Top 10 Most Powerful Islamic Countries By Military

Introduction

Currently, there are 57 known Islamic countries in the world that are also directly members of the OIC. Some of them are considered as powerful Islamic Countries that they can even more powerful that they can compete with any European or Western power. All these Islamic countries are called Islamic due to the majority of their Muslim population, while ideologically only Pakistan is there, which came into being in the name of Islam.

All these countries are slightly different from each other in their regional traditions. All these countries have a population of more than two billion and they are 25% of the total population of the world. But the contribution of these countries in the world economy is only 8%. America’s economy alone is bigger than all of them.

Military Strength

The military strength of any country is estimated on the basis of some aspects, including the number of its military personnel, the number of its tanks, fighter planes, ships, and other weapons. Every country allocates a budget for its military to further improve its military strength. The stats of all these Islamic countries are quite surprising in this aspect.

Military Ranking of Powerful Islamic Countries

Below is a list of the top ten most powerful Islamic countries:

1. Pakistan

Pakistan, with a population of around 240 million, 5th most populous country in the world, has become the center of the largest Muslim population in the world. According to the data of 2024, Pakistan had the 7th(1st in Muslim World) most powerful army in the world in start of 2024 but now it stepped down to 12th according to 2025 ranking. We rank Pakistan as the 1st in the Islamic world due to various aspects.

most powerful islamic countries by military - The Khilafat Times
Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay

Pakistan has the sixth largest army in the world. It is the first and so far the only Nuclear Power country in the Islamic world. This is the particular reason why we have ranked Pakistan at number one. The number of weapons of Pakistani military is given below.

Total Population252,363,571
Total Military Personnel1,704,000
Active Personnel654,000
Reserve Personnel550,000
Army Personnel1,311,500
Air Force Personnel78,128
Naval Personnel124,800
Tanks3,742
Vehicles50,000+
Total Aircrafts1,434
Fighter Jets387
Attack Types90
Helicopters373
Transports64
Trainers565
Attack Helicopters57
Total Naval Assets121
Frigates9
Corvettes9
Submarines8
Patrol Vessels69

Pakistan can easily compete with its rivals, with India and Israel at the top. Both Israel and Pakistan were founded on religious ideology and both are nuclear powers.

2. Türkiye

In the list of the top 10 most powerful militaries in the Islamic world, Türkiye ranks 2nd, as it has one of the most advanced militaries in the world. Globally, Türkiye ranks as the 9th most powerful military, according to the 2025 military ranking by Global Firepower. We placed Pakistan 1st instead of Türkiye because it has a significant advantage over all Muslim countries, as it possesses nuclear warheads. The number of weapons that Turkiye has is given below:

Total Population84,119,531
Total Military Personnel883,900
Active Personnel355,200
Reserve Personnel378,700
Army Personnel518,900
Air Force Personnel115,000
Naval Personnel100,000
Tanks2238
Vehicles61,173
Total Aircrafts1083
Fighter Jets201
Helicopters508
Attack Helicopters111
Transports84
Total Naval Assets182
Frigates17
Corvettes9
Submarines13
Patrol Vessels41
Helicopter Carrier(s)1

Türkiye also has enough potential to compete with its enemies and inflict significant damage due to its immense military power.

3. Indonesia

Indonesia is the largest Muslim-majority country, with a population of more than 280 million. Globally, its military ranks 13th in 2025. It has one of the largest militaries in the world. The number of weapons possessed by the Indonesian military is given below:

Total Population281,562,465
Total Military Personnel1,050,000
Active Military Personnel400,000
Reserve Personnel400,000
Army Personnel300,400
Air Force Personnel30,100
Naval Personnel66,034
Tanks331
Vehicles20,440
Total Aircrafts459
Fighter Jets41
Attack Type34
Helicopters214
Attacker Helicopters15
Transports70
Total Naval Assets331
Frigates7
Corvettes25
Submarines4
Patrol Vessels211

4. Iran

Iran has one of the most powerful militaries in the Islamic world especially in the Middle East. It is considered the most active enemy of Israel, as it has attacked Israel several times. Recently, Iran also launched missiles at Israel during the Gaza War. Iran is trying to become a nuclear power but is facing American sanctions in this regard. The military strength of Iran is given below:

Total Population88,386,937
Total Military Personnel1,180,000
Active Personnel610,000
Reserve Personnel350,000
Army Personnel350,000
Air Force Personnel42,000
Naval Personnel18,500
Tanks1,713
Vehicles65,825
Total Aircrafts571
Fighter Jets188
Attack Types21
Helicopters128
Attack Helicopters13
Transports87
Total Naval Assets107
Frigates7
Corvettes3
Submarines25
Patrol Vessels21

5. Egypt

Egypt has the 19th most powerful military in the world and ranks 5th among the most powerful Islamic countries. It has the strongest military in Africa, with more than 1 million military personnel. Here is the military strength of Egypt:

Total Population111,247,250
Total military Personnel1,220,000
Active Personnel440,000
Reserve Personnel480,000
Army Personnel685,000
Air Force Personnel50,000
Naval Personnel32,500
Tanks3,620
Vehicles41,012
Total Aircrafts1,093
Fighter Jets238
Attack Type90
Helicopters348
Attack Helicopters100
Total Naval Assets150
Frigates13
Corvettes7
Submarines8
Helicopter Carriers2

6. Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia, ranked 6th on our list of top 10 Islamic militaries, while globally it ranks 24 out of 145. It has one of the most well-equipped armed forces in the Muslim world. As the largest country in the Arabian Peninsula, it plays a crucial role in regional security and geopolitics.

