Which European Country Has the Biggest Army? Here’s the Full Ranking

As Russia expands its military and European leaders warn of growing threats, the question of Europe’s defense strength is becoming more urgent.

In March 2025, French President Emmanuel Macron warned that Russia remains a serious danger to Europe.

While NATO provides collective defense, Europe does not have a single, unified army. How quickly NATO could respond to a major attack remains uncertain.

Russia’s Military Power

Russia leads Europe by far in military size.

President Vladimir Putin expanded the Russian army to over 1.5 million troops in 2024. In addition, Russia has approximately 2.6 million paramilitary and internal security forces, known as the “siloviki.”

Russia also has more than 600,000 troops currently deployed in Ukraine.

NATO’s European Armies

By comparison, no European country ranks among the world’s top 10 largest armies.

According to a report by United24 Media, here is a ranking of European military forces by size:

The Baltic States:

• Lithuania: 18,500 active, 13,000 reserves
• Latvia: 8,500 active, 16,000 reserves
• Estonia: 7,500 active, 41,000 reserves

Scandinavia:

• Finland: 40,000 active, 233,000 reserves
• Norway: 25,000 active, 40,000 reserves
• Sweden: 23,000 active, 21,500 reserves
• Denmark: 17,000 active, 44,000 reserves

Central and Western Europe:

• Poland: 216,000 active, 37,000 reserves
• France: 204,000 active, 38,000 reserves
• Germany: 185,000 active, 34,000 reserves
• Italy: 171,000 active, 14,500 reserves
• United Kingdom: 138,000 active, 70,000 reserves
• Spain: 117,000 active, 13,800 reserves
• Greece: 110,000 active, 289,000 reserves
• Romania: 66,000 active, 50,000 reserves
• Netherlands: 41,000 active, fewer than 10,000 reserves

Other European nations such as Czechia, Portugal, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and Austria maintain smaller or neutral forces.

Can Europe Mobilize Fast Enough?

Altogether, Europe’s active military personnel total about 1.6 million, excluding reserves. Experts debate whether Europe could quickly expand its forces to 2–3 million if needed.

The United States also has about 65,000 to 70,000 troops stationed in Europe, mostly at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. NATO member Türkiye adds up to 480,000 troops to the alliance’s strength.

Russia’s Allies: North Korea and Iran

Russia is not alone. Its allies include:

• North Korea: about 2 million troops
• Iran: about 1.2 million troops (including reserves)

Both countries have large weapons industries and the ability to mobilize forces quickly.

Military Budgets Compared

Russia’s official defense budget for 2025 is $142 billion, but some estimates put actual spending above $200 billion.

Top European military budgets:

• Germany: $86 billion
• United Kingdom: $81.1 billion
• France: $64 billion
• Italy: $36 billion
• Poland: $28 billion

Equipment Numbers

Europe’s current military hardware includes:

• 5,000 tanks (Greece owns about 20% of these)
• Around 3,000 artillery units
• Fewer than 1,900 fighter jets and bombers

For the Baltic states alone to defend against Russia, they would need more tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and artillery than the combined land forces of France, Germany, Italy, and the UK.

In 2024, Russia alone produced or refurbished:

• 1,550 tanks
• 5,700 armored vehicles
• 450 artillery pieces

Russia now produces more tanks and artillery shells than all European countries combined.