventional fighting capability is. We ranked these countries based on navy personnel. We also included supplemental information regarding personnel counts from other military branches, active personnel, total personnel, as well as the overall military strength score and defense budget. Countries with no navy personnel were excluded.
Here is a look at the countries with the most navy personnel in NATO:
Why Are We Covering This?
Understanding NATO’s military dynamics is important when looking at the state of global security. Since its inception, NATO has played a pivotal role in shaping international relations through its collective defense and security framework. As geopolitical tensions continue to rise and new threats emerge, knowing and understanding NATO’s military capabilities is important for getting a clearer picture of the world stage. Not to mention, countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany, among others, contribute significantly to NATO’s military strength, influencing global power balances and regional stability.
26. Slovenia
- Total navy personnel: 350
- Total army personnel: 6,500
- Total air force personnel: 610
- Active military personnel: 7,300
- Reserve military personnel: 26,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 5,000
- Total military personnel: 38,300
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.1016 – #96 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $886,860,000 – #91 out of 145
Slovenia’s navy personnel operate 2 total naval vessels, all of which are offshore patrol vessels.
25. Estonia
- Total navy personnel: 500
- Total army personnel: 4,000
- Total air force personnel: 1,570
- Active military personnel: 7,700
- Reserve military personnel: 78,800
- Paramilitary personnel: 10,000
- Total military personnel: 96,500
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.2917 – #107 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $1,463,360,000 – #77 out of 145
Estonia’s navy personnel operate 8 total naval vessels, including 4 offshore patrol vessels.
24. Montenegro
- Total navy personnel: 550
- Total army personnel: 1,500
- Total air force personnel: 350
- Active military personnel: 2,350
- Reserve military personnel: 0
- Paramilitary personnel: 5,500
- Total military personnel: 7,850
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.9216 – #127 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $148,100,000 – #136 out of 145
Montenegro’s navy personnel operate 14 total naval vessels, including 2 offshore patrol vessels.
23. Lithuania
- Total navy personnel: 700
- Total army personnel: 14,500
- Total air force personnel: 1,500
- Active military personnel: 23,000
- Reserve military personnel: 104,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 14,150
- Total military personnel: 141,150
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.9075 – #88 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $2,388,900,000 – #66 out of 145
Lithuania’s navy personnel operate 14 total naval vessels, including 7 offshore patrol vessels.
22. Albania
- Total navy personnel: 1,000
- Total army personnel: 2,335
- Total air force personnel: 660
- Active military personnel: 6,600
- Reserve military personnel: 2,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 500
- Total military personnel: 9,100
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.6815 – #78 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $558,862,420 – #101 out of 145
Albania’s navy personnel operate 19 total naval vessels, all of which are offshore patrol vessels.
21. Latvia
- Total navy personnel: 1,000
- Total army personnel: 6,700
- Total air force personnel: 250
- Active military personnel: 17,250
- Reserve military personnel: 36,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 12,500
- Total military personnel: 65,750
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.1246 – #99 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $1,138,000,000 – #84 out of 145
Latvia’s navy personnel operate 18 total naval vessels, including 11 offshore patrol vessels.
20. Belgium
- Total navy personnel: 1,300
- Total army personnel: 12,120
- Total air force personnel: 6,500
- Active military personnel: 25,000
- Reserve military personnel: 6,400
- Paramilitary personnel: 0
- Total military personnel: 31,400
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.2564 – #62 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $10,200,000,000 – #31 out of 145
Belgium’s navy personnel operate 9 total naval vessels, including 2 frigates and 2 offshore patrol vessels.
19. Croatia
- Total navy personnel: 1,365
- Total army personnel: 7,075
- Total air force personnel: 1,260
- Active military personnel: 14,325
- Reserve military personnel: 20,100
- Paramilitary personnel: 2,000
- Total military personnel: 36,425
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.5074 – #75 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $1,176,000,000 – #83 out of 145
Croatia’s navy personnel operate 30 total naval vessels, including 10 offshore patrol vessels.
