Top 25 Powerful Countries in the World by Military Strength

2. China

GDP (2023): $17.7 trillion

Defense Spending (2023): $296.4 billion

Nuclear Weapons: 350

Manpower: 2,035,000

Tanks: 5,000

Artillery: 8,464

Aircraft/Fighter Jets: 2,084

Aircraft Carriers: 2

Submarines: 61

Military Satellites in Orbit: 125

Overseas Military Bases: 1

Cyber Capabilities Rank: 2 

Technological Capabilities Rank: 12

Overall Score: 0.81

With over 2 million active troops, China has the largest standing military in the world, which has been narrowing the gap on the United States due to the country’s distinct economic edge coupled with high technological capabilities. Beijing spent over $296 billion on defense expenditure in 2023 to further strengthen its military, which already boasts a large number of nuclear weapons, battle tanks, artillery units, military aircraft, and naval assets.