Military Power.net

Indiavs Pakistan

On Global Firepower's 2026 index, India (#4) holds a solid edge over Pakistan (#14).

  • India has aircraft carriers; Pakistan has none.
  • India has destroyers; Pakistan has none.
  • India spends 7.7× as much on its military.
  1. People and moneyIndia leads 4 of 4
  2. Land forcesIndia leads 3 of 5
  3. Air powerIndia leads 7 of 7
  4. Naval forcesIndia leads 6 of 7
  5. Nuclear weaponsIndia leads 2 of 2

Leads count raw numbers in each category. Larger is not always stronger: a modern fleet can beat a bigger, older one.

A wide conventional gap, a narrow nuclear one

India spent $92.1 billion on its military in 2025, according to SIPRI, making it the world’s fifth-largest spender. Pakistan spent $11.9 billion. That gap shows up across the board: India has more than twice as many active troops, a larger air force and a navy with two aircraft carriers, which Pakistan lacks.

The nuclear balance is much closer. SIPRI estimates India at about 190 warheads and Pakistan at about 170 in January 2026. Pakistan has long relied on its nuclear arsenal to offset India’s conventional advantage, and both countries continue to develop new delivery systems.

Recent history

The two have fought several wars since 1947 and remain in dispute over Kashmir. Their most recent direct military clash, in May 2025, involved missile, drone and air strikes before a ceasefire. Much of Pakistan’s modern equipment, including fighters and frigates, comes from China, while India buys from Russia, France, the US and Israel and is expanding domestic production.

People and money

Who can be put in uniform, and how much is spent keeping them there.

$92.1B
Military spending
$11.9B
1.43M
Active personnel
660K
1M
Reserves
550K
2.53M
Paramilitary
500K

Spending is SIPRI's 2025 estimate in US dollars (India: 2.3% of GDP; Pakistan: 2.9% of GDP).

Land forces

Armour and artillery: the weight an army can put on the ground.

3,913
Tanks
2,677
164K
Armored vehicles
59K
100
Self-propelled artillery
662
5,640
Towed artillery
2,629
300
Rocket artillery
652

Air power

Fixed-wing and rotary aircraft across all branches.

2,183
Total aircraft
1,397
476
Fighters
331
124
Attack aircraft
90
594
Helicopters
379
79
Attack helicopters
55
6
Tankers
4
277
Transports
63

Naval forces

Hull counts, from carriers down to patrol boats.

343
Total fleet
120
2
Aircraft carriers
0
0
Helicopter carriers
0
18
Submarines
8
13
Destroyers
0
18
Frigates
9
21
Corvettes
6

Nuclear weapons

Estimated warheads in military stockpiles, January 2026.

190
Warheads
170
12
Deployed warheads
0

Compare other countries

Related matchups

Profiles: India and Pakistan. Sources: Global Firepower 2026, SIPRI Military Expenditure 2025 (Apr 2026), SIPRI Yearbook 2026: World Nuclear Forces.