18. Sweden
- Total navy personnel: 2,100
- Total army personnel: 6,850
- Total air force personnel: 2,700
- Active military personnel: 24,400
- Reserve military personnel: 32,900
- Paramilitary personnel: 25,000
- Total military personnel: 82,300
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.4835 – #27 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $13,000,000,000 – #28 out of 145
Sweden’s navy personnel operate 308 total naval vessels, including 4 submarines, 7 corvettes, and 179 offshore patrol vessels.
17. Denmark
- Total navy personnel: 3,600
- Total army personnel: 88,400
- Total air force personnel: 3,500
- Active military personnel: 20,000
- Reserve military personnel: 12,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 51,000
- Total military personnel: 83,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.8109 – #45 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $7,225,466,250 – #40 out of 145
Denmark’s navy personnel operate 50 total naval vessels, including 9 frigates and 9 offshore patrol vessels.
16. Norway
- Total navy personnel: 4,000
- Total army personnel: 8,815
- Total air force personnel: 3,650
- Active military personnel: 23,250
- Reserve military personnel: 0
- Paramilitary personnel: 40,000
- Total military personnel: 63,250
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.6811 – #38 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $9,710,000,000 – #32 out of 145
Norway’s navy personnel operate 43 total naval vessels, including 6 submarines, 4 frigates, 6 corvettes, and 18 offshore patrol vessels.
15. Bulgaria
- Total navy personnel: 4,450
- Total army personnel: 17,000
- Total air force personnel: 8,500
- Active military personnel: 37,000
- Reserve military personnel: 3,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 0
- Total military personnel: 40,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.2563 – #61 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $1,373,232,000 – #80 out of 145
Bulgaria’s navy personnel operate 36 total naval vessels, including 4 frigates and 3 corvettes.
14. Romania
- Total navy personnel: 6,800
- Total army personnel: 35,500
- Total air force personnel: 11,700
- Active military personnel: 81,300
- Reserve military personnel: 55,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 15,000
- Total military personnel: 151,300
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.8984 – #51 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $9,700,000,000 – #33 out of 145
Romania’s navy personnel operate 20 total naval vessels, including 3 frigates, 7 corvettes, and 3 offshore patrol vessels.
13. Portugal
- Total navy personnel: 7,000
- Total army personnel: 11,000
- Total air force personnel: 6,000
- Active military personnel: 24,000
- Reserve military personnel: 211,700
- Paramilitary personnel: 24,700
- Total military personnel: 260,400
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.6856 – #39 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $4,627,000,000 – #52 out of 145
Portugal’s navy personnel operate 194 total naval vessels, including 2 submarines, 5 frigates, 2 corvettes, and 20 offshore patrol vessels.
12. Netherlands
- Total navy personnel: 7,510
- Total army personnel: 2,370
- Total air force personnel: 6,540
- Active military personnel: 41,380
- Reserve military personnel: 6,765
- Paramilitary personnel: 5,000
- Total military personnel: 53,145
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.6412 – #36 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $27,000,000,000 – #18 out of 145
The Netherlands’s navy personnel operate 64 total naval vessels, including 3 submarines, 6 frigates, and 4 offshore patrol vessels.
11. Poland
- Total navy personnel: 12,350
- Total army personnel: 100,000
- Total air force personnel: 16,500
- Active military personnel: 202,100
- Reserve military personnel: 350,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 50,000
- Total military personnel: 602,100
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.3776 – #22 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $48,700,000,000 – #12 out of 145
Poland’s navy personnel operate 62 total naval vessels, including 1 submarine, 2 frigates, 2 corvettes, and 3 offshore patrol vessels.
10. Finland
- Total navy personnel: 16,000
- Total army personnel: 42,000
- Total air force personnel: 41,100
- Active military personnel: 24,000
- Reserve military personnel: 870,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 53,800
- Total military personnel: 947,800
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.8437 – #48 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $6,779,661,000 – #42 out of 145
Finland’s navy personnel operate 264 total naval vessels, including 8 offshore patrol vessels.
