The Global Fire Power ranking covers one hundred and forty countries located on all continents. It is based on around sixty criteria such as the number of active military personnel, the number of fighter planes and ships available, the availability of fuel for military operations, the budget devoted to defense and logistical flexibility.
“This ranking is explained because there is no real economic power without military power” (Tidiane Dioh)
To play this audio please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 audio
According to Global Fire Power, the United States remains the world’s leading military power in 2025, ahead of Russia, China, India and South Korea.
The ranking of China and the United States is not surprising, says international consultant Tidiane Dioh.
“This ranking is explained because there is no real economic power without military power. The military importance of the United States and China is commensurate with the economic and financial importance of these two countries which , today, are among those who bring order to the world. I believe that from this point of view, the military importance of these countries can be easily explained.”
Investing in weapons
Tidiane Dioh’s point of view is shared by Alain de Neve, analyst at the Royal Higher Institute of Defense (IRSD), in Belgium.
According to him, the United States confirms that it remains a large-scale technological and military power that outperforms its rivals. The United States spends on average 800 billion dollars per year on its armed forces, while China and Russia spend respectively 300 and 90 billion dollars, specifies the researcher.
“The United States divides the world into several commands and is the only power that has divided the planet by military command. Commands which each time correspond to a significant military presence. China and Russia are more focused on regional dynamics. In terms of defense, the objectivefollowed by China is first of all the achievement of the status of regional power.”
For Alain De Neve “lRussia is also linked to regional dynamics with its conventional forces and with its nuclear deterrent capabilities, Russia aims first of all to reestablish a regional order which is more focused on the protection of its immediate interests.”
For Nina Wilen, director of the Africa program at the Egmont Institut, it is worth thinking about the fact that these powers which occupy the first three places are currently in competition.
“The fact that the United States remains at the top of the ranking is not surprising and that Russia is number 2 given that they are currently in a war economy, this seems quite normal to me too. So this list isn’t necessarily surprising, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worrying. “
What about Africa?
On the African continent, only Egypt, Algeria and Nigeria are ranked in the top 31. One of the experts we contacted and who requested anonymity emphasizes that for him this ranking of Global Fire Power is however not as relevant as it seems.
According to him, we should prefer the sum of consolidated data provided for example by the Military Balance, which offers an updated inventory of equipment and weapon systems. He also emphasizes other criteria, such as agility and hardiness, which certain African armies have demonstrated on the ground.
They certainly did not have the sophisticated equipment or logistics and air assets of Western troops, but they managed to restore relative stability in the regions of intervention or to impose an unfavorable balance of power on the forces they were fighting.
