With over 1.3 million soldiers at the ready, North Korea fields an army that rivals some of Asia’s largest military powers, and in some cases, it even surpasses them. While other nations like China and India lead in active-duty personnel by sheer numbers, North Korea’s ability to maintain a force like this with limited resources highlights its military doctrine and overall priorities. Here, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed Asia’s military powers and which of these nations are fielding the largest armies.
To determine the Asian countries with the most army personnel, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 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 total army 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 army personnel were excluded.
Here is a look at the countries with the most army personnel in Asia:
Why Are We Covering This?
Understanding the military dynamics of Asia is important considering the region’s complex geopolitical landscape and its growing strategic significance. Historically, Asia has been shaped by internal conflicts, border disputes, and great power competition. Today, its military forces play an important role in determining regional stability. As tensions rise over territorial claims and political influence, military power is the law of the land, from disputes in the South China Sea to the contested borders in South Asia.
44. Bhutan
- Total army personnel: 4,850
- Total air force personnel: 0
- Total navy personnel: 0
- Active military personnel: 7,500
- Reserve military personnel: 0
- Paramilitary personnel: 0
- Total military personnel: 7,500
- Military strength score and world rank: 6.3934 – #145 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $14,000,000 – #145 out of 145
Bhutan’s army personnel only operate a total of 84 military vehicles.
43. Tajikistan
- Total army personnel: 9,000
- Total air force personnel: 1,500
- Total navy personnel: 0
- Active military personnel: 9,500
- Reserve military personnel: 600,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 20,000
- Total military personnel: 629,500
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.3049 – #108 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $446,000,000 – #108 out of 145
Tajikistan’s army personnel operate 1,240 total military vehicles, including 38 tanks, 20 MLRS units, and 16 artillery units.
42. Kyrgyzstan
- Total army personnel: 20,000
- Total air force personnel: 2,500
- Total navy personnel: 0
- Active military personnel: 23,000
- Reserve military personnel: 300,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 55,000
- Total military personnel: 378,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.2543 – #105 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $221,800,000 – #130 out of 145
Kyrgyzstan’s army personnel operate 2,686 total military vehicles, including 215 tanks, 21 MLRS units, and 199 artillery units.
41. Yemen
- Total army personnel: 32,000
- Total air force personnel: 5,500
- Total navy personnel: 6,500
- Active military personnel: 66,700
- Reserve military personnel: 0
- Paramilitary personnel: 20,000
- Total military personnel: 86,700
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.8901 – #85 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $810,375,000 – #94 out of 145
Yemen’s army personnel operate 550 total military vehicles, including 10 MLRS units and 15 artillery units.
40. Turkmenistan
- Total army personnel: 33,000
- Total air force personnel: 3,000
- Total navy personnel: 500
- Active military personnel: 36,500
- Reserve military personnel: 0
- Paramilitary personnel: 3,500
- Total military personnel: 40,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.6512 – #77 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $1,078,020,000 – #86 out of 145
Turkmenistan’s army personnel operate 5,016 total military vehicles, including 654 tanks, 164 MLRS units, and 523 artillery units.
39. Georgia
- Total army personnel: 35,000
- Total air force personnel: 2,970
- Total navy personnel: 0
- Active military personnel: 55,000
- Reserve military personnel: 152,500
- Paramilitary personnel: 0
- Total military personnel: 207,500
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.0695 – #94 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $495,629,055 – #105 out of 145
Georgia’s army personnel operate 3,392 total military vehicles, including 123 tanks, 42 MLRS units, and 188 artillery units.
38. Mongolia
- Total army personnel: 35,000
- Total air force personnel: 1,500
- Total navy personnel: 0
- Active military personnel: 35,000
- Reserve military personnel: 135,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 50,000
- Total military personnel: 220,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.1135 – #98 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $165,110,000 – #135 out of 145
Mongolia’s army personnel operate 2,560 total military vehicles, including 420 tanks, 130 MLRS units, and 500 artillery units.
