Visualized: Europe’s Biggest Armies in 2025

Key Takeaways

• Russia and Ukraine dominate Europe’s military strength, with the largest active forces.
• Türkiye, Poland, and the UK form the next tier of major powers.
• Smaller nations like Finland and Switzerland rely on big reserves rather than large standing armies.

Conscription Summary

Several European countries, including Austria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, and Norway, maintain mandatory military service, while Sweden uses selective gender-neutral conscription and Croatia is set to reintroduce compulsory service in 2026.

As of late 2025, Russia conducts conscription twice a year for men aged 18–30, with increased targets for draftees and significant recruitment of contract soldiers for the war with Ukraine.

Ukraine, under martial law, requires nearly all men aged 25–60 to be eligible for mobilization, having recently lowered the draft age from 27 to 25, and has launched recruitment initiatives and tightened rules to address ongoing manpower shortages during the conflict.