The world is increasingly engulfed in conflict, whether India and Pakistan, Russia and Ukraine, Afghanistan and Pakistan, and now the incursion of Russian drones into Polish airspace.
All of these wars result in destruction and devastation. Meanwhile, several countries across the world are militarizing quickly, building increased stockpiles of weaponry, and drafting more soldiers.
Who tops the world’s most powerful militaries in 2025?
Within this standoff, the Global Firepower Index has released a ranking of the armed forces of 140 countries, revealing which country has the strongest military in the world. As the 2025 Global Firepower Index confirms, the United States remains the world’s strongest military power. India follows the USA in the top five, and Pakistan is not in the top ten.
Which country is second and third after the U.S.?
According to this index, the United States is the world’s most powerful military. It spends more on military and defense than any country in the world and owns a considerable stock of advanced weapons. The United States appears far more powerful with US military bases in every NATO country and in many countries in the Arab world, while producing a massive stockpile of nuclear weapons.
According to the Global Firepower Index (GFP Index), Russia secures the second rank after the United States, placing it second in the world. China secured the third strongest military in Asia, and India is ranked fourth. South Korea ranks fifth.
According to the Global Firepower Index (GFP Index), India secures the fourth rank after the United States, Russia, and China.
How is the Global Firepower Index calculated?
“The finalized Global Firepower ranking below utilizes over 60 individual factors to determine a given nation’s PowerIndex (‘PwrIndx’) score with categories ranging from quantity of military units and financial standing to logistical capabilities and geography,” reads the official website.
When considering the top 10 countries, the United Kingdom is in sixth place, France is in seventh, Japan is in eighth, Turkey is in ninth, and Italy is in tenth. Pakistan was in ninth position in 2024 but has dropped to 12th in 2025. Iran, which has been much discussed in recent months, is in 16th position in the index. Israel is in 15th position.
List of the countries with their Power Index (PwrIndx) values:
- United States 0.0744
- Russia 0.0788
- China 0.0788
- India 0.1184
- South Korea 0.1656
- United Kingdom 0.1785
- France 0.1878
- Japan 0.1839
- Turkey 0.1902
- Italy 0.2164
Story Highlights
- According to the Global Firepower Index (GFP Index), Russia secures the second rank after the United States.
- China secured the third strongest military in Asia.
- India is ranked fourth.
- South Korea ranks fifth.
The Global Firepower Index ranks the world’s strongest militaries by their defense budgets, technology, troop strength, and global reach. In the last few years, defense expenditure has increased worldwide, with governments spending billions on military modernization. Because of this, countries have benefited from their large spending and have improved their rankings in the past few years.