| BRICS | NATO | |
|---|---|---|
| Combined ATLAS Index | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| Member states | 10 | 32 |
| Active military personnel | 7,061,600 | 3,316,410 |
| – Reserve troops | 5,879,050 | 2,329,650 |
| Military aircraft | 17,654 | 21,161 |
| – incl. combat aircraft | 6,591 | 5,173 |
| Military ships | 2,778 | 2,121 |
| – incl. aircraft carriers | 5 | 15 |
| – incl. submarines | 163 | 140 |
| Main battle tanks | 23,653 | 11,487 |
| Nuclear warheads | 6,230 | 5,637 |
| Combined defense budget | $585B | $1.5T |
Overview
BRICS groups 10 countries against 32 for NATO. BRICS fields 7,061,600 active troops combined — 2.1:1 NATO's 3,316,410. NATO's combined $1.5T defense budget is 2.6:1 that of BRICS ($585B).
In the air, BRICS musters 17,654 military aircraft (6,591 combat) against 21,161 (5,173 combat) for NATO. At sea, the fleets total 2,778 ships for BRICS and 2,121 for NATO, including 163 and 140 submarines respectively. On the ground, BRICS deploys 23,653 main battle tanks vs 11,487 for NATO.
Both blocs hold nuclear weapons: BRICS's members maintain 6,230 warheads and NATO's hold 5,637.
Combined ATLAS Index
Country ranking →| Pillar | Weight | Score | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manpower | 10% | 100.0 | 11,434,900 effective |
| Ground forces | 20% | 100.0 | 23,653 main battle tanks |
| Naval power | 20% | 100.0 | 2,778 ships — the members' SEAS inventory power |
| Air power | 25% | 100.0 | 17,654 aircraft — the members' AIRS inventory power |
| Nuclear deterrent | 10% | 100.0 | 6,230 warheads |
| Defense budget | 15% | 100.0 | $585B combined, PPP-adjusted |
| Availability | modifier | ground ×1.16 · naval ×1.01 · air ×1.02 | Pooled budget per point of each force |
| Pillar | Weight | Score | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manpower | 10% | 100.0 | 4,704,870 effective |
| Ground forces | 20% | 100.0 | 11,487 main battle tanks |
| Naval power | 20% | 100.0 | 2,121 ships — the members' SEAS inventory power |
| Air power | 25% | 100.0 | 21,161 aircraft — the members' AIRS inventory power |
| Nuclear deterrent | 10% | 100.0 | 5,637 warheads |
| Defense budget | 15% | 100.0 | $1.5T combined, PPP-adjusted |
| Availability | modifier | ground ×1.20 · naval ×1.04 · air ×1.03 | Pooled budget per point of each force |
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 ATLAS Index scale. Alliance cohesion, geography and logistics are not modeled.
Forces by Domain
Member Forces
| Country | ATLAS | Troops | Aircraft | Ships | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇳 China ☢ | 89.9 | 2,035,000 | 6,341 | 1,005 | 48% |
| 🇷🇺 Russia ☢ | 82.8 | 1,100,000 | 5,378 | 447 | 26% |
| 🇮🇳 India ☢ | 69.7 | 1,475,750 | 2,256 | 353 | 13% |
| 🇪🇬 Egypt | 44.2 | 438,500 | 1,139 | 318 | 0% |
| 🇧🇷 Brazil | 42.1 | 366,500 | 515 | 66 | 4% |
| 🇮🇩 Indonesia | 40.5 | 404,500 | 483 | 345 | 2% |
| 🇮🇷 Iran | 40.1 | 610,000 | 659 | 112 | 2% |
| 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | 39.6 | 63,000 | 592 | 83 | 4% |
| 🇿🇦 South Africa | 29.4 | 65,350 | 192 | 49 | 0% |
| 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | 23.7 | 503,000 | 99 | — | 0% |
| Country | ATLAS | Troops | Aircraft | Ships | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 United States ☢ | 100.0 | 1,326,050 | 13,004 | 233 | 60% |
| 🇫🇷 France ☢ | 56.3 | 270,000 | 1,017 | 166 | 4% |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom ☢ | 52.5 | 144,400 | 673 | 62 | 6% |
