How India and Pakistan compare in military powers, strength and defence budget: All you need to know

Pakistan on Wednesday alleged that India may be considering a military action against its neighbouring country in the next 24-36 hours. The allegations were made as tension between India and Pakistan escalated in the aftermath of the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22. At least 26 people were killed in the attack.

Attaullah Tarar, Pakistan's Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, released a statement on Wednesday, saying that Pakistan “has credible intelligence that India intends to carry out military action against Pakistan in the next 24 to 36 hours...”

Meanwhile, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also said there were “intel reports” which indicate that India is considering an “escalatory move”. Amid such "intel reports", former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan warned that “Pakistan has got all the capabilities to give a befitting response to any Indian misadventure”.

TIndia has not responded to Pakistan's claims as of now.

In the wake of Pakistan's claims about "military action by India" in the next 24-36 hours, here's a look at the comparison of the military strength of the two neighbouring countries:

Military ranking

According to the Global Firepower ranking, India is fourth, while Pakistan is ranked 12th among 145 countries considered for the annual GFP review.

Meanwhile, according to Military Watch Magazine, India falls among Tier 2 military powers, while Pakistan falls among Tier 3 military powers.

Defence Budget

In the 2025 Union Budget, India allocated ₹6.8 lakh crore for the defence sector for FY 2025-26, including ₹1.8 lakh crore for the modernisation of the military. India's defence budget accounted for 1.9 per cent of India’s projected gross domestic product (GDP) for 2024-25 and 13.45 per cent of the government’s budget.

Meanwhile, in June 2024, Pakistan allocated ₹2.12 lakh crore (Pakistani Rs) or INR ₹64,082 crore for FY 2024-25. Pakistan-based Dawn News reported last year that the allocation for the armed forces in the next fiscal year (FY 25-26) is set at 1.7 per cent of GDP.

India's military spending in 2024 was nearly nine times that of Pakistan's expenditure, news agency PTI reported, while citing a study released by a leading Swedish think tank on Monday.

As per Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India's military expenditure, the fifth largest globally, grew by 1.6 per cent to $86.1 billion while Pakistan spent $10.2 billion.

Manpower

According to Global Firepower data, India's "Available Manpower" stands at 662,290,299, while that of Pakistan is said to be around 108,516,336.

India has around 51,37,550 (51 lakh) military personnel and Pakistan has approximately 17,04,000 (17 lakh) military personnel, as per the data.

Meanwhile, there are 14 lakh active personnel in the Indian military, as per Global Firepower, and 6.5 lakh active personnel in the Pakistani military.

According to Military Watch Magazine, India has 4,241,500 combat personnel, while Pakistan has 964,000 combat personnel.

Army, Air Force and Navy personnel

Naval forces

India has 293 assets, including two aircraft carriers, 13 destroyers, 14 frigates, 18 Corvettes, 135 patrol vessels and 18 submarines.

In comparison, Pakistan has 121 assets including nine frigates, 69 Patrol vessels, nine Corvettes, eight submarines and three mine warfare. It has zero aircraft carriers or destroyers, as per Global Firepower.

According to Global Firepower, here's what the figures say:

According to Military Watch Magazine, here's what the figures say:

Air power

India has 2,229 aircraft (1,672 readiness), while Pakistan has 1,399 (797 readiness) aircraft. According to Global Firepower, here's what the figures say:

According to Military Watch Magazine, here's what the figures say:

Army, ground personnel

According to Military Watch Magazine, here's what the figures say:

(With inputs from Global Firepower and Military Watch Magazine)