2023 Canada Military Strength (2024)

For 2023, Canada is ranked 27 of 145 out of the countries considered for the annual GFP review. The nation holds a PwrIndx* score of 0.3956 (a score of 0.0000 is considered 'perfect'). This entry last reviewed on 01/05/2023.

*PwrIndx: Each nation is assessed on individual and collective values processed through an in-house formula to generate its 'PwrIndx' (Power Index) score. Some values are estimated when official numbers are not available. View the NOTES tab below for a detailed breakdown of other assessments.

Breakdown

NOTES:
The polar area chart above is intended to show relative inherent strengths and weakness at-a-glance; balance is prefered though not always achievable.
1) Manpower encompasses Active, Reserve, and any official Paramilitary forces identified for the nation; personnel from each branch of service is included.
2) Airpower includes war-making aerial systems, excluding trainers and drones.
3) Land Power includes motorized / mechanized vehicular elements as well as towed artillery and mechanized / towed MLRS systems.
4) Naval Power includes commissioned hulls ranging from Blue Water warships and submarines to Brown Water patrol assets (excluded for land-locked powers).
5) Financials average current financial health on the world stage.
6) Scores are an average of related categories in the GFP annual ranking.

Canada is ranked 27 of 145 out of the countries considered for the annual Global Firepower review. The nation holds a Power Index score of 0.3956 with a score of 0.0000 being considered exceptional in the GFP assessment.

This country is a Top 10 global producer of crude Oil (Petroleum), a critical natural resource.

This country is a Top 10 global producer of Natural Gas, a critical natural resource.

Population
38/ 145

Avail.Manpwr
38/ 145

Fit-for-Serv
39/ 145

Mil.Age.Annu
51/ 145

Active Persn
55/ 145

Rez.Persn
41/ 145

Paramil.Persn
50/ 145

Aircraft
28/ 145

Fighters
34/ 145

Attack Types
145/ 145

Transports
26/ 145

Trainers
23/ 145

Spl.Mission
11/ 145

Tankers
8/ 145

Helicopters
30/ 145

Attack Helos
145/ 145

Tanks
81/ 145

Vehicles
34/ 145

Artillery (SP)
145/ 145

Art.(Towed)
145/ 145

MLRS
145/ 145

Ships
42/ 145

AC Carriers
145/ 145

Helo.Carriers
145/ 145

Destroyers
145/ 145

Frigates
6/ 145

Corvettes
145/ 145

Submarines
17/ 145

Offsh.Patrol
45/ 145

Mine Warfare
145/ 145

Oil Prod
4/ 145

Oil Consump
106/ 145

Oil Rez.Proven
4/ 145

Nat.Gas Prod
5/ 145

NatGas Cons
104/ 145

NatGas Rez
17/ 145

Coal Prod
13/ 145

Coal Consump
93/ 145

Coal Rez.Prvn
16/ 145

Labor Force
30/ 145

Merch.Marines
27/ 145

Major Ports
8/ 145

Roadways
8/ 145

Railways
4/ 145

Airports
4/ 145

Def.Budget
13/ 145

Ext.Debt
106/ 145

Foreign Rez
27/ 145

Purch.Power
15/ 145

Sq.Land Area
2/ 145

Coastline
107/ 145

Shared Border
126/ 145

Waterways
69/ 145

Excellent

Good

Average

Fair

Poor

GENERAL CAPABILITIES
Theoretical, automatically generated based on supplied values.

National Defense

Guerilla/Asymmetric Warfare

Airspace Defense

Tactical Reach

Battlefield Support

Armored Warfare

Internal Security

Land Convoy Protection

Naval Warfare

Naval Convoy Protection

Waterway Denial

Submarine Hunting

Long-Term Sustainment

Global Trade

Goods/Supplies Transportation

Natural Geographic Defense

The act of waging (and sustaining) a prolonged conflict requires a massive financial commitment from all parties involved. As such, GFP focuses on a select group of financially-related categories showcased below.

15/145

Purchasing Power Parity:
$1,742,790,000,000 USD

27/145

Foreign Exchange/Gold:
$86,680,000,000 USD

13/145

Defense Budget:
$36,300,000,000 USD

106/145

External Debt:
$2,124,887,000,000 USD

All monetary values presented in United States Dollar (USD$).