37. Uzbekistan
- Total army personnel: 40,000
- Total air force personnel: 15,000
- Total navy personnel: 550
- Active military personnel: 48,000
- Reserve military personnel: 0
- Paramilitary personnel: 20,000
- Total military personnel: 68,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.1121 – #58 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $2,803,500,000 – #63 out of 145
Uzbekistan’s army personnel operate 2,970 total military vehicles, including 340 tanks, 108 MLRS units, and 383 artillery units.
36. Qatar
- Total army personnel: 42,500
- Total air force personnel: 2,000
- Total navy personnel: 4,500
- Active military personnel: 66,550
- Reserve military personnel: 15,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 5,500
- Total military personnel: 87,050
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.4307 – #72 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $9,432,000,000 – #34 out of 145
Qatar’s army personnel operate 5,024 total military vehicles, including 99 tanks, 16 MLRS units, and 58 artillery units.
35. United Arab Emirates
- Total army personnel: 44,000
- Total air force personnel: 4,000
- Total navy personnel: 3,000
- Active military personnel: 65,000
- Reserve military personnel: 130,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 12,000
- Total military personnel: 207,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.0186 – #54 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $2,212,360,382 – #70 out of 145
The United Arab Emirates’s army personnel operate 8,707 total military vehicles, including 354 tanks, 49 MLRS units, and 264 artillery units.
34. Lebanon
- Total army personnel: 45,000
- Total air force personnel: 2,500
- Total navy personnel: 1,700
- Active military personnel: 60,000
- Reserve military personnel: 35,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 65,000
- Total military personnel: 160,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.5981 – #115 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $768,250,325 – #97 out of 145
Lebanon’s army personnel operate 4,538 total military vehicles, including 116 tanks, 11 MLRS units, and 365 artillery units.
33. Laos
- Total army personnel: 45,500
- Total air force personnel: 1,500
- Total navy personnel: 2,500
- Active military personnel: 100,000
- Reserve military personnel: 30,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 120,000
- Total military personnel: 250,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.2663 – #106 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $135,000,000 – #138 out of 145
Laos’s army personnel operate 4,380 total military vehicles, including 160 tanks, 64 MLRS units, and 127 artillery units.
32. Azerbaijan
- Total army personnel: 55,000
- Total air force personnel: 12,000
- Total navy personnel: 2,200
- Active military personnel: 126,400
- Reserve military personnel: 300,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 15,000
- Total military personnel: 441,400
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.2531 – #60 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $5,000,000,000 – #49 out of 145
Azerbaijan’s army personnel operate 7,642 total military vehicles, including 497 tanks, 268 MLRS units, and 848 artillery units.
31. Kuwait
![Kuwait kicks off month of 50/20 festivities at Qaruh Island [Image 3 of 5] by DVIDSHUB](https://live.staticflickr.com/5018/5392415859_e73372d716_b.jpg "Kuwait kicks off month of 50/20 festivities at Qaruh Island [Image 3 of 5] by DVIDSHUB")
- Total army personnel: 60,000
- Total air force personnel: 8,000
- Total navy personnel: 4,000
- Active military personnel: 72,000
- Reserve military personnel: 24,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 7,500
- Total military personnel: 103,500
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.6982 – #79 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $6,950,000,000 – #41 out of 145
Kuwait’s army personnel operate 5,636 total military vehicles, including 367 tanks, 27 MLRS units, and 74 artillery units.
30. Armenia
- Total army personnel: 65,000
- Total air force personnel: 5,000
- Total navy personnel: 0
- Active military personnel: 57,500
- Reserve military personnel: 210,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 5,000
- Total military personnel: 272,500
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.0373 – #91 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $1,700,000,000 – #74 out of 145
Armenia’s army personnel operate 1,306 total military vehicles, including 109 tanks, 100 MLRS units, and 293 artillery units.
29. Saudi Arabia
- Total army personnel: 75,000
- Total air force personnel: 20,000
- Total navy personnel: 13,500
- Active military personnel: 257,000
- Reserve military personnel: 0
- Paramilitary personnel: 150,000
- Total military personnel: 407,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.4201 – #25 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $74,760,000,000 – #5 out of 145
Saudi Arabia’s army personnel operate 19,040 total military vehicles, including 840 tanks, 321 MLRS units, and 799 artillery units.