Saudi Arabia’s armed forces are actively engaged in regional conflicts and counterterrorism efforts, reflecting its strategic importance in the Islamic and global military landscape.

Total Population36,544,431
Total Military Personnel407,000
Active Personnel257,000
Reserve Personnel0
Army Personnel75,000
Air Force Personnel20,000
Naval Personnel13,500
Tanks840
Vehicles19,040
Total Aircrafts917
Fighter Jets283
Attack Type81
Helicopters264
Attack Helicopters34
Transports49
Total Naval Assets32
Frigates8
Corvettes9
Submarines0
Patrol Vessels9

7. Algeria

Algeria, ranked 7th on our list of top 10 most powerful Islamic countries by military. It possesses one of the most powerful and well-structured armed forces in Africa. As the largest country on the continent, Algeria maintains a strong military presence. The Algerian military plays a key role in regional stability, counterterrorism operations, and border security.

Total Population47,022,473
Total Military Personnel610,000
Active Personnel325,000
Reserve Personnel135,000
Army Personnel182,500
Air Force Personnel14,000
Naval Personnel6000
Tanks1,484
Vehicles26,000
Total Aircrafts608
Fighter Jets102
Attack Type42
Helicopters299
Attack Helicopters48
Transports63
Total Naval Assets110
Frigates8
Corvettes8
Submarines6
Patrol Vessels75

8. Nigeria

Nigeria, ranked 8th on our list while it stands at 31st globally. It plays a crucial role in regional security. It has a significant Muslim population. Its strategic importance in Africa, combined with its participation in international peacekeeping missions, highlights Nigeria as a key military power in the Islamic world.

Total Population236,747,130
Total Military Personnel280,000
Active Personnel230,000
Reserve Personnel0
Army Personnel65,000
Air Force Personnel15,000
Naval Personnel5,500
Tanks330
Vehicles8,962
Total Aircrafts163
Fighter Jets14
Attack Type24
Helicopters66
Attack Helicopters15
Transports23
Total Naval Assets133
Frigates1
Corvettes0
Submarines0
Patrol Vessels109

9. Bangladesh

Bangladesh is placed at 9th on our list. It has a rapidly modernizing and disciplined armed force that plays a vital role in South Asian security. Despite its relatively small size, Bangladesh has made significant strides in military development, focusing on modernization, defense self-sufficiency, and regional cooperation.

Total Population168,697,184
Total Military Personnel6,963,000
Active Personnel163,000
Reserve Personnel0
Army Personnel160,000
Air Force Personnel17,400
Naval Personnel25,100
Tanks320
Vehicles11,584
Total Aircrafts214
Fighter Jets42
Attack Type0
Helicopters65
Attack Helicopters0
Transports17
Total Naval Assets118
Frigates7
Corvettes6
Submarines2
Patrol Vessels61

10. Malaysia

Malaysia, ranked 10th on our list of top 10 most powerful Islamic countries, whereas it ranks 42 globally. It maintains a well-trained and technologically advanced armed force, playing a crucial role in Southeast Asian security.

Total Population34,564,810
Total Military Personnel264,600
Active Personnel113,000
Reserve Personnel51,600
Army Personnel130,000
Air Force Personnel15,000
Naval Personnel18,000
Tanks48
Vehicles13,506
Total Aircrafts135
Fighter Jets26
Attack Type12
Helicopters45
Attack Helicopters0
Transports16
Total Naval Assets100
Frigates2
Corvettes6
Submarines2
Patrol Vessels71

*Note: All the statistics in this report have been gathered from Global Firepower

FAQs

What are the powerful Islamic Militaries?

1. Pakistan
2. Türkiye
3. Indonesia
4. Iran
5. Egypt
6. Saudi Arabia
7. Algeria
8. Nigeria
9. Bangladesh
10. Malaysia

Which Muslim Country has Nuclear Warheads?

Pakistan is the first and only Islamic Nuclear power in the world.

Related Posts

What Happened at Doha’s Arab-Islamic Summit?

Qatar held an emergency Arab-Islamic summit on Monday after the Israeli aerial strikes on its capital, Doha. On September 9 at noon, Israel carried out 10 airstrikes on Qatar, violating…

  • World
  • September 5, 2025
  • 76 views
Top 10 Most Influential Muslims of 2025

The Muslim world remains the center of attention of the entire world in 2025 due to its political, religious, cultural, and social diversity. In today’s era, Muslim figures are emerging…

You May Missed

What Happened at Doha’s Arab-Islamic Summit?

  • September 17, 2025
What Happened at Doha’s Arab-Islamic Summit?

Top 10 Most Influential Muslims of 2025

  • September 5, 2025
Top 10 Most Influential Muslims of 2025

Climate Change in Pakistan: Monsoon Disaster of 2025

  • August 28, 2025
Climate Change in Pakistan: Monsoon Disaster of 2025

Geoeconomics in 2025: Can Trade Replace Traditional Warfare?

  • July 18, 2025
Geoeconomics in 2025: Can Trade Replace Traditional Warfare?

The War of Water: Can Dams Start the Next War?

  • July 17, 2025
The War of Water: Can Dams Start the Next War?