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Military Strength: Flag of Germany Germany vs Flag of Sweden Sweden

Germany (ranked #13 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than Sweden (#41) on the ATLAS Index. Germany fields 183,500 active troops — 6.2:1 Sweden's 29,750, backed by 34,100 reserves. Germany's $112B defense budget is 7.5:1 that of Sweden ($15B).

ATLAS (Aggregate Total of Land, Air and Sea strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Flag of Germany GermanyWorld #13 47.9
ATLAS Index / 100

Germany leads on 6 of 6 pillars

Flag of Sweden SwedenWorld #41 32.5
  • 52.6183K active troops Manpower10 % 37.229K active troops
  • 52.4296 battle tanks Ground forces20 % 36.4110 battle tanks
  • 50.645 warships Naval power20 % 35.432 warships
  • 48.9225 combat aircraft Air power25 % 34.796 combat aircraft
  • 3.415 hosted warheads Nuclear deterrent10 % 0.00 warheads
  • 59.1$112B budget Defense budget15 % 36.0$15B budget
Germany Sweden Pillar scores 0–100 (weight under each label) over a headline figure from that domain · each conventional pillar read after its branch's availability proxy · Methodology
Key figures
Germany Sweden Ratio
Defense budget $112B $15B 🇩🇪 7.5×
– share of GDP 2.4% 2.5% 🇸🇪 ≈
Active personnel 183,500 29,750 🇩🇪 6.2×
Combat aircraft 225 96 🇩🇪 2.3×
Warships 45 32 🇩🇪 1.4×
– submarines 6 4 🇩🇪 1.5×
Main battle tanks 296 110 🇩🇪 2.7×
Nuclear warheads 0 0 —
Show full breakdown · 12 more rowsHide the 12 extra rows
Reserve troops 34,100 32,900 🇩🇪 ≈
Paramilitary forces 0 21,200 🇸🇪
Military aircraft (all types) 686 180 🇩🇪 3.8×
– helicopters 291 53 🇩🇪 5.5×
Deployed warheads 15 0 🇩🇪
Budget share of govt spending — — —
Budget per capita $1,347 $1,424 🇸🇪 1.1×
Population 83.5M 10.6M 🇩🇪 7.9×
GDP $5.1T $669B 🇩🇪 7.5×
GDP per capita $60,496 $63,133 🇸🇪 ≈
Land area 348,672 km² 407,284 km² 🇸🇪 1.2×
Coastline 2,389 km 3,218 km 🇸🇪 1.3×
Backbone systems most numerous in service
🇩🇪 GermanyTyphoon ×138Leopard 2 ×296Type 212-class ×6
🇸🇪 SwedenJAS 39 Gripen ×96Leopard 2 ×111Götland-class ×3
Defense budget history Germany ×1.8 · Sweden ×1.7 since 2021
Military personnel history
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Frequently Asked Questions

Who has more military personnel, Germany or Sweden?
Germany has approximately 183,500 active military personnel compared to Sweden's 29,750, giving Germany a 6.2:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, Germany or Sweden?
Germany operates 225 combat aircraft compared to Sweden's 96. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Who has the larger navy, Germany or Sweden?
Germany has a larger navy with 45 warships compared to Sweden's 32. Germany operates 6 submarines while Sweden has 4.
Which country spends more on defense, Germany or Sweden?
Germany has a larger defense budget at $112.5 billion (7.5:1 more) compared to Sweden's $15.1 billion annually.
Do Germany and Sweden have nuclear weapons?
Neither Germany nor Sweden currently possesses nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of Germany and Sweden compare?
Germany operates 296 main battle tanks compared to Sweden's 110. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.