Mandatory Military Service 2024

	Afghanistan	unclear
	Albania	No
	Algeria	Yes
	Angola	Yes
	Argentina	De jure
	Armenia	Yes
	Australia	No
	Austria	Yes
	Azerbaijan	Yes
	Bahamas	No
	Bahrain	No
	Bangladesh	No
	Barbados	No
	Belarus	Yes
	Belgium	No
	Belize	De jure
	Benin	Yes
	Bermuda	No
	Bhutan	Yes
	Bolivia	Yes
	Botswana	No
	Brazil	Yes
	Brunei	No
	Bulgaria	No
	Burkina Faso	No
	Burundi	No
	Cambodia	Yes
	Cameroon	No
	Canada	No
	Cape Verde	Yes
	Central African Republic	No
	Chad	Yes
	Chile	Infrequent
	China	De jure
	Colombia	Yes
	Comoros	No
	Croatia	No
	Cuba	Yes
	Curacao	No
	Cyprus	Yes
	DR Congo	Yes
	Denmark	Yes
	Djibouti	No
	Dominican Republic	No
	Ecuador	No
	Egypt	Yes
	El Salvador	Yes
	Equatorial Guinea	Yes
	Eritrea	Yes
	Estonia	Yes
	Eswatini	No
	Ethiopia	De jure
	Fiji	No
	Finland	Yes
	France	No
	Gabon	No
	Gambia	No
	Georgia	Yes
	Germany	No
	Ghana	No
	Greece	Yes
	Guatemala	Yes
	Guinea	No
	Guinea Bissau	Yes
	Guyana	No
	Honduras	No
	Hungary	No
	India	No
	Indonesia	De jure
	Iran	Yes
	Iraq	No
	Ireland	No
	Israel	Yes
	Italy	No
	Ivory Coast	De jure
	Jamaica	No
	Japan	No
	Jordan	Yes
	Kazakhstan	Yes
	Kenya	No
	Kuwait	Yes
	Kyrgyzstan	Yes
	Laos	Yes
	Latvia	No
	Lebanon	No
	Lesotho	No
	Liberia	No
	Libya	No
	Lithuania	Yes
	Luxembourg	No
	Madagascar	No
	Malawi	No
	Malaysia	No
	Maldives	No
	Mali	Yes
	Malta	No
	Mauritania	No
	Mauritius	No
	Mexico	Yes
	Moldova	Yes
	Mongolia	Yes
	Montenegro	No
	Morocco	Yes
	Mozambique	Yes
	Myanmar	De jure
	Namibia	No
	Nepal	No
	Netherlands	No
	New Zealand	No
	Nicaragua	No
	Niger	Yes
	Nigeria	No
	North Korea	Yes
	North Macedonia	No
	Norway	Yes
	Oman	No
	Pakistan	No
	Papua New Guinea	No
	Paraguay	Yes
	Peru	No
	Philippines	No
	Poland	No
	Portugal	De jure
	Qatar	Yes
	Romania	No
	Russia	Yes
	Rwanda	No
	Saint Lucia	No
	San Marino	De jure
	Sao Tome and Principe	De jure
	Saudi Arabia	No
	Senegal	Yes
	Serbia	No
	Seychelles	No
	Sierra Leone	No
	Singapore	Yes
	Slovakia	De jure
	Slovenia	No
	Somalia	De jure
	South Africa	No
	South Korea	Yes
	South Sudan	Yes
	Spain	De jure
	Sri Lanka	No
	Sudan	Yes
	Suriname	No
	Sweden	Yes
	Switzerland	Yes
	Syria	Yes
	Taiwan	Yes
	Tajikistan	Yes
	Tanzania	unclear
	Thailand	Yes
	Timor Leste	Uncertain
	Togo	No
	Tonga	No
	Tunisia	Yes
	Turkey	Yes
	Turkmenistan	Yes
	Uganda	No
	Ukraine	Yes
	United Arab Emirates	Yes
	United Kingdom	No
	United States	De jure
	Uruguay	De jure
	Uzbekistan	Yes
	Venezuela	Yes
	Vietnam	Yes
	Yemen	No
	Zambia	No
	Zimbabwe	No

