Is the French Army bigger than the British Army?
Straight off the bat, France has a much larger combined military force with 203,000 active personnel, this includes those serving in the French army, air force and navy. Compare this with the UK which currently has just 150,000 active personnel across its three branches. France stands out with the largest active personnel, the highest number of fighter aircraft, and the presence of nuclear warheads. The United Kingdom closely follows in defense spending and nuclear capability. Meanwhile, Germany leads in total armored vehicles and has a strong defense budget.
How powerful is the French army?
France has the ninth largest defense budget in the world and the second largest in the European Union (EU). It also has the largest military by size in the EU. As of 2025, the total active personnel of the French Armed Forces is 264,000. Including the National Gendarmerie (155,000 in 2024), the total manpower of the French Armed Forces combined is 462,000 strong. A 2015 Credit Suisse report ranked the French Armed Forces as the world’s sixth most powerful military.