145/145

Self-Propelled Artillery:
Stock: 0
Readiness: 0*

145/145

Towed Artillery:
Stock: 0
Readiness: 0*

145/145

MLRS (Rocket Artillery):
Stock: 0
Readiness: 0*

*Values are estimated.

Inventory Composition:
Hover over pie slices in the chart below for category information.

42/145

Total Assets:
61

145/145

Aircraft Carriers:
0

145/145

Helicopter Carriers:
0

145/145

Destroyers:
0

6/145

Frigates:
12

145/145

Corvettes:
0

17/145

Submarines:
4

45/145

Patrol Vessels:
12

145/145

Mine Warfare:
0

Inventory Composition:
Hover over the pie slices in the chart below for more details.

For an in-depth overview of current leading naval powers of the world, including active inventories and strengths, consult the World Directory of Modern Military Warships (www.WDMMW.org).

GFP Hull Classifications:
GlobalFirepower.com (GFP) takes a rather conventional approach to hull classifications regarding per-country naval assets. Below are descriptions of each type considered:

Aircraft Carriers
These are either conventional- or nuclear-powered forms showcasing an expansive flight deck with hangar elevators for access. This surface is used for the launching and retrieval of fixed-wing aircraft (as a primary function) and rotorcraft (as a secondary function). In modern navies, Aircraft Carriers represent the flagship of the fleet, making them vital assets. Only a few select nations maintain an aircraft carrier as part of their surface fleet.

Helicopter Carriers
The Helicopter Carrier primarily supports rotorcraft and may offer facilities for the operation of Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) fixed-wing aircraft such as the F-35 and AV-8B 'jump jets'. These vessels are typically dimensionally smaller when compared to their Aircraft Carrier brethren. Provision for operating UAVs may also be seen in these vessel types.

Destroyers
Destroyers are the largest named, non-carrier ship type in modern fleets (not including Cruisers which are used by only a few powers). They are powerful, multi-mission oriented hulls with a broad array of sensors, processing systems, and weaponry and can support one or more rotorcraft from their included flight deck. Some forms are mission-specific, focusing on airspace deterrence or submarine hunting as primary roles.

Frigates
Frigates are the economical answer to the Destroyer, given roughly the same Blue Water / deep water capabilities and broad weapons / mission set. Similarly, they can support rotorcraft and operate independently or as part of the main fighting fleet. Their hull design bridges the gap between the dimensionally larger Destroyer and the smaller Corvette.

Corvettes
Corvettes typically represent the 'smallest' named vessels of the fleet. These are relatively compact hulls capable of operating in Blue Water environments as well as close-to-shore depending on draught depth. Corvettes can prove to be an economical measure for specific powers finding Frigate types out-of-scope and can also serve well those nations showcasing long-running coastlines.

Submarines
Conventionally- (diesel-electric) and nuclear-powered submersible hull designs are grouped together in the GFP analysis. Additionally, there is no distinction made between dedicated-attack, ballistic missile, and nuclear-attack types. Compact 'midget' submarines are also included as they still form portions of some fleets (as is the case for North Korea and Iran).

Patrol Vessels
The Patrol Vessel category is purposely broad and includes Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) types as well as gunboats, missile boats, fast-attack craft, and - in some cases - riverine assets. These boats are given shallow draughts for their specific operating environments and will typically serve as deterrent and enforcement assets in the grand scheme of the surface fleet.

Mine Warfare
Mine Warfare and Mine / Countermine assets are a generally overlooked portion of any surface fleet but prove just as critical as other designs particularly in times of war where their capabilities allow for denial of strategic waterways or participation in 'siege tactics' against harbors and ports. The GFP analysis reflects their importance in modern naval warfare.

End-use products reflect a given nation's ability to produce products through manufacturing, industry, and / or agriculture.

