India-Pak military comparison: How do the two armies stack up
The Indian armed forces rank fourth in the world according to the Global Firepower ranking. In the same GFP annual review, Pakistan ranks 12 among 145 countries
The killing of 26 people during a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam has sent tensions soaring between India and Pakistan.
Since the attack, a couple of Pakistani ministers have even claimed that a military action from India was imminent. Pakistan's information and broadcasting minister Attaullah Tarar said on Wednesday that it could come as early as the next 24 to 36 hours. Pakistan’s deputy PM Ishaq Dar had also said a similar thing on Monday though he did not give a timeline. Jailed former Prime Minister of the country Imran Khan also issued a statement saying that Pakistan has got ‘all the capabilities’ to respond to any such action.
While the Indian government has not responded to all the statements coming out of Pakistan, it would be a good time to look at the comparison of the military strength of the two neighbouring countries.
The military ranking of India and Pakistan
The Indian armed forces rank fourth in the world according to the Global Firepower ranking. The same GFP annual review, Pakistan ranks number 12 among 145 countries. Another survey that divides countries into tiers of military power, puts India in tier 2 while Pakistan is a tier 3 power.
Defence Budget
As far as military spending is concerned, India outspends Pakistan by a mile, allocating ₹6.8 lakh crore in the 2025 Union Budget for the defence sector. New Delhi has earmarked ₹1.8 lakh crore for the modernisation of the military. India's defence budget accounted for 1.9 per cent of India’s projected gross domestic product (GDP) for 2024-25 and 13.45 per cent of the union budget.
Pakistan, on the other hand, is spending 1.7 percent of its GDP on defence in 2025-26, according to a report by Dawn News
Islamabad had allocated PKR 2.12 lakh crore or ₹64,082 crore for FY 2024-25 in June last year.
India's military spending in 2024 was nearly nine times that of Pakistan's expenditure. As per Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India's military expenditure, the fifth largest globally, grew by 1.6 percent to $86.1 billion, while Pakistan spent $10.2 billion.
The strength of the Armed Forces
India's "Available Manpower" stands at 662,290,299, while that of Pakistan is said to be around 108,516,336. This does not mean that all of these can be immediately called into action but will come in handy in a long-drawn out conflict to replenish the on-duty numbers. The numbers are according to Global Firepower.
When it comes to military personnel, India has around 51,37,550 (51 lakh), out of which 14 lakh are active. Pakistan has approximately 17,04,000 (17 lakh) military personnel, out of which 6.5 lakh are active.
According to Military Watch Magazine, India has 4,241,500 combat personnel, while Pakistan has 964,000 combat personnel.
Air and Naval power
India has 2,229 aircraft, out of which 1,672 are battle-ready. 513 are fighter planes while 130 are attack aircraft. The Indian Air Force also has 270 transport planes, 74 special mission planes, and 899 helicopters.
The Pakistan Air Force has 1,399 aircraft, out of which 797 are ready to fight. Their fighter planes number 328 while they also have 90 attack aircraft. The PAF has 64 transport aircrafts but just 27 special mission planes. Their helicopter fleet numbers 373. All the numbers are according to Global Firepower.
Coming to naval power, India has 293 assets, including two aircraft carriers, 13 destroyers, 14 frigates, 18 Corvettes, 135 patrol vessels, and 18 submarines.
In comparison, Pakistan has 121 assets, including nine frigates, 69 Patrol vessels, nine Corvettes, eight submarines, and three mine warfare vessels. It has zero aircraft carriers or destroyers, as per Global Firepower.
