In this article, we look at the 20 biggest countries with mandatory military service. You can skip our detailed analysis on reasons why these nations have introduced conscription by heading over directly to the 5 Biggest Countries With Mandatory Military Service.
Most countries across the world abolished mandatory military service after the end of the Cold War with the collapse of Communism, but several governments across Europe are again now considering bringing it back after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Latvia, which borders Russia, is planning to reintroduce conscription. Starting 2024, all men aged between 18 and 27 will have to go through mandatory military service for 11 months, and from 2028, about 7,500 Latvians will call for service every year.
Estonia and Finland never abolished mandatory military service, even whilst others did. Ukraine re-introduced mandatory military service after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, and after Moscow ordered a full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022, the government in Kyiv enacted a law making all able men aged 18-60 subject to conscription. Lithuania introduced conscription in 2015 for all males between the age of 18 and 25.
Many countries in Asia as well have mandatory military service due to their security needs. Israel, for instance, mandates all Jewish, Druze or Circassian citizens over the age of 18 to serve in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Arab citizens, religious women, married individuals, and medically unfit citizens can claim exceptions. South Korea and North Korea have been at loggerheads with each other for several decades. Both countries have mandatory military service, a law born out of the possible need for manpower if a war were to break out between the two neighbors.
Problem with Conscription
Conscription presents its own challenges and may not be the answer to a country’s military needs. For starters, it is likely to face opposition domestically and internationally from human rights groups for being anti-democratic and for the risks associated with the lives of those who are asked to serve in the military involuntarily. Moreover, it is an increased cost to the exchequer and may leave little room for countries to develop military capabilities, such as advanced technologies and weapons systems.
Possession of modern, sophisticated weapons is likely to prove more potent in armed conflicts than having a sizable military force. This has already been witnessed in Ukraine, where Kyiv, heavily armed by the West, has been able to turn the tide of the war against a formidable, large Russian military which has thus far failed to find its way in the war due to much of its weaponry being old and outdated. Another example is that of the conflict between Israel and Palestine in the Middle East, where Tel Aviv has largely been able to assert authority due to its sophisticated weapons and defense systems. The Iron Dome, Israel’s missile defense system, has intercepted thousands of missiles and rockets fired from Gaza during the ongoing escalation with a 90% success rate. On the other hand, Hamas has mainly been on the receiving end after the ‘surprise attack’ launched by its fighters on Israel on October 7.
Weapons That Aided Ukraine Against Russia
Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT)'s HIMARS rocket launcher system has received a lot of attention for helping Ukraine's military in striking Russian command posts and ammunition depots with precision. Missiles possessed by Ukraine can currently hit targets up to 80 kilometers away and famously destroyed a bridge in the city of Kherson that cut off the Russian military’s supply routes. Kyiv is also in talks with the Biden administration and has requested for Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT)'s Army Tactical Missile System, also known as ATACMS, which has a range between 170 and 190 kilometers.
The United States has also provided Ukraine with the Avenger and Patriot air defense systems. The Avenger Air Defense System is manufactured by The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA). It uses infrared and laser technology to track targets, and is highly mobile according to The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA), since these are mounted on Humvees.
The Patriot Air Defense System is developed by RTX Corporation (NYSE:RTX) and has helped Kyiv defend itself against ballistic missile attacks from Russia. RTX Corporation (NYSE:RTX) is also currently working on a $1.2 billion order by the U.S. military to develop and deliver six NASAMS batteries to Ukraine.
Another key war equipment used by the Ukrainians against Russia has been the Abrams M1 Tanks made by General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:GD). These tanks are one of the most powerful tanks operating currently and are far superior than the bulk of the tanks used by the Russian military. The U.S. military confirmed this month that all 31 Abrams tanks promised to Ukraine have been delivered by General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:GD).
Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT), The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA), General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:GD) and RTX Corporation (NYSE:RTX) are among the largest defense contractors in the world, and have received billions of dollars worth defense-related contracts from the U.S. government since the Ukraine war broke out. This also led to a boom in the American defense industry. You can read more on this in our article, Top 16 Defense Contractors in the World in 2023.
Methodology
We have listed the 20 biggest countries with mandatory military service in order of enforcement levels of conscription (This is what we define by 'big'), as well as the need for mandatory military service in these countries. To simplify, countries where there is a greater need for mandatory military service due to security needs, or have greater enforceability of conscription with less exemptions are ranked higher. Information related to conscription policies in these countries have been sourced from their constitutions, statutory enactments, and various independent news publications.