BARLEY

CHEMICLS

CORN

FISH

MILK

NATGAS

PAPER

PORK

POTATOES

PETROLM

RAPESEED

SOYBEANS

TRNSPRTN

WHEAT

The GFP index tracks crude Oil (petroleum) and (new as of 2023) Natural Gas and Coal usage / reserves / stock for each country. Natural resources are critical to a nation in both war and peace time, in some cases forming the lifeblood of a given world power. 2022 showed just how natural resources can be 'weaponized' by one party over another.

4/145

Oil Production:
5,500,000 bbl

106/145

Oil Consumption:
2,630,000 bbl

Oil Deficit:
+2,870,000 bbl

4/145

Oil Proven Reserves:
170,500,000,000 bbl

5/145

Natural Gas Production:
178,723,494,000 cu.m

104/145

Natural Gas Consumption:
124,502,315,000 cu.m

Natural Gas Deficit:
+54,221,179,000 cu.m

17/145

Nat.Gas Proven Rez:
2,067,126,000,000 cu.m

13/145

Coal Production:
48,328,000 mt

93/145

Coal Consumption:
25,642,000 mt

Coal Deficit:
+22,686,000 mt

16/145

Coal Proven Reserves:
6,582,000,000 mt

Oil bbl represented as unit 'barrel of oil'. Natural Gas represented in 'cubic meters'. Coal represented in 'metric tons'.

The GFP formula tracks various factors related to logistics which prove critical to any one global power in both war and peace time. These factor into a nation's ability to move man, machine, and supplies from one point to another - a particularly important quality when considering mass-mobilization.

30/145

Labor Force:
18,136,000

27/145

Merchant Marine Fleet:
679

8/145

Ports / Trade Terminals:
13

4/145

Airports:
1,467

8/145

Roadway Coverage:
1,042,300 km

4/145

Railway Coverage:
77,932 km

69/145

Waterways (usable):
636 km

FINANCIALS - Values partly derived from the CIA World Factbook and presented in USD ($). Estimates made when needed.

GEOGRAPHY - Values derived from the CIA World Factbook. As geography can play a role in both offensive and defensive wars, the GFP formula takes geographic qualities into account (border coverage, coastline coverage).

CAPITAL - Basic details covering the name, population, temperature, and precipitation values of a given capital city.

MANPOWER - Values partly derived from the CIA World Factbook. Some values may be estimated.

AIRPOWER - Values derived from multiple sources. Estimates made when required. Total Aircraft Strength value includes both fixed-wing and rotorcraft platforms from all branches of service (at this time UAVs are not included). 'Attack' value constitutes purpose-built, fixed-wing dedicated attack types. 'Transports' value includes only fixed-wing aircraft while all rotorcraft are represented under the 'Helicopters' value. For an in-depth look into the current air powers of the world, consider "the World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft" [www.WDMMA.org - external link].

LAND FORCES - Values derived from multiple sources. Estimates made when required. 'Tanks' value includes Main Battle Tanks (MBTs), medium tanks, and light tanks. 'Vehicles' value includes APCs, IFVs, MRAPs, Armored Cars, and support / logistical / engineering types. 'Rocket Projectors' (MLRSs) include self-propelled and towed forms.

NAVAL FORCES - Values derived from multiple sources. Estimates made when required. 'Total Assets' value includes all possible / available vessels including auxiliaries. 'Aircraft Carriers' value includes only traditional through-deck carriers (both conventionally- and nuclear-powered); Helicopter Carriers are considered in their own separate listing. 'Submarines' value includes both diesel-electric and nuclear-powered types. Landlocked nations are not penalized for the lack of a standing navy. For an in-depth look into the current naval powers of the world, consider "the World Directory of Modern Military Warships" [www.WDMMW.org - external link].

END-USE PRODUCTS - Graphics intended to showcase manufacturing, industrial, and agricultural prowess of a global power. Not all products may be accounted for in the showcase.

NATURAL RESOURCES - Values derived from the CIA World Factbook or estimated in some cases. Values presented as BBL (Barrel unit), cu.m (Cubic Meters), and mt (Metric Tons).

LOGISTICS - Values derived from the CIA World Factbook. Ports & Terminals may reside outside of a nations own borders if arrangements with an ally have been made. Landlocked nations are penalized for the lack of a standing Merchant Marine force.

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