India vs Pakistan Military Power 2025: Explore a detailed comparison of their armed forces, defense spending, air, land, and naval capabilities – covering defence budgets, personnel, equipment (air, land, sea), and strategic rankings.
theIAShub | 09 May, 2025 | 14719 | 0 |
India’s military is substantially larger than Pakistan’s in nearly every metric. In 2024, India ranked as the world’s 5th‑largest military spender (about $86.1 billion), whereas Pakistan’s spending was roughly $10.2 billion. India fields over 1.47 million active troops (in addition to paramilitary forces), compared to roughly 660,000 for Pakistan. Equipment counts similarly favor India.
| Category | India (2025) | Pakistan (2025) |
| Active military personnel | ~1,470,000 (Army, Navy, Air Force) | ~660,000 (excl. Special Forces) |
| Total military spending | $86.1 B (2024); ₹6.81T ($78.7 B) FY2025‑26 | $10.2 B (2024); ~₹2.5T FY2025‑26 |
| Global Power Rank (GF 2025) | 4th (Power Index 0.1184) | 12th (Power Index 0.2513) |
| Combat aircraft | ~2,229 total aircraft | ~1,399 total aircraft |
| Main battle tanks | 3,151 tanks | 1,839 tanks |
| Submarines (attack) | 20 (3 nuclear, 17 conventional) | 5 (all conventional: 3 Agosta-90B, 2 Agosta-70) |
| Aircraft carriers | 2 in service | 0 (no carriers) |
| Naval warships (major) | 135+ ships (13 destroyers, 15 frigates) | ~25 major ships (incl. 4 frigates, 1 small destroyer; approx. 100 total vessels incl. auxiliaries) |
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India’s defence budget greatly outstrips Pakistan’s. For FY2025‑26 India allocated ₹6.81 trillion (about $78.7 billion), roughly a 9.5% rise over the prior year. Pakistan’s defense outlay for FY2024–25 was about ₹2.122 trillion, with plans to raise it to around ₹2.5 trillion (an 18% increase) for FY2025‑26. In USD terms, India spent $86.1 B in 2024 vs. Pakistan’s $10.2 B – nearly a nine-fold difference.
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India maintains one of the world’s largest volunteer armies. Active armed forces personnel exceed 1.47 million (Army, Navy, Air Force), plus substantial paramilitary forces. Pakistan’s military is much smaller: about 660,000 active troops (excluding ~25,000 strategic/nuclear forces and 291,000 paramilitaries). In absolute terms India has roughly three times more service members (even with Pakistan’s sizeable reservists and paramilitaries).
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The Indian Air Force (IAF) is significantly larger and more modern than Pakistan’s. India operates roughly 2,229 military aircraft.
| Air Force Asset | India (2025) | Pakistan (2025) |
| Total combat aircraft | ~2,229 | ~1,399 |
| Su-30MKI fighters | ~292 (220 built by HAL + 72 licensed) | — (Pakistan has none) |
| Rafale multirole jets | 36 | — (Pakistan has none) |
| JF-17 fighters | — (India has none) | ~120 |
| J-10C fighters | — | 12 |
| Other fighters | ~66 MiG-29, ~100+ Mig-21/Tejas (various) | ~75 F-16A/B, ~50 Mirage jets (older models) |
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On land, India maintains far larger forces. Army numbers and armored units reflect this gap. India’s land forces have about 2.5 million troops (including reserves), while Pakistan’s army (plus paramilitary) totals around 800,000. In equipment, India fields approximately 3,151 main battle tanks, including Russian T-90S and indigenous Arjun tanks. Pakistan’s tank fleet is about 1,839 total, highlighted by ~600 modern Chinese-built Al-Khalid MBTs and older American M48/M47 tanks. Artillery inventories also differ: India has around 9,743 towed/self-propelled guns vs Pakistan’s 4,619.
