The military is considered to be a very important and vital part of a country and its security. Every year, countries allocate a huge budget for fighting battles and protecting their territories. Each country takes different special initiatives in a bid to strengthen itself militarily. Almost all countries in the world have an army that protects it from external and internal forces. Most of these countries maintain active and reserve military personnel. For purposes of this ranking we will use the active military personnel numbers. Active military refers to full-time active duty whereas reserve military refers to part-time duty.
Being on active duty is similar to working a full-time job. They work for the military full time, may live on a military barrack/base, and can be deployed at any time. Persons in reserve military can go to school or work in a civilian while still maintaining many of the benefits of military service. Although they can be deployed at any time should the need arise. Reserve military personnel do not live in military barracks/bases. The existence of reserve forces allows a nation to reduce its peacetime military expenditures while maintaining a force prepared for war.
Here are the top 20 smallest militaries in the world.
| Rank | Country | Active military personnel |
| 1. | Iceland | 0 |
| 2. | Afghanistan | 0 |
| 3. | Panama | 0 |
| 4. | Luxembourg | 1,000 |
| 5. | Liberia | 1,500 |
| 6. | Belize | 1,650 |
| 7. | Suriname | 2,000 |
| 8. | Montenegro | 2,350 |
| 9. | Benin | 4,750 |
| 10. | Gabon | 4,800 |
| 11. | Albania | 6,600 |
| 12. | Slovenia | 7,300 |
| 13. | Bhutan | 7,500 |
| 14. | Estonia | 7,700 |
| 15. | Ireland | 7,765 |
| 16. | Moldova | 8,500 |
| 17. | Republic of the Congo | 8,500 |
| 18. | New Zealand | 8,670 |
| 19. | North Macedonia | 9,000 |
| 20. | Tajikistan | 9,500 |
