US has world's most powerful military, Pak in 7th place, Bhutan weakest. Is India in top 10? LIST

Analysing the strengths of militaries across the world, Global Firepower (GFP) assessed over 60 individual factors for the ‘2023 Military Strength Ranking’.

The United States has the strongest military force in the world, with Russia and China in second and third and India in fourth place, according to Global Firepower, a data website that tracks global defence-related information.

The report, listing 145 countries, also indicates the year-over-year trend comparison. (AFP/File)

The 2023 Military Strength list - which also includes the nations with the weakest military force in the world, which includes Bhutan and Iceland - assessed over 60 factors.

Global Firepower said it established 'a given nation's score with categories ranging from quantity of military units and financial standing to logistical capabilities and geography'.

"Our unique, in-house formula allows for smaller (and) more technologically-advanced nations to compete with larger (and) lesser-developed powers… special modifiers, in the form of bonuses and penalties, are applied to further refine the list which is compiled annually. Trends do not necessarily indicate a declining power as changes to the GFP formula can also account for this."

The report lists 145 countries and also compares each nation's year-on-year ranking changes.

Here are the 10 nations with most powerful militaries in the world:

1. United States
2. Russia
3. China
4. India
5. United Kingdom
6. South Korea
7. Pakistan
8. Japan
9. France
10. Italy

Here are the 10 nations with least powerful militaries in the world:

1. Bhutan
2. Benin
3. Moldova
4. Somalia
5. Liberia
6. Suriname
7. Belize
8. Central African Republic
9. Iceland
10. Sierra Leone

Changes from last year?

The top four nations remain as they were in the 2022 Global Firepower list.

However, the UK has moved up from eighth place last year to fifth this year. South Korea remains in sixth place as it was last year.

Pakistan enters the top 10 in seventh place, and Japan and France ranked fifth and seventh last year, drop to eighth and ninth this year.

Russia in second place?

There have, however, been questions about Russia remaining in second place given its apparent inability to overcome Ukrainian forces after Moscow launched its 'special operation' - to invade its neighbour - in February last year.

One Twitter handle - sporting the Ukraine flag - joked 'Russia has the second most powerful army in Ukraine, not in the world'. Another asked if 'Russia really still be at No 2 on the list' and a third - in a swipe over Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin's 'coup' said the army is 'second most powerful military in Russia'.