| Land Force Asset | India (2025) | Pakistan (2025) |
| Active army personnel | ~1.2 million (plus reserves) | ~560,000 (plus reserves) |
| Main Battle Tanks | 3,740 (all types) | 2,537 (all types) |
| Artillery pieces (all) | 9,743 guns and howitzers | 4,619 guns and howitzers |
| Armored personnel carriers | ~2,000 BMP-II IFVs | Several hundred (primarily Chinese APCs) |
| Self-propelled howitzers | 100 K9 Thunder SPHs (new) | Limited (primarily U.S. M109A5) |
India’s ground forces also deploy more self-propelled guns and air defense systems. For example, India has about 100 modern K9 Vajra howitzers and deploys S-400 and Barak-8 long-range SAMs, while Pakistan’s air defenses include a mix of Chinese HQ-9/P systems and older U.S. / European SAMs. Pakistan’s smaller army emphasizes strategic depth (e.g. nuclear deterrence) and quick-mobilization corps, but in conventional terms its armored and artillery forces are outnumbered by India’s.
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India’s navy is significantly larger than Pakistan’s. India operates over 130 warships: 2 aircraft carriers (INS Vikramaditya and the new INS Vikrant), 13 destroyers, 15 frigates, 18 corvettes, and roughly 20 submarines (including 3 nuclear-powered). Pakistan’s navy is much smaller – it has no carriers, about 4 frigates (including Oliver Hazard Perry and Zulfiquar classes), 3 corvettes, and 5 attack submarines (3 French Agosta-90B, 2 Agosta-70). In total Pakistan’s fleet is on the order of only 100 vessels (major combatants and auxiliaries).
A comparison notes Pakistan fields 121 total naval assets versus India’s 293. The difference reflects India’s much longer coastline and blue-water ambitions.
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India vs China – Naval Comparison
China’s navy now dwarfs both India’s and Pakistan’s combined. As of 2025, China boasts about 788 ships and 600 aircraft, with active personnel around 384,000. By contrast, India’s navy has ~135 warships and about 50,000 personnel, while Pakistan’s has ~100 vessels and 30,000 personnel. Key assets: China operates 3 carriers (2 in service + 1 nearly complete); India 2 carriers; Pakistan 0. China fields ~62 destroyers and 58 frigates, whereas India has 13 destroyers and 15 frigates (Pakistan only a few frigates). Submarines: China has ~79 boats (nuclear and diesel); India ~20 (incl. 3 nuclear); Pakistan 5.
| Naval Asset (2025) | India | China |
| Total warships (major) | ~135+ | ~788 |
| Aircraft carriers | 2 | 3 |
| Destroyers | 13 | 62 |
| Frigates | 15 | 58 |
| Submarines | ~20 (3 nuclear, 17 diesel) | 79 (including 12 nuclear) |
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Global Military Rankings
International assessments reflect these differences. Global rankings for 2025 place India 4th and Pakistan 12th worldwide. India’s defence spending is 9–10 times Pakistan’s. India’s higher rank is driven by its larger budget, wider arsenal, and greater manpower. In terms of just budget, India is 5th globally (ahead of Germany and Saudi Arabia), while Pakistan is ranked around 29th.
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Overall, every official metric shows India as the stronger military: larger forces, more equipment, and deeper defense spending. For example, India’s Power Index (lower is stronger) is 0.1184 vs Pakistan’s 0.2513. Pakistan focuses on asymmetric and nuclear deterrence, but in conventional terms India holds the quantitative advantage.
India’s defence budget for FY2025–26 is around $78.7 billion, while Pakistan’s is approximately $10.2 billion—showing a near ninefold gap.
India’s air force leads in size and capability with about 2,229 aircraft, including Rafales and Su-30MKIs, compared to Pakistan’s 1,399, which includes JF-17s and J-10Cs.
India ranks 4th in global military power with a Power Index of 0.1184; Pakistan ranks 12th with a Power Index of 0.2513.
China’s navy far exceeds India’s in scale, with over 780 major warships compared to India’s 135+, including superiority in submarines, carriers, and destroyers.
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