| BRICS | G7 | |
|---|---|---|
| Combined Military Index | 91.1 | 100.0 |
| Member states | 10 | 7 |
| Active military personnel | 7,061,600 | 2,403,850 |
| – Reserve troops | 5,879,050 | 1,053,950 |
| Military aircraft | 13,793 | 17,498 |
| – incl. combat aircraft | 5,390 | 4,200 |
| Military ships | 2,752 | 1,070 |
| – incl. aircraft carriers | 5 | 15 |
| – incl. submarines | 164 | 127 |
| Main battle tanks | 23,653 | 6,173 |
| Nuclear warheads | 6,239 | 5,637 |
| Combined defense budget | $584.9 billion | $1.3 trillion |
Overview
BRICS groups 10 countries against 7 for G7. BRICS fields 7,061,600 active troops combined — 2.9x G7's 2,403,850. G7's combined $1336B defense budget is 2.3x that of BRICS ($585B).
In the air, BRICS musters 13,793 military aircraft (5,390 combat) against 17,498 (4,200 combat) for G7. At sea, the fleets total 2,752 ships for BRICS and 1,070 for G7, including 164 and 127 submarines respectively. On the ground, BRICS deploys 23,653 main battle tanks vs 6,173 for G7.
Both blocs hold nuclear weapons: BRICS's members maintain 6,239 warheads and G7's hold 5,637.
Combined Military Index
Country ranking →| Pillar | Weight | Score | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manpower | 15% | 100.0 | 11,434,900 effective |
| Ground forces | 20% | 100.0 | 23,653 main battle tanks |
| Naval power | 20% | 100.0 | 2,752 ships, weighted by type |
| Air power | 25% | 100.0 | 13,793 aircraft, weighted by type & age |
| Nuclear deterrent | 10% | 100.0 | 6,239 warheads |
| Defense budget | 10% | 100.0 | $585B combined, PPP-adjusted |
| Readiness | modifier | ×1.05 | Budget per soldier |
| Pillar | Weight | Score | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manpower | 15% | 99.8 | 3,017,960 effective |
| Ground forces | 20% | 100.0 | 6,173 main battle tanks |
| Naval power | 20% | 100.0 | 1,070 ships, weighted by type |
| Air power | 25% | 100.0 | 17,498 aircraft, weighted by type & age |
| Nuclear deterrent | 10% | 100.0 | 5,637 warheads |
| Defense budget | 10% | 100.0 | $1336B combined, PPP-adjusted |
| Readiness | modifier | ×1.18 | Budget per soldier |
Combined scores treat each coalition as a single force: raw pillar values (troops, weighted equipment points, warheads, budgets) are summed across members and re-scored on the Global Military Index scale. Alliance cohesion, geography and logistics are not modeled.
Forces by Domain
Member Forces
| Country | GMI | Troops | Aircraft | Ships | Budget share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇳 China ☢ | 84.8 | 2,035,000 | 3,731 | 1,042 | 48% |
| 🇷🇺 Russia ☢ | 82.6 | 1,100,000 | 4,300 | 446 | 26% |
| 🇮🇳 India ☢ | 68.8 | 1,475,750 | 2,217 | 350 | 13% |
| 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | 51.0 | 63,000 | 548 | 79 | 4% |
| 🇧🇷 Brazil | 48.7 | 366,500 | 502 | 68 | 4% |
| 🇪🇬 Egypt | 48.2 | 438,500 | 1,101 | 318 | 0% |
| 🇮🇩 Indonesia | 46.7 | 404,500 | 467 | 330 | 2% |
| 🇮🇷 Iran | 46.6 | 610,000 | 636 | 70 | 2% |
| 🇿🇦 South Africa | 38.2 | 65,350 | 192 | 49 | 0% |
| 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | 28.2 | 503,000 | 99 | — | 0% |
| Country | GMI | Troops | Aircraft | Ships | Budget share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 United States ☢ | 99.8 | 1,326,050 | 12,784 | 234 | 69% |
| 🇫🇷 France ☢ | 64.1 | 270,000 | 988 | 164 | 5% |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom ☢ | 62.1 | 144,400 | 640 | 65 | 7% |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | 61.2 | 247,000 | 1,399 | 159 | 4% |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | 57.7 | 183,500 | 589 | 71 | 8% |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | 56.3 | 165,500 | 743 | 311 | 4% |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | 49.7 | 67,400 | 355 | 66 | 3% |
Economy & Geography
| BRICS | G7 | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 3.9 billion | 785.6 million |
| Combined GDP | $30.4 trillion | $48.9 trillion |
| GDP per capita | $7,761 | $62,288 |
| Defense share of GDP | 1.9% | 2.7% |
| Land area | 43,871,739 km² | 20,130,815 km² |
| Coastline | 130,366 km | 279,026 km |
| Coalition | Country | Status | Warheads | Deployed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRICS | 🇨🇳 China | Active | 600 | 24 |
| BRICS | 🇷🇺 Russia | Active | 5,459 | 1,718 |
| BRICS | 🇮🇳 India | Active | 180 | — |
| BRICS | 🇮🇷 Iran | Acquiring | — | — |
| G7 | 🇺🇸 United States | Active | 5,042 | 1,770 |
| G7 | 🇫🇷 France | Active | 370 | 280 |
| G7 | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | Active | 225 | 120 |
| G7 | 🇩🇪 Germany | Host | — | 20 |
| G7 | 🇮🇹 Italy | Host | — | 40 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is stronger, BRICS or G7?
On the combined Global Military Index, G7 scores 100.0 against 91.1 for BRICS. The score aggregates each bloc's manpower, ground, naval, air, nuclear and budget pillars as if it fought as a single force — it ignores geography, cohesion and logistics, which decide real wars.
How many troops do BRICS and G7 have?
BRICS fields 7,061,600 active military personnel across 10 member states, plus 5,879,050 reserves. G7 fields 2,403,850 active personnel and 1,053,950 reserves.
How much do BRICS and G7 spend on defense?
Combined defense spending reaches $585B a year for BRICS and $1336B for G7, summing each member's latest reported military budget.
Who has more military aircraft, BRICS or G7?
BRICS operates 13,793 military aircraft (5,390 combat aircraft), while G7 operates 17,498 (4,200 combat). Each member is counted at its most recent inventory year in the GlobalMilitary.net database.
Do BRICS or G7 have nuclear weapons?
Yes — both. BRICS's nuclear-armed members hold 6,239 warheads combined, against 5,637 for G7. Only warheads owned by member states are counted; hosted weapons remain with their owner.