2. Russia
Military budget in 2015 in USD billions: 65.6
Compulsory Service Length
Men: 12 months
Women: None
During the Soviet Union, draft dodging was considered almost an act of treason, and as such, it was highly frowned upon. After the collapse of the USSR, everybody who could afford to bribe their way out of compulsory military service did so, leading to an almost complete loss of public trust in the conscription service. The term of service was cut from 24 months to just 12 in 2006, in order to both increase the number of conscripts and reduce cost. Today, things are a bit better, but the vast majority of conscripts are from poor families, with an incredible 40% of them growing up either in single-parent families or orphanages. Rich people of Russia still refuse to send their sons to perform their patriotic duty. And now, let’s see the number one in our list of strongest countries with compulsory military service.
