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

Bulgaria (ranked #62 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than North Macedonia (#114) on the ARMS Index. Bulgaria fields 37,000 active troops — 2.3:1 North Macedonia's 16,000, backed by 3,000 reserves. Bulgaria's $2.4B defense budget is 7.0:1 that of North Macedonia ($0.3B).

ARMS (Aggregate Rating of Military Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Flag of Bulgaria BulgariaWorld #62 34.3
ARMS Index / 100

Bulgaria leads on 5 of 6 pillars

Flag of North Macedonia North MacedoniaWorld #114 17.4
  • 57.437K active troops Manpower15 % 47.516K active troops
  • 49.990 battle tanks Ground forces20 % 32.020 battle tanks
  • 31.320 warships Naval power20 % 0.00 warships
  • 35.927 combat aircraft Air power25 % 14.70 combat aircraft
  • 0.00 warheads Nuclear deterrent10 % 0.00 warheads
  • 40.3$2.4B budget Defense budget10 % 25.4$339M budget
Bulgaria North Macedonia Pillar scores 0–100 (weight under each label) over a headline figure from that domain · readiness modifier ×1.04 vs ×1.01 · Methodology
Key figures
Bulgaria North Macedonia Ratio
Defense budget $2.4B $339M 🇧🇬 7.0×
– share of GDP 2.1% 2.0% 🇧🇬 1.1×
Active personnel 37,000 16,000 🇧🇬 2.3×
Combat aircraft 27 0 🇧🇬
Warships 20 0 🇧🇬
– submarines 0 0 —
Main battle tanks 90 20 🇧🇬 4.5×
Nuclear warheads 0 0 —
Show full breakdown · 11 more rowsHide the 11 extra rows
Reserve troops 3,000 4,850 🇲🇰 1.6×
Paramilitary forces 0 5,000 🇲🇰
Military aircraft (all types) 79 20 🇧🇬 4.0×
– helicopters 29 14 🇧🇬 2.1×
Budget share of govt spending — — —
Budget per capita $370 $186 🇧🇬 2.0×
Population 6.4M 1.8M 🇧🇬 3.5×
GDP $113B $17B 🇧🇬 6.7×
GDP per capita $17,596 $9,292 🇧🇬 1.9×
Land area 108,612 km² 25,433 km² 🇧🇬 4.3×
Coastline 354 km 0 km 🇧🇬
Backbone systems most numerous in service
🇧🇬 BulgariaMiG-29 Fulcrum ×12T-72 ×44Wielingen-class ×3
Defense budget history Bulgaria ×1.8 · North Macedonia ×1.6 since 2021
Military personnel history

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who has more military personnel, Bulgaria or North Macedonia?
Bulgaria has approximately 37,000 active military personnel compared to North Macedonia's 16,000, giving Bulgaria a 2.3:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, Bulgaria or North Macedonia?
Bulgaria operates 27 combat aircraft compared to North Macedonia's 0. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Who has the larger navy, Bulgaria or North Macedonia?
Bulgaria has a larger navy with 20 vessels compared to North Macedonia's 0 ships.
Which country spends more on defense, Bulgaria or North Macedonia?
Bulgaria has a larger defense budget at $2.4 billion (7.0:1 more) compared to North Macedonia's $339 million annually.
Do Bulgaria and North Macedonia have nuclear weapons?
Neither Bulgaria nor North Macedonia currently possesses nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of Bulgaria and North Macedonia compare?
Bulgaria operates 90 main battle tanks compared to North Macedonia's 20. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.