In terms of global military powers in 2025, the United States is the first, Russia is the second, China is the third, India is the fourth, South Korea is the fifth, the United Kingdom is the sixth, France is the seventh, Japan is the eighth, Turkey is the ninth, and Italy is the tenth.
In order for each country to emerge as a strong player in the world arena, countries are competing fiercely to strengthen their military capabilities, protect national sovereignty and allocate budgets ranging from millions to billions of dollars for defense and military efforts.
Global Firepower has published a ranking of 145 countries in the world based on the currently available firepower. We have selected the top 10 countries in terms of military power.
The top 10 global military powers in 2025
| Rank | Country | Power Index |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States of America 🇺🇸 | 0.0744 |
| 2 | Russia 🇷🇺 | 0.0788 |
| 3 | China 🇨🇳 | 0.0788 |
| 4 | India 🇮🇳 | 0.1184 |
| 5 | South korea 🇰🇷 | 0.1656 |
| 6 | United Kingdom 🇬🇧 | 0.1785 |
| 7 | France 🇫🇷 | 0.1878 |
| 8 | Japan 🇯🇵 | 0.1839 |
| 9 | Turkiye 🇹🇷 | 0.1902 |
| 10 | Italy 🇮🇹 | 0.2164 |
Among the powerful countries, the United States has a total military personnel estimate of 2,127,500, a total of 13,043 aircraft, 4,640 tanks, a total of 440 ships in the Naval Forces, and various weapons. The proposed US military budget in 2025 is a defense budget of $850 billion, the highest in the world. The budget is adjusted for inflation.
The United States has maintained the top position in military power since 2005, largely due to its large manpower, significant financial resources, substantial material reserves, natural resources, and industrial production.
Russia remains second in the ranking despite geopolitical tensions due to its ongoing conflict with Ukraine. China, which ranks third after Russia, continues to increase its military capabilities with substantial investment in development and investment in the military.
Ranked fourth in global firepower, India has emerged as a significant military power, largely driven by consistent military spending, modernization, and manpower.
India’s neighboring country, Pakistan, is at position 12 with a Military Power Index score of 0.2513 in 2025.
According to The Indian Express, countries around the world are facing various geopolitical conflicts, with around 60 armed conflicts recorded in the last year. According to the World Economic Forum report, between 2023 and 2024, the number of civilian casualties will increase by 30%. The death toll rose mainly due to rising hostilities in the Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe.
