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Military Strength: Flag of Austria Austria vs Flag of Switzerland Switzerland

Military Strength
Austria Switzerland
Global Military Index 30.9 (#70) 35.6 (#56)
Military personnel 23,000 20,000
– Reserve troops 125,600 196,450
– Paramilitary forces 0 0
Military aircraft 89 145
– incl. combat aircraft 15 49
– incl. bombers 0 0
– incl. helicopters 41 42
Military ships 0 0
– incl. aircraft carriers 0 0
– incl. submarines 0 0
Main battle tanks 56 205
Nuclear warheads 0 0
Military Forces Chart

Overview

Switzerland (ranked #56 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than Austria (#70) on the Global Military Index. Austria fields 23,000 active troops vs 20,000 for Switzerland, backed by 125,600 reserves. Austria allocates $5.3B to defense compared to $6.6B for Switzerland.

In the air, Austria operates 89 aircraft including 15 combat jets, while Switzerland fields 145 with 49 fighters.

On the ground, Austria deploys 56 main battle tanks vs 205 for Switzerland.

Neither Austria nor Switzerland possesses nuclear weapons.

Global Military Index

Full ranking →
🇦🇹 Austria World #70
30.9/ 100
Six-pillar composite: manpower, ground forces, naval power, air power, nuclear deterrent and defense budget, with a readiness modifier from budget per soldier. Full methodology.
Pillar Weight Score Basis
Manpower 15% 64.4 84850 effective
Ground forces 20% 42.9 56 main battle tanks
Naval power 20% 0.0 Carrier tiers, nuclear vs conventional submarines
Air power 25% 35.4 Weighted by aircraft type & fleet age
Nuclear deterrent 10% 0.0 No declared capability
Defense budget 10% 47.2 $5.3B, PPP-adjusted
Readiness modifier ×1.13 Budget per soldier
🇨🇭 Switzerland World #56
35.6/ 100
Six-pillar composite: manpower, ground forces, naval power, air power, nuclear deterrent and defense budget, with a readiness modifier from budget per soldier. Full methodology.
Pillar Weight Score Basis
Manpower 15% 67.4 117775 effective
Ground forces 20% 52.4 205 main battle tanks
Naval power 20% 0.0 Carrier tiers, nuclear vs conventional submarines
Air power 25% 41.8 Weighted by aircraft type & fleet age
Nuclear deterrent 10% 0.0 No declared capability
Defense budget 10% 49.0 $6.6B, PPP-adjusted
Readiness modifier ×1.15 Budget per soldier

Country Profile

Economy & Geography
Austria Switzerland
Population 9.2 million 9.0 million
GDP $534.8 billion $936.6 billion
GDP per capita $58,269 $103,998
Military budget $5.3B $6.6B
– share of GDP 1.0% 0.7%
– share of govt spending 0.0% 0.0%
– per capita spending $583 $728
Land area 82,445 km² 39,997 km²
Coastline 0 km 0 km
Military Budget Evolution
Military Personnel Evolution
Economic Metrics Chart
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Frequently Asked Questions

Who has more military personnel, Austria or Switzerland?
Austria has approximately 23,000 active military personnel compared to Switzerland's 20,000.
Which country has more combat aircraft, Austria or Switzerland?
Switzerland operates 49 combat aircraft compared to Austria's 15. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Which country spends more on defense, Austria or Switzerland?
Switzerland has a larger defense budget at $6.6 billion compared to Austria's $5.3 billion annually.
Do Austria and Switzerland have nuclear weapons?
Neither Austria nor Switzerland currently possesses nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of Austria and Switzerland compare?
Switzerland operates 205 main battle tanks compared to Austria's 56. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.