20 Biggest Countries With Mandatory Military Service
Daimond Shutter/Shutterstock.com
Let’s now head over to the list of the top countries with mandatory military service.
20 Top Countries With Mandatory Military Service:
20. Greece
Greek males between the age of 19 and 45 are required to perform 12 months of mandatory military service in Greece, irrespective of whether they have a foreign citizenship, or live or were born outside the country.
19. Finland
Finland has mandatory military service, with the Constitution in Chapter 12, Section 127, stating that every citizen aged between 18 to 60 is obligated to participate or assist in national defense. The Conscription Act does not compel women to join the armed forces. They can, however, apply for service voluntarily.
18. Switzerland
Conscription is mandatory for men in Switzerland, but not for women. Male citizens are obliged to perform military service between the age of 18 and 25. Swiss citizens living abroad are exempt from military service, but will be required to do it upon returning to their country. There is also the option to serve in the civil service as an alternative. Those who neither serve the armed forces nor civil service are liable to pay a levy called the military service exemption tax.
17. Austria
Austrian men who are aged between 18 and 35 have the option of choosing between mandatory military service of six months, or mandatory public service for nine months. Shortly after Austrians turn 17, they receive a letter from the government to attend an assessment or fitness test required to join the army.
16. Thailand
The 1954 Military Service Act in Thailand requires all Thai men to enlist themselves in the military reserve force when they turn 18. They become eligible for service at the age of 21. Every year in April, new recruits are picked for mandatory military service through a lottery-style draw, unless you volunteer.
15. Denmark
Next on our list of countries with mandatory military service is Denmark. According to the Danish constitution, all physically fit men over the age of 18 are required to enlist for mandatory military service, which is usually for between 3 and 14 months, depending on the nature of the branch of the military they serve in. The selection of recruits is done through balloting.
14. Norway
Around 9,000 Norwegian citizens go through the country’s conscription program every year. Norway is the first NATO country to have universal conscription. All men and women, aged between 19 and 44 have to meet at a military base for a muster. Of them, 15% are drafted to serve in the armed forces for about 19 months.
13. Singapore
Conscription is a national duty in Singapore. All citizens and second-generation permanent residents, upon reaching the age of 18, are required to serve for two years in the Singapore Armed Forces, Singapore Police Force, or the Singapore Civil Defense Force. Nearly a million Singaporeans have to date served in the national conscription program.
12. Egypt
All men aged between 18 and 30 in Egypt are liable to mandatory military service, for one to three years. Males adults are required to complete at least one year of conscription before they can travel, marry, or seek employment. Egyptians living abroad can get exemptions by paying $5,000.
11. Armenia
Armenia has a history of armed conflicts with Azerbaijan since gaining independence in 1991. It is among the countries with mandatory military service, where conscription is compulsory for male citizens between the age of 18 and 27 for a period of two years.
10. Azerbaijan
Due to tensions with Armenia, President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan signed a decree on conscription of citizens for a period of 30 days from October 1 till October 31, 2023. This is for male citizens that are aged 18 or over, and less than 35 years old.
9. Turkey
Turkey lies right in the center of the Middle East, Caucus and the Balkans – some of the most unstable regions in the world. Therefore, to preserve national independence, Turkish law makes it compulsory for all male citizens aged between 20 and 41 to perform mandatory military service, unless they are unhealthy or handicapped. The duration of conscription varies from 6 to 12 months.
8. Brazil
Conscription is mandatory in Brazil for all men aged between 18 and 45. Brazilian nationals living abroad are also expected to enlist themselves in their nearby consulate or embassy before June 30 of the year they turn 18 in. Duration of service normally lasts for 12 months after conscripts have been drafted.
7. Taiwan
A 10% of Taiwan’s 188-000 strength military is made up of conscripts. The government announced to increase the duration of mandatory military service from 4 months to 12 months starting 2024, due to growing military and diplomatic pressure from China.
6. Iran
All Iranian men who are above the age of 19 and are healthy are required to go through mandatory military service. Conscription was first introduced during the reign of Reza Shah Pahlavi, and has continued after the Islamic Revolution of 1979.
