At the opposite end of the list is Bhutan, ranked 145th out of 145 countries, meaning it is the last in the Global Firepower ranking. This small mountainous state, with a population of less than a million, has limited financial resources and a small army. Bhutan has virtually no air force of its own, no navy at all, and very limited heavy equipment. However, to say that Bhutan has a "bad army" would be incorrect: its mission is entirely different. The country is located between India and China and prioritizes the defense of its territory and cooperation with its neighbors, rather than building an army capable of waging a major war far from its borders.

Interestingly, the largest army by number of active troops is not the American one. In 2026, Global Firepower estimates China's active forces at approximately 2.04 million, India's at 1.43 million, the United States' at approximately 1.33 million, and Russia's at approximately 1.32 million. This clearly demonstrates why an army's strength cannot be determined solely by its numbers: modern warfare depends not only on numbers but also on technology, aviation, naval capabilities, intelligence, communications, industry, supplies, and the state's ability to sustain military operations.