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Military Strength: Flag of Ireland Ireland vs Flag of North Macedonia North Macedonia

Ireland (ranked #112 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than North Macedonia (#114) on the ARMS Index. Ireland fields 9,000 active troops vs 16,000 for North Macedonia, backed by 4,850 reserves and 5,000 paramilitary. Ireland's $1.2B defense budget is 3.6:1 that of North Macedonia ($0.3B).

ARMS (Aggregate Rating of Military Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Flag of Ireland IrelandWorld #112 18.0
ARMS Index / 100

Ireland leads on 3 of 6 pillars

Flag of North Macedonia North MacedoniaWorld #114 17.4
  • 47.39,000 active troops Manpower15 % 47.516K active troops
  • 0.00 battle tanks Ground forces20 % 32.020 battle tanks
  • 17.132 warships Naval power20 % 0.00 warships
  • 21.00 combat aircraft Air power25 % 14.80 combat aircraft
  • 0.00 warheads Nuclear deterrent10 % 0.00 warheads
  • 34.9$1.2B budget Defense budget10 % 25.4$339M budget
Ireland North Macedonia Pillar scores 0–100 (weight under each label) over a headline figure from that domain · readiness modifier ×1.08 vs ×1.01 · Methodology
Key figures
Ireland North Macedonia Ratio
Defense budget $1.2B $339M 🇮🇪 3.6×
– share of GDP 0.2% 2.0% 🇲🇰 10×
Active personnel 9,000 16,000 🇲🇰 1.8×
Combat aircraft 0 0 —
Warships 32 0 🇮🇪
– submarines 0 0 —
Main battle tanks 0 20 🇲🇰
Nuclear warheads 0 0 —
Show full breakdown · 11 more rowsHide the 11 extra rows
Reserve troops 4,050 4,850 🇲🇰 1.2×
Paramilitary forces 0 5,000 🇲🇰
Military aircraft (all types) 27 20 🇮🇪 1.4×
– helicopters 10 14 🇲🇰 1.4×
Budget share of govt spending — — —
Budget per capita $226 $186 🇮🇪 1.2×
Population 5.4M 1.8M 🇮🇪 3.0×
GDP $609B $17B 🇮🇪 36×
GDP per capita $112,895 $9,292 🇮🇪 12×
Land area 68,883 km² 25,433 km² 🇮🇪 2.7×
Coastline 1,448 km 0 km 🇮🇪
Defense budget history Ireland ×0.8 · North Macedonia ×1.5 since 2021
Military personnel history

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who has more military personnel, Ireland or North Macedonia?
North Macedonia has approximately 16,000 active military personnel compared to Ireland's 9,000, giving North Macedonia a 1.8:1 numerical advantage.
Who has the larger navy, Ireland or North Macedonia?
Ireland has a larger navy with 32 vessels compared to North Macedonia's 0 ships.
Which country spends more on defense, Ireland or North Macedonia?
Ireland has a larger defense budget at $1.2 billion (3.6:1 more) compared to North Macedonia's $339 million annually.
Do Ireland and North Macedonia have nuclear weapons?
Neither Ireland nor North Macedonia currently possesses nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of Ireland and North Macedonia compare?
North Macedonia operates 20 main battle tanks compared to Ireland's 0. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.