The 5 Largest Armies In The World

This page is supposed to be a guide to the 5 largest armies in the world, based entirely on number of active personnel and disregarding reserves. This is not intended to represent a list of the most powerful military nations, a list which would either be completely subjective or simply show the 5 Declared Nuclear Nations. Many nations maintain a large military for purposes other than for the protection of national interests, with many retaining the traditional of compulsory national service in the belief that it instills discipline and develops skills in the recruits.

1. China - 2.255m

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is a unified military which was established on 1st August 1927 as the military arm of the Communist Party of China (CCP). The PLA is not only the biggest army in the world but also the biggest employer in the world, with an estimated 2.225m personnel in total. Military service is compulsory for all men who reach the age of 18, at least in theory, although this has never been enforced due to the number of men who wish to join each year far outstripping capacity. The Chinese military aim to only become involved in genuine national defence and the assistance in emergency relief and economic construction.

2. United States - 1.474m

The United States Armed Forces has a total of 1.474m active personnel. The armed forces consists of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard. The US armed forces draws its resources through volunteers, although conscription has been used in various times of both war and of peace (although not since 1972). The US spends about $692bn per annum funding its military operations, which equates to around 42% of global military expenditure. More than 80,000 US military personnel are located in Europe at any one time.

3. India - 1.414m

The Indian Armed Forces is the unified military of the Republic of India, encompassing the Army, Navy and Air Force. It has the third largest active military and the second largest military if including reserve personnel. It intends to expand its military to include an active military space program and is currently developing an advanced missile defence shield as well as nuclear triad capability. The Indian army has no conscription and relies entirely on a high demand for voluntary enrolment. Currently they do not allow females in combat roles.

4. North Korea - 1.106m

The Korean People's Army (KPA) consists of the various North Korean military forces, these include the Army Ground Force, The Navy, The Air Force, The Artillery Guidance Bureau, and The Special Operation Force. Dictator Kim-Jong II is the Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army and he has made the military the primary position in society in his 'Military First' policy. This policy effectively means that military personnel are given priority over food supplies and other luxuries. If including reserve forces, the North Korean military is the largest in the world - with more than 3.5m personnel in the 'Worker-Peasant Red Guard'

5. Russia - 1.037m

The Russian Army is split into three primary branches; these are Ground Forces, the Navy, and the Air Force. There are also several smaller operational units including Space Troops, Strategic Missiles, Paratroopers, and the various Secret Services. Russia spends around 4.3% of its GDP on its army. Russia has withdrawn troops from various international stations in recent years in order to concentrate efforts on peacekeeping and various operations in former Soviet states. The most recent Russian military action was a clash with Georgian forces in August 2008 in a dispute over control of a region called South Ossetia.