15 Countries That Have the Best Military in the World

1. United States

GDP (2023): $26.95 trillion

Defense Expenditure (2023): $916 billion

Technological Capabilities Rank: 3

Nuclear Weapons: 5,550

Manpower: 1,328,000

Special Forces Rank: 1

Tanks: 4,657

Artillery: 3,556

Aircraft/Fighter Jets: 5,209

Aircraft Carriers: 11

Submarines: 64

Military Satellites: 218

Overseas Military Bases: 759

Cyber capabilities Rank: 1

Weighted Score: 1.65

The United States has the best military in the world. The country outranks all counterparts in ground forces, aerial and naval strength. In 2023, Washington spent a staggering $916 billion on defense expenditure, which represented close to two-fifths of the world’s military spending and 68% of NATO’s defense expenditure during the year. The United States has the largest fleet of fighter jets and aircraft carriers in the world, which alone is a testament to its military power. Moreover, the country enjoys a distinct geographic advantage through its 759 overseas military bases across 80 countries, which allow it to strike enemy targets anywhere in the world at will. The United States is also the third most technologically advanced country in the world and ranks first in the globe for cybersecurity capabilities.

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