Mandatory Military Service Examination

Mandatory military service, in one form or another, has become a common aspect of many nations' defense strategies. With practices ranging from volunteerism to conscription, military service models can greatly vary from one nation to another, often reflecting the specific socio-political landscape, demographic composition, security threats, and ideological leanings of a particular country. Our data provides a snapshot of the global landscape concerning mandatory military service. Key findings:

A significant number of nations employ mandatory military service in some form. Categories include "Yes," where service is obligatory with few exceptions, "De jure," ie., by law but rarely enforced, and "Uncertain" for nations featuring complex or changing policies.
A significant amount of variation exists in practices around the globe. Of the 154 regions reviewed, 50 enact mandatory service, 33 maintain it de jure, 2 are uncertain, while the rest do not enforce mandatory service.
Scandinavian nations such as Sweden, Norway, and Finland, advocate mandatory service, demonstrating an equal commitment to defense from both genders. Surprisingly, major military powers, such as the United States and China, maintain de jure conscription but majorly rely on voluntary enlistment.
A majority of nations, even in regions affected by conflict or instability, do not impose mandatory military service, preferring to rely on voluntary enlistment or other means of staffing their defense forces.
Countries like Israel and Eritrea, with contextual security concerns, have mandatory service irrespective of gender, showcasing a comprehensive approach to defense building.

By Region

Afghanistan

See Less

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

unclear

Albania

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Algeria

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Angola

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Argentina

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

De jure

Armenia

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Australia

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Austria

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Azerbaijan

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Bahamas

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Bahrain

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Bangladesh

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Barbados

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Belarus

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Belgium

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Belize

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

De jure

Benin

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Bermuda

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Bhutan

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Bolivia

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Botswana

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Brazil

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Brunei

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Bulgaria

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Burkina Faso

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Burundi

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Cambodia

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Cameroon

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Canada

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Cape Verde

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Central African Republic

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Chad

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Chile

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Infrequent

China

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

De jure

Colombia

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Comoros

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Croatia

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Cuba

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Curacao

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Cyprus

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

DR Congo

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Denmark

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Djibouti

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Dominican Republic

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Ecuador

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Egypt

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

El Salvador

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Equatorial Guinea

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Eritrea

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Estonia

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Eswatini

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Ethiopia

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

De jure

Fiji

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Finland

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

France

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Gabon

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Gambia

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Georgia

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Germany

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Ghana

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Greece

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Guatemala

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Guinea

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Guinea Bissau

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Guyana

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Honduras

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Hungary

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

India

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Indonesia

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

De jure

Iran

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Iraq

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Ireland

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Israel

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Italy

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Ivory Coast

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

De jure

Jamaica

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Japan

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Jordan

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Kazakhstan

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Kenya

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Kuwait

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Kyrgyzstan

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Laos

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Latvia

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Lebanon

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Lesotho

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Liberia

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Libya

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Lithuania

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Luxembourg

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Madagascar

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Malawi

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Malaysia

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Maldives

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Mali

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Malta

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Mauritania

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Mauritius

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Mexico

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Moldova

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Mongolia

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Montenegro

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Morocco

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Mozambique

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Myanmar

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

De jure

Namibia

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Nepal

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Netherlands

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

New Zealand

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Nicaragua

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Niger

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Nigeria

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

North Korea

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

North Macedonia

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Norway

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Oman

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Pakistan

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Papua New Guinea

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Paraguay

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Peru

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Philippines

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Poland

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Portugal

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

De jure

Qatar

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Romania

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Russia

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Rwanda

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Saint Lucia

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

San Marino

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

De jure

Sao Tome and Principe

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

De jure

Saudi Arabia

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Senegal

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Serbia

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Seychelles

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Sierra Leone

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Singapore

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Slovakia

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

De jure

Slovenia

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Somalia

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

De jure

South Africa

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

South Korea

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

South Sudan

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Spain

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

De jure

Sri Lanka

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Sudan

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Suriname

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Sweden

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Switzerland

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Syria

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Taiwan

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Tajikistan

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Tanzania

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

unclear

Thailand

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Timor Leste

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Uncertain

Togo

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Tonga

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Tunisia

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Turkey

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Turkmenistan

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Uganda

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Ukraine

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

United Arab Emirates

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

United Kingdom

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

United States

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

De jure

Uruguay

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

De jure

Uzbekistan

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Venezuela

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Vietnam

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Yes

Yemen

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Zambia

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Zimbabwe

Metric

Value

Rank

Mandatory Military Service

Additional Military Datasets