These are the countries with the most warships in the world

The military power of the world’s various states is today more crucial than ever, with an increasingly unstable global landscape necessitating deterrence at the very least. Naval power is one of the key elements in this regard, considering that the sea itself is the scene of major conflicts and retaliations, which can make a difference in the long term.

Let’s see who has the most warships and what type, based on an analysis by Global Fire Power.

Countries with the most warships

Below is the updated 2025 ranking of the Countries with the most warships, excluding elements still in the planning phase. This calculation takes into account all elements of the naval fleet that contribute to a state’s military power, including all types of submarines and warships (including aircraft carriers, helicopter carriers, submarines, corvettes, frigates, coastal battleships, and amphibious assault ships). This results in the following ranking:

• China (754);
• United States (440);
• Russia (419);
• Indonesia (331);
• Sweden (308);
• India (293);
• Thailand (293);
• Sri Lanka (270);
• Finland (264);
• Colombia (233).

China holds the overall lead, with an advantage almost double that of the second-placed United States, which nevertheless has greater overall power. Italy, on the other hand, ranks 14th, with a total score of 196, just behind North Korea and ahead of Portugal. However, a more specific look at warships reveals very different rankings. While China rarely falls below second place, focusing on specific vessels highlights the primacy of other countries around the world, including Colombia, which has the highest number of patrol vessels.

Clearly, the world powers in the top five perform above average in this way as well, but it’s interesting to see how various states have strengthened their defense capabilities based on their own resources and the unique characteristics of their territories. Italy, for example, occupies the top five in the aircraft carrier rankings, competing for space with much larger and militarily more developed nations. Below, we look at some more specific rankings for a more complete idea of the naval power of states.

Ranking by Tonnage

A key ranking for fairly analyzing each country’s naval capability is one that considers tonnage rather than the number of units. This proves to be a more comprehensive parameter that allows for more accurate and complete comparisons, given that—obviously—not all warships have the same power. However, based on the weight criterion, China cedes first place to the United States, a significant gap despite having almost halved its number of units.

• United States (4,168,037 tons);
• China (2,857,143 tons);
• Russia (1,260,447 tons);
• Japan (769,882 tons);
• India (593,603 tons);
• France (428,765 tons);
• United Kingdom (394,043 tons);
• Italy (359,417 tons);
• South Korea (344,786 tons);
• Turkey (325,729 tons).

Countries with the most aircraft carriers

The naval ranking in which Italy stands out most is undoubtedly that of aircraft carriers, where the country takes 4th place in the world thanks to its two aircraft carriers in service: the Cavour and the Trieste. This result is noteworthy because very few countries have aircraft carriers, and only those in the top five have more than one. To be clear, China has three. In this case, however, the United States holds the undisputed lead, with no less than 11 aircraft carriers, or approximately 40% of the global fleet. As can be seen, these ships are used to deploy air power even without local bases and therefore play a crucial role in conflict, as well as in deterrence and surveillance. The complete ranking follows.

• United States;
• China;
• India;
• Italy;
• United Kingdom;
• France;
• Russia;
• Spain;
• Albania;
• Algeria.

Countries with the most helicopter carriers

Below is the ranking of helicopter carriers. It should be noted, however, that multipurpose ships are excluded from this ranking, and most military vessels are capable of carrying at least one helicopter.

• United States;
• China;
• Japan;
• France;
• Australia;
• Egypt;
• South Korea;
• Brazil;
• Thailand;
• Turkey.

Who has the most destroyers

• United States;
• China;
• Japan;
• India;
• South Korea;
• France;
• Russia;
• United Kingdom;
• Mexico;
• Taiwan.

Ranking of minesweepers and minelayers

• Russia;
• China;
• Poland;
• Japan;
• Finland;
• Egypt;
• France;
• South Korea;
• Taiwan;
• Germany.

Patrol Vessel Ranking

• Colombia;
• Indonesia;
• Switzerland;
• North Korea;
• China;
• Burma;
• Mexico;
• India;
• Russia;
• Nigeria.

Submarine Ranking

• United States;
• Russia;
• China;
• Iran;
• Japan;
• South Korea;
• India;
• North Korea;
• Turkey;
• Greece.

Countries with the Most Frigates

• China;
• Taiwan;
• South Korea;
• Turkey;
• India;
• Egypt;
• Greece;
• Canada;
• Russia;
• France.

Countries with the Most Corvettes

• Russia;
• China;
• United States;
• Indonesia;
• India;
• Vietnam;
• United Arab Emirates;
• Pakistan;
• Saudi Arabia;
• Turkey.

Original article published on Money.it Italy. Original title: Questi sono i Paesi con più navi da guerra al mondo. E l’Italia?