India has an overwhelming superior edge over Pakistan when it comes to armed forces strengths and firepower

X: @prashanthamine

New Delhi: When it comes to defence budget, armed forces and firepower (weapons delivery systems) India has an overwhelming superior technological edge over Pakistan. That explains as to why Pakistan has never won any conventional war since 1947.

Here we give you the complete comparative picture of the numerical strengths of the armed forces and weapons delivery systems.

The data has been sourced from – Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), SIPRI Yearbook 2024, Global Firepower Index 2025 (GFI) & Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

The latest SIPRI report indicates that India’s military expenditure in 2024 was nearly nine times that of Pakistan’s, with India spending $86.1 billion, and Pakistan $10.2 billion. India’s military spending is the fifth largest globally and grew by 1.6%, while Pakistan’s is the 30th largest globally. While these figures provide a glimpse into the relative size of the two nations’ military spending, they don’t directly quantify the total armed forces strengths in terms of personnel or equipment. 

Key Points:

SIPRI report:

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) provides data on global military expenditure.

India’s spending:

India’s military spending in 2024 was $86.1 billion, the fifth largest globally.

Pakistan’s spending:

Pakistan’s military spending in 2024 was $10.2 billion.

Spending gap:

India’s military spending was nearly nine times that of Pakistan’s in 2024.

No personnel/equipment data:

The SIPRI report doesn’t directly provide figures on the number of personnel or equipment held by the armed forces of either nation. 

Detailed Analysis of Army, Navy and Air Force.

IND vs PAK Military Comparison: India and Pakistan, neighbouring nuclear powers, possess formidable military forces. India generally holds an advantage in overall strength, with a larger and more diverse arsenal. Both countries maintain significant armies, navies, and air forces, reflecting decades of strategic competition and regional security concerns.

IND vs PAK Military Strength and Personnel Comparison.

India holds a Global PowerIndex rank of 0.1184, securing the 4th position out of 145 countries. In comparison, Pakistan’s Global PowerIndex rank stands at 0.2513, placing it at the 12th rank among the same 145 nations.

Country     PwrIndx   Rank (out of 145)

India            0.1184      4

Pakistan     0.2513        12

1. Manpower

India holds a clear advantage in manpower, with a total population of 1.4 billion compared to Pakistan’s 252 million. India’s available manpower is approximately 662 million, while Pakistan’s stands at 108 million.

Active military personnel in India number 1.45 million, compared to 654,000 in Pakistan, a substantial lead of 801,550 personnel. Similarly, India maintains a larger reserve force of 1.15 million versus Pakistan’s 550,000. 

Additionally, India boasts 2.52 million paramilitary personnel, towering over Pakistan’s 500,000. This robust workforce provides India with a significant edge in terms of mobilisation and operational capacity.

2. Airpower

India also excels in airpower, ranked 4th globally, with 2,229 total aircraft, far surpassing Pakistan’s 1,399 aircraft. India operates 513 fighter aircraft, compared to Pakistan’s 328, giving it a significant advantage in air dominance capabilities. 

India also operates 130 dedicated attack aircraft and 899 helicopters, including 80 attack helicopters, which outmatch Pakistan’s 90 attack aircraft, 373 helicopters, and 57 attack helicopters. These figures bolster India’s readiness for both offensive and defensive aerial operations.

3. Land Power

In terms of land power, India owns 4,201 tanks, compared to Pakistan’s 2,627 tanks, a superiority of 1,574 tanks. 

Furthermore, India operates 148,594 armoured vehicles, dwarfing Pakistan’s 17,516. However, Pakistan’s self-propelled artillery count of 662 units surpasses India’s 100 units, reflecting some parity. 

Additionally, India leads in towed artillery with 3,975 units, while Pakistan has 2,629 units. India’s 264 mobile rocket systems constitute a smaller number compared to Pakistan’s 600 units, highlighting the latter’s focus on mobile artillery.

4. Naval Power

India dominates the naval domain, with a fleet strength of 293 vessels, significantly more than Pakistan’s 121 vessels. India operates two aircraft carriers, while Pakistan has none. 

Additionally, India has 18 submarines, compared to Pakistan’s 8, and 13 destroyers, while Pakistan possesses none. 

India’s naval fleet also includes 14 frigates, 18 corvettes, and 135 patrol vessels, far outstripping Pakistan’s counterparts in both numbers and technological sophistication. This naval might ensures sustainable maritime dominance and expanded reach in the Indian Ocean.

India also has more people actively serving in their military, with about 1.4 million active personnel, compared to Pakistan’s 654,000. For reserve personnel, India has around 1.1 million, and Pakistan has about 550,000.

Finally, India has a larger number of paramilitary forces, with about 2.5 million, while Pakistan has around 500,000.

Category                                  India                    Pakistan

Total Population                       1,409,128,296    252,363,571

Available Manpower                662,290,299       108,516,336

Fit-for-Service                          522,786,598       85,803,614

Reaching Mil. Age Annually    23,955,181         4,794,908

Active Personnel                      1,455,550           654,000

Reserve Personnel                  1,155,000           550,000

Paramilitary Forces                  2,527,000           500,000

India vs Pakistan Military Strength: Finance

When we look at the money each country spends on its military (Defence Budget), India spends a lot more than Pakistan. India’s defence budget is 75 billion dollars, while Pakistan’s is about 7.64 billion dollars. 

