The United States has retained its position as the world’s strongest military in the 2026 Global Firepower rankings. The country achieved a Power Index (PwrIndx) score of 0.0741, continuing a streak that has kept it at the top since 2005.
Russia secured the second spot with a PwrIndx score of 0.0791, while China came in third, recording a score of 0.0919. The rankings show little change at the very top compared to last year.
India and South Korea completed the top five nations, keeping the same positions as in the previous year.
The Global Firepower report evaluates 145 countries, taking into account over 60 factors that measure military strength. These rankings reflect the relative capabilities of each nation’s armed forces, including manpower, equipment and overall defence resources.
Country-wise ranking (Top 10 countries)
1 United States
2. Russia
3. China
4. India
5. South Korea
6. France
7. Japan
8. United Kingdom
9. Turkiye
10. Italy
Pakistan slips to 14th position
Pakistan continued its downward trend, falling from ninth place in 2024 to 12th in 2025 and further to 14th in 2026, with a PwrIndx score of 0.2626.
Pakistan has for decades inflated the myth of its military might, but recent global rankings have finally punctured that illusion. Despite repeated claims by Islamabad’s leadership about strengthening its armed forces and even exporting defence equipment, the reality on the ground tells a far less flattering story.
India’s Operation Sindoor, a decisive action against terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, laid bare Pakistan’s military weakness before the world. The operation not only exposed Islamabad’s inability to protect itself, but also directly preceded a sharp decline in Pakistan’s standing in global military rankings.