28. Kazakhstan
- Total army personnel: 80,000
- Total air force personnel: 12,000
- Total navy personnel: 3,000
- Active military personnel: 110,000
- Reserve military personnel: 135,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 55,000
- Total military personnel: 300,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.1016 – #57 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $2,048,700,000 – #72 out of 145
Kazakhstan’s army personnel operate 7,736 total military vehicles, including 350 tanks, 287 MLRS units, and 320 artillery units.
27. Cambodia
- Total army personnel: 85,000
- Total air force personnel: 8,500
- Total navy personnel: 2,800
- Active military personnel: 221,000
- Reserve military personnel: 0
- Paramilitary personnel: 10,000
- Total military personnel: 231,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.0752 – #95 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $860,000,000 – #92 out of 145
Cambodia’s army personnel operate 3,627 total military vehicles, including 644 tanks, 463 MLRS units, and 460 artillery units.
26. Oman
- Total army personnel: 100,000
- Total air force personnel: 5,600
- Total navy personnel: 4,200
- Active military personnel: 42,600
- Reserve military personnel: 100,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 10,000
- Total military personnel: 152,600
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.8047 – #82 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $8,200,000,000 – #36 out of 145
Oman’s army personnel operate 4,084 total military vehicles, including 150 tanks and 164 artillery units.
25. Taiwan
- Total army personnel: 130,000
- Total air force personnel: 35,000
- Total navy personnel: 40,000
- Active military personnel: 215,000
- Reserve military personnel: 2,310,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 55,000
- Total military personnel: 2,580,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.3988 – #23 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $19,740,000,000 – #23 out of 145
Taiwan’s army personnel operate 19,921 total military vehicles, including 888 tanks, 234 MLRS units, and 1,848 artillery units.
24. Malaysia
- Total army personnel: 130,000
- Total air force personnel: 15,000
- Total navy personnel: 18,000
- Active military personnel: 113,000
- Reserve military personnel: 51,600
- Paramilitary personnel: 100,000
- Total military personnel: 264,600
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.7429 – #42 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $4,800,000,000 – #50 out of 145
Malaysia’s army personnel operate 13,506 total military vehicles, including 48 tanks, 36 MLRS units, and 196 artillery units.
23. Syria
- Total army personnel: 130,000
- Total air force personnel: 36,000
- Total navy personnel: 6,500
- Active military personnel: 170,000
- Reserve military personnel: 50,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 50,000
- Total military personnel: 270,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.2771 – #64 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $291,850,000 – #124 out of 145
Syria’s army personnel operate 11,148 total military vehicles, including 365 tanks, 204 MLRS units, and 731 artillery units.
22. Jordan
- Total army personnel: 146,000
- Total air force personnel: 14,000
- Total navy personnel: 2,500
- Active military personnel: 100,500
- Reserve military personnel: 65,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 35,000
- Total military personnel: 200,500
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.6139 – #76 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $2,500,000,000 – #65 out of 145
Jordan’s army personnel operate 16,624 total military vehicles, including 1,458 tanks, 56 MLRS units, and 438 artillery units.
21. Bangladesh
- Total army personnel: 160,000
- Total air force personnel: 17,400
- Total navy personnel: 25,100
- Active military personnel: 163,000
- Reserve military personnel: 0
- Paramilitary personnel: 6,800,000
- Total military personnel: 6,963,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.6062 – #35 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $4,374,000,000 – #56 out of 145
Bangladesh’s army personnel operate 11,584 total military vehicles, including 320 tanks, 110 MLRS units, and 602 artillery units.
20. Iraq
- Total army personnel: 175,000
- Total air force personnel: 5,000
- Total navy personnel: 12,500
- Active military personnel: 193,000
- Reserve military personnel: 0
- Paramilitary personnel: 100,000
- Total military personnel: 293,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.7738 – #43 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $7,923,000,000 – #37 out of 145
Iraq’s army personnel operate 37,288 total military vehicles, including 1,025 tanks, 572 MLRS units, and 1044 artillery units.
