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Italy Military Strength 2026

Rank #17 of 145

Italy is ranked #17 of 145 nations on the Warfare Institute Strength Index, with a provisional score of 6.4 / 100. The comparable baseline weighs air power, land and naval forces, active manpower and financials, adjusted for equipment quality and readiness.

Category scores

Air Superiority3.3
Air DefenseNot scored
Long-Range StrikeNot scored
Land Forces5
Naval Forces9.8
Logistics4.3
Manpower15.4
Financials4.5

Key figures

Active personnel
165,500
Reserve personnel
18,300
Total aircraft
714
Fighters
88
Attack helicopters
37
Tanks
203
Armored vehicles
87,364
Self-propelled artillery
64
Rocket artillery (MLRS)
21
Naval vessels
52
Aircraft carriers
2
Submarines
8
Defense budget
$37.3B
Population
60,964,931

What the ranking shows

Italy scores 6.4 out of 100. Its highest category score is Manpower (15.4); its lowest is Air Superiority (3.3). Category scores compare this country with the strongest inventory in each category, rather than measuring the probability of winning a war.

The inventory reports 165,500 active personnel, 88 fighters, 203 tanks and 52 naval vessels. Geography, alliances, logistics and deployment conditions affect how those forces can be used. Inventory totals and readiness estimates are explained in the methodology.

Data dates and sources

Model-level dates are not available for this country. The 2026 label identifies the ranking edition; individual observations may refer to earlier periods. Figures are public-source estimates.

Model-level citations have not yet been assigned for this profile.

These citations identify the source families assigned to the model records; they do not imply every aggregate figure has been independently verified. See the source registry and corrections process.

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