ASEAN Countries' Military Strength According to Global Firepower Index 2025
Reporter
July 31, 2025 | 10:10 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The military or armed forces are organizations designed to conduct wartime operations. Most sovereign countries maintain their military to protect the nation and its interests from external threats. According to the Global Firepower (GFP), the military strength of a country is measured through various indicators, such as the number of active troops, air power, ground strength, naval fleet, and defense budget.
As reported by the official GFP website, modern military consists of several branches, such as the army, navy, and air force. Its development requires strategic doctrine, logistic support systems, and national threat identification.
In the latest report released by GFP, the military strength rankings of ASEAN countries in 2025 are determined based on more than 60 comprehensively calculated variables. This assessment uses the Power Index, a score that indicates overall military strength. The lower the score, the stronger the military.
Based on the official list on the Global Firepower website, here are the military strength rankings of ASEAN countries in 2025:
- Indonesia - World Rank: 13
Power Index: 0.2251 - Vietnam - World Rank: 19
Power Index: 0.2854 - Thailand - World Rank: 26
Power Index: 0.3587 - Malaysia - World Rank: 39
Power Index: 0.4651 - Philippines - World Rank: 47
Power Index: 0.5079 - Myanmar - World Rank: 48
Power Index: 0.5092 - Singapore - World Rank: 54
Power Index: 0.5351 - Cambodia - World Rank: 92
Power Index: 0.7457 - Laos - World Rank: 117
Power Index: 1.0076 - Brunei Darussalam - World Rank: 122
Power Index: 1.0771
The Power Index not only reflects the number of troops or military assets but also takes into account logistical capability, strategic infrastructure, and defense financial capacity. For example, a country with a small number of troops but efficient logistics and advanced air power may receive a better score than a country with a large number of troops but weak support systems.
Although nuclear weapons are not included as a primary variable, GFP still calculates over 60 factors that affect the actual and potential military strength of a country.
From the presented data, Indonesia holds the strongest position in Southeast Asia in terms of military strength. This signifies Indonesia's strategic role in regional stability, followed by Vietnam and Thailand. Other countries, such as Malaysia, the Philippines, and Myanmar, also have competitive scores. While countries like Laos, Brunei, and Cambodia still show relatively limited strength, in line with their size and military needs.
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