19. Nepal
- Total army personnel: 180,000
- Total air force personnel: 500
- Total navy personnel: 0
- Active military personnel: 95,000
- Reserve military personnel: 0
- Paramilitary personnel: 15,000
- Total military personnel: 110,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.8915 – #126 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $409,100,000 – #111 out of 145
Nepal’s army personnel operate 1,108 total military vehicles, including only 14 artillery units with no tanks or MLRS units to speak of.
18. Japan
- Total army personnel: 196,700
- Total air force personnel: 50,000
- Total navy personnel: 50,800
- Active military personnel: 247,150
- Reserve military personnel: 56,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 25,000
- Total military personnel: 328,150
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.1839 – #7 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $57,000,000,000 – #7 out of 145
Japan’s army personnel operate 31,964 total military vehicles, including 521 tanks, 54 MLRS units, and 629 artillery units.
17. Bahrain
- Total army personnel: 200,000
- Total air force personnel: 1,500
- Total navy personnel: 1,770
- Active military personnel: 18,400
- Reserve military personnel: 110,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 1,500
- Total military personnel: 129,900
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.7448 – #81 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $1,597,200,000 – #75 out of 145
Bahrain’s army personnel operate 2,764 total military vehicles, including 150 tanks, 17 MLRS units, and 64 artillery units.
16. Sri Lanka
- Total army personnel: 200,785
- Total air force personnel: 27,000
- Total navy personnel: 48,000
- Active military personnel: 346,000
- Reserve military personnel: 90,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 0
- Total military personnel: 436,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.3941 – #69 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $1,265,400,000 – #82 out of 145
Sri Lanka’s army personnel operate 3,190 total military vehicles, including 44 tanks, 28 MLRS units, and 96 artillery units.
15. Philippines
- Total army personnel: 201,250
- Total air force personnel: 33,600
- Total navy personnel: 39,500
- Active military personnel: 150,000
- Reserve military personnel: 1,200,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 35,000
- Total military personnel: 1,385,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.6987 – #41 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $4,380,000,000 – #55 out of 145
The Philippines’ army personnel operate 11,878 total military vehicles, including 10 tanks and 306 artillery units.
14. Singapore
- Total army personnel: 280,000
- Total air force personnel: 13,500
- Total navy personnel: 9,000
- Active military personnel: 51,000
- Reserve military personnel: 252,500
- Paramilitary personnel: 12,000
- Total military personnel: 315,500
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.5271 – #29 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $15,000,000,000 – #26 out of 145
Singapore’s army personnel operate 8,998 total military vehicles, including 170 tanks, 24 MLRS units, and 137 artillery units.
13. Vietnam
- Total army personnel: 300,000
- Total air force personnel: 35,000
- Total navy personnel: 50,000
- Active military personnel: 600,000
- Reserve military personnel: 5,000,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 250,000
- Total military personnel: 5,850,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.4024 – #24 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $8,594,000,000 – #35 out of 145
Vietnam’s army personnel operate 11,912 total military vehicles, including 1,374 tanks, 474 MLRS units, and 575 artillery units.
12. Indonesia
- Total army personnel: 300,400
- Total air force personnel: 30,100
- Total navy personnel: 66,034
- Active military personnel: 400,000
- Reserve military personnel: 400,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 250,000
- Total military personnel: 1,050,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.2557 – #13 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $10,600,000,000 – #29 out of 145
Indonesia’s army personnel operate 20,440 total military vehicles, including 331 tanks, 63 MLRS units, and 549 artillery units.
11. Myanmar
- Total army personnel: 325,000
- Total air force personnel: 15,000
- Total navy personnel: 16,000
- Active military personnel: 150,000
- Reserve military personnel: 20,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 55,000
- Total military personnel: 225,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.6735 – #37 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $2,948,000,000 – #62 out of 145
Myanmar’s army personnel operate 5,980 total military vehicles, including 445 tanks, 180 MLRS units, and 305 artillery units.
10. Iran
- Total army personnel: 350,000
- Total air force personnel: 42,000
- Total navy personnel: 18,500
- Active military personnel: 610,000
- Reserve military personnel: 350,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 220,000
- Total military personnel: 1,180,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.3048 – #16 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $15,450,000,000 – #25 out of 145
Iran’s army personnel operate 65,825 total military vehicles, including 1,713 tanks, 1,517 MLRS units, and 2,462 artillery units.