| 🇹🇷 Turkey | 51.0 | 355,200 | 1,357 | 195 | 2% |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | 47.7 | 183,500 | 657 | 72 | 7% |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | 45.7 | 165,500 | 778 | 313 | 3% |
| 🇬🇷 Greece | 41.9 | 142,700 | 722 | 142 | 0% |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | 41.6 | 120,350 | 509 | 87 | 2% |
| 🇵🇱 Poland | 39.9 | 114,050 | 479 | 44 | 3% |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | 37.6 | 67,400 | 360 | 33 | 3% |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 34.3 | 35,400 | 146 | 37 | 2% |
| 🇷🇴 Romania | 32.9 | 69,300 | 166 | 33 | 1% |
| 🇳🇴 Norway | 32.4 | 23,250 | 111 | 60 | 1% |
| 🇫🇮 Finland | 32.1 | 23,800 | 164 | 185 | 1% |
| 🇸🇪 Sweden | 31.9 | 29,750 | 178 | 232 | 1% |
| 🇩🇰 Denmark | 30.8 | 14,500 | 123 | 109 | 1% |
| 🇵🇹 Portugal | 27.5 | 27,250 | 100 | 34 | 0% |
| 🇧🇪 Belgium | 26.9 | 26,300 | 107 | 9 | 1% |
| 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | 26.0 | 36,950 | 79 | 36 | 0% |
| 🇭🇷 Croatia | 23.9 | 15,200 | 67 | 31 | 0% |
| 🇭🇺 Hungary | 21.5 | 27,800 | 86 | — | 0% |
| 🇨🇿 Czechia | 20.5 | 21,750 | 114 | — | 0% |
| 🇸🇰 Slovakia | 18.3 | 15,850 | 51 | — | 0% |
| 🇱🇹 Lithuania | 17.5 | 19,850 | 11 | — | 0% |
| 🇸🇮 Slovenia | 14.8 | 7,250 | 39 | — | 0% |
| 🇪🇪 Estonia | 13.4 | 7,100 | 5 | 8 | 0% |
| 🇦🇱 Albania | 12.7 | 8,500 | 19 | — | 0% |
| 🇲🇰 North Macedonia | 11.2 | 8,000 | 20 | — | 0% |
| 🇱🇻 Latvia | 9.6 | 6,210 | 7 | — | 0% |
| 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 6.9 | 900 | 1 | — | 0% |
| 🇲🇪 Montenegro | 6.7 | 2,350 | 11 | — | 0% |
| 🇮🇸 Iceland | 0.0 | 0 | — | — | 0% |
Economy & Geography
| BRICS | NATO | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 3.9 billion | 980.7 million |
| Combined GDP | $30.4 trillion | $54.9 trillion |
| GDP per capita | $7,761 | $55,982 |
| Defense share of GDP | 1.9% | 2.8% |
| Land area | 43,871,739 km² | 25,897,183 km² |
| Coastline | 130,366 km | 382,102 km |
| Coalition | Country | Status | Warheads | Deployed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRICS | 🇨🇳 China | Active | 620 | 34 |
| BRICS | 🇷🇺 Russia | Active | 5,420 | 1,796 |
| BRICS | 🇮🇳 India | Active | 190 | — |
| BRICS | 🇮🇷 Iran | Acquiring | — | — |
| NATO | 🇺🇸 United States | Active | 5,042 | 1,770 |
| NATO | 🇫🇷 France | Active | 370 | 280 |
| NATO | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | Active | 225 | 120 |
| NATO | 🇹🇷 Turkey | Host | — | 20 |
| NATO | 🇩🇪 Germany | Host | — | 15 |
| NATO | 🇮🇹 Italy | Host | — | 35 |
| NATO | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | Host | — | 15 |
| NATO | 🇧🇪 Belgium | Host | — | 15 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is stronger, BRICS or NATO?
On the combined ATLAS Index, BRICS scores 100.0 against 100.0 for NATO. 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 NATO have?
BRICS fields 7,061,600 active military personnel across 10 member states, plus 5,879,050 reserves. NATO fields 3,316,410 active personnel and 2,329,650 reserves.
How much do BRICS and NATO spend on defense?
Combined defense spending reaches $585B a year for BRICS and $1.5T for NATO, summing each member's latest reported military budget.
Who has more military aircraft, BRICS or NATO?
BRICS operates 17,654 military aircraft (6,591 combat aircraft), while NATO operates 21,161 (5,173 combat). Each member is counted at its most recent inventory year in the GlobalMilitary.net database.
Do BRICS or NATO have nuclear weapons?
Yes — both. BRICS's nuclear-armed members hold 6,230 warheads combined, against 5,637 for NATO. Only warheads owned by member states are counted; hosted weapons remain with their owner.