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These are the enlistment ages for military service by country, according to the online CIA publication The World Factbook.
A
Albania – 19 (voluntary; age lowered to 18 during wartime)
Algeria – 19 (compulsory)
Angola – 18 (voluntary – men), 20 (voluntary – women), 20 (compulsory – men)
Antigua and Barbuda