9. Canada
- Total navy personnel: 16,300
- Total army personnel: 44,000
- Total air force personnel: 15,560
- Active military personnel: 68,000
- Reserve military personnel: 27,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 5,500
- Total military personnel: 100,500
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.5179 – #28 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $41,000,000,000 – #15 out of 145
Canada’s navy personnel operate 73 total naval vessels, including 4 submarines, 12 frigates, and 24 offshore patrol vessels.
8. Germany
- Total navy personnel: 16,500
- Total army personnel: 62,800
- Total air force personnel: 27,725
- Active military personnel: 181,600
- Reserve military personnel: 34,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 0
- Total military personnel: 215,600
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.2601 – #14 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $50,000,000,000 – #11 out of 145
Germany’s navy personnel operate 61 total naval vessels, including 6 submarines, 11 frigates, and 5 corvettes.
7. Spain
- Total navy personnel: 20,840
- Total army personnel: 75,825
- Total air force personnel: 23,000
- Active military personnel: 133,282
- Reserve military personnel: 15,150
- Paramilitary personnel: 78,470
- Total military personnel: 226,902
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.3242 – #17 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $23,397,000,000 – #22 out of 145
Spain’s navy personnel operate 152 total naval vessels, including 1 aircraft carrier, 2 submarines, 11 frigates, and 22 offshore patrol vessels.
6. Greece
- Total navy personnel: 30,000
- Total army personnel: 200,000
- Total air force personnel: 42,500
- Active military personnel: 142,700
- Reserve military personnel: 221,350
- Paramilitary personnel: 55,000
- Total military personnel: 419,050
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.5337 – #30 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $6,500,000,000 – #44 out of 145
Greece’s navy personnel operate 192 total naval vessels, including 10 submarines, 13 frigates, and 39 offshore patrol vessels.
5. Italy
- Total navy personnel: 31,000
- Total army personnel: 100,000
- Total air force personnel: 43,000
- Active military personnel: 165,500
- Reserve military personnel: 18,500
- Paramilitary personnel: 105,000
- Total military personnel: 289,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.2164 – #10 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $30,890,000,000 – #16 out of 145
Italy’s navy personnel operate 196 total naval vessels, including 2 aircraft carriers, 8 submarines, 10 frigates, and 19 offshore patrol vessels.
4. United Kingdom
- Total navy personnel: 35,730
- Total army personnel: 106,626
- Total air force personnel: 34,790
- Active military personnel: 184,860
- Reserve military personnel: 924,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 0
- Total military personnel: 1,108,860
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.1785 – #6 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $71,500,540,000 – #6 out of 145
The United Kingdom’s navy personnel operate 109 total naval vessels, including 2 aircraft carriers, 9 submarines, 8 frigates, and 26 offshore patrol vessels.
3. France
- Total navy personnel: 44,000
- Total army personnel: 141,600
- Total air force personnel: 40,500
- Active military personnel: 200,000
- Reserve military personnel: 26,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 150,000
- Total military personnel: 376,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.1878 – #8 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $55,000,000,000 – #9 out of 145
France’s navy personnel operate 129 total naval vessels, including 1 aircraft carrier, 3 helicopter carriers, 9 submarines, 11 frigates, and 20 offshore patrol vessels.
2. Turkey
- Total navy personnel: 100,000
- Total army personnel: 518,900
- Total air force personnel: 115,000
- Active military personnel: 355,200
- Reserve military personnel: 378,700
- Paramilitary personnel: 150,000
- Total military personnel: 883,900
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.1902 – #9 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $47,000,000,000 – #13 out of 145
Turkey’s navy personnel operate 182 total naval vessels, including 1 helicopter carrier, 13 submarines, 17 frigates, 9 corvettes, and 41 offshore patrol vessels.
1. United States
- Total navy personnel: 667,108
- Total army personnel: 1,403,200
- Total air force personnel: 701,319
- Active military personnel: 1,328,000
- Reserve military personnel: 799,500
- Paramilitary personnel: 0
- Total military personnel: 2,127,500
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.0744 – #1 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $895,000,000,000 – #1 out of 145
The United States’ navy personnel operate 440 total naval vessels, including 11 aircraft carriers, 9 helicopter carriers, 70 submarines, and 26 corvettes.
Top Gaining Stocks
Top Losing Stocks