In terms of how much money each country owes to other countries (External Debt), India’s debt is much higher, at 371 billion dollars, compared to Pakistan’s 92.4 billion dollars. 

However, India also has much larger savings (Foreign Reserve) with 627.8 billion dollars, while Pakistan has 13.7 billion dollars. 

Finally, when we look at how much each country can buy overall (Purchasing Power), India’s economy is significantly larger, with 13.1 trillion dollars, compared to Pakistan’s 1.35 trillion dollars.

Financial Metric      India (USD)                 Pakistan (USD)

Defence Budget       75,000,000,000           7,640,000,000

External Debt            371,020,500,000         92,426,000,000

Foreign Reserve      627,793,000,000         13,730,000,000

Purchasing Power   13,104,000,000,000    1,347,000,000,000

India vs Pakistan Military Strength: Air Power

When we look at airpower, India has a larger overall number of aircraft than Pakistan. India has a total of 2,229 aircraft, while Pakistan has 1,399. 

India also has more fighter aircraft (513 vs. 328), dedicated attack aircraft (130 vs. 90), transport aircraft (270 vs. 64), special-mission aircraft (74 vs. 27), and helicopters (899 vs. 373). 

However, Pakistan has more trainer aircraft (565 vs. 351). India has a few more aerial tankers (6 vs. 4), and both countries have attack helicopters, though India has a slightly larger number (80 vs. 57).

Aircraft Type           India    Pakistan

Total Aircraft             2,229    1,399

Fighter Aircraft         513       328

Dedicated Attack      130       90

Transports                270       64

Trainers                    351       565

Special-Mission        74         27

Aerial Tankers          6           4

Helicopters               899       373

Attack Helicopters    80         57

India vs Pakistan Military Strength: Land Power

When we look at land power, India has more tanks and armoured vehicles than Pakistan. India has 4,201 tanks, while Pakistan has 2,627. India also has a lot more armoured vehicles (148,594) compared to Pakistan (17,516). 

However, Pakistan has more self-propelled artillery (662) and mobile rocket projectors (600) than India, which has 100 and 264, respectively. 

India does have more towed artillery guns (3,975) than Pakistan (2,629). So, while India has more of some ground weapons, Pakistan has more of others.

Weapon Type                      India         Pakistan

Tank Strength                      4,201        2,627

Armoured Vehicles              148,594    17,516

Self-Propelled Artillery        100           662

Towed Artillery                     3,975        2,629

Mobile Rocket Projectors    264           600

India vs Pakistan Military Strength: Naval Power

India’s navy is much bigger than Pakistan’s. India has a total of 293 ships and ranks 6th in the world. Pakistan has 121 ships and ranks 27th. India has 2 aircraft carriers, while Pakistan has none. 

Both countries have no helo carriers. India has more submarines (18 vs 8) and significantly more destroyers (13 vs 0). 

India also has more frigates (14 vs 9), corvettes (18 vs 9), and patrol vessels (135 vs 69). Pakistan has a few mine warfare ships (3), but India has none.

Ship Type            India   Pakistan

Fleet Strength       293     121

Aircraft Carriers   2          0

Helo Carriers        0          0

Submarines          18        8

Destroyers            13        0

Frigates                 14        9

Corvettes              18        9

Patrol Vessels      135     69

Mine Warfare       0          3

Nuclear Forces / Weapons: SIPRI.

India:

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) estimates that India possesses 172 nuclear warheads as of January 2024. This places India’s nuclear arsenal in 6th place globally, surpassing Pakistan, which is estimated to have 170 warheads. SIPRI’s data suggests a slight increase in India’s nuclear arsenal compared to the previous year. 

Pakistan:

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) has estimated Pakistan’s nuclear stockpile to be around 170 warheads as of January 2024. This figure has remained static since the previous year. SIPRI’s estimates are based on a combination of public information, reports from the International Panel on Fissile Materials, and other sources. 

India’s Ballistic & Cruise Missiles: Range.

Brahmos – 300 Kms.

Nirbhay – 1000 Kms

Prahaar – 150 Kms

Prithvi II – 250 Kms

Agni I – 700 Kms

Agni II – 2000 + Kms

Agni III – 3000 + Kms

Agni IV – 3500 + Kms

Agni V – 50000 + Kms

K-15 (Submarine Launched) – 700 Kms

K-4 (Submarine Launched) – 3500 Kms

Pakistan’s Ballistic & Cruise Missiles: Range.

RA’AD (HATF 8) – 350 Kms

BABUR (HATF 7) – 700 Kms

NASR (HATF 9) – 60 Kms

HATF 1 – 50 to 100 Kms

ABDALI (HATF 2) – 200 Kms

GHAZNAVI (HATF 3) – 300 Kms

SHAHEEN 1 (HATF 4) – 750 Kms

GHAURI (HATF 5) – 1500 Kms

SHAHEEN 2 (HATF 6) – 2000 Kms

SHAHEEN 3 – 2750 Kms

ABADEEL – 2200 Kms

Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), SIPRI Yearbook 2024, Global Firepower Index 2025 (GFI) & Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).