9. South Korea
- Total army personnel: 365,000
- Total air force personnel: 65,000
- Total navy personnel: 70,000
- Active military personnel: 600,000
- Reserve military personnel: 3,100,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 120,000
- Total military personnel: 3,820,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.1656 – #5 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $46,300,000,000 – #14 out of 145
South Korea’s army personnel operate 58,880 total military vehicles, including 2,236 tanks, 426 MLRS units, and 7,670 artillery units.
8. Thailand
- Total army personnel: 457,300
- Total air force personnel: 46,000
- Total navy personnel: 84,000
- Active military personnel: 360,850
- Reserve military personnel: 200,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 25,000
- Total military personnel: 585,850
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.4536 – #26 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $5,887,883,500 – #45 out of 145
Thailand’s army personnel operate 16,935 total military vehicles, including 635 tanks, 26 MLRS units, and 639 artillery units.
7. Turkey
- Total army personnel: 518,900
- Total air force personnel: 115,000
- Total navy personnel: 100,000
- 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 army personnel operate 61,173 total military vehicles, including 2,238 tanks, 296 MLRS units, and 2,745 artillery units.
6. Israel
- Total army personnel: 526,000
- Total air force personnel: 89,000
- Total navy personnel: 19,500
- Active military personnel: 170,000
- Reserve military personnel: 465,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 35,000
- Total military personnel: 670,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.2661 – #15 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $30,500,000,000 – #17 out of 145
Israel’s army personnel operate 35,985 total military vehicles, including 1,300 tanks, 183 MLRS units, and 523 artillery units.
5. Russia
- Total army personnel: 550,000
- Total air force personnel: 165,000
- Total navy personnel: 160,000
- Active military personnel: 1,320,000
- Reserve military personnel: 2,000,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 250,000
- Total military personnel: 3,570,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.0788 – #2 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $126,000,000,000 – #3 out of 145
Russia’s army personnel operate 131,527 total military vehicles, including 5,750 tanks, 3,005 MLRS units, and 13,673 artillery units.
4. Pakistan
- Total army personnel: 1,311,500
- Total air force personnel: 78,128
- Total navy personnel: 124,800
- Active military personnel: 654,000
- Reserve military personnel: 550,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 500,000
- Total military personnel: 1,704,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.2513 – #12 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $7,640,000,000 – #38 out of 145
Pakistan’s army personnel operate 17,516 total military vehicles, including 2,627 tanks, 600 MLRS units, and 3,291 artillery units.
3. North Korea
- Total army personnel: 1,370,000
- Total air force personnel: 110,000
- Total navy personnel: 60,000
- Active military personnel: 1,320,000
- Reserve military personnel: 560,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 100,000
- Total military personnel: 1,980,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.6016 – #34 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $4,736,000,000 – #51 out of 145
North Korea’s army personnel operate 18,288 total military vehicles, including 4,344 tanks, 1,500 MLRS units, and 2,000 artillery units.
2. India
- Total army personnel: 2,197,117
- Total air force personnel: 310,575
- Total navy personnel: 142,252
- Active military personnel: 1,455,550
- Reserve military personnel: 1,155,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 2,527,000
- Total military personnel: 5,137,550
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.1184 – #4 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $75,000,000,000 – #4 out of 145
India’s army personnel operate 148,594 total military vehicles, including 4,201 tanks, 264 MLRS units, and 4,075 artillery units.
1. China
- Total army personnel: 2,545,000
- Total air force personnel: 400,000
- Total navy personnel: 380,000
- Active military personnel: 2,035,000
- Reserve military personnel: 510,000
- Paramilitary personnel: 625,000
- Total military personnel: 3,170,000
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.0788 – #3 out of 145
- Military defense budget: $266,850,000,000 – #2 out of 145
China’s army personnel operate 144,017 total military vehicles, including 6,800 tanks, 2,750 MLRS units, and 4,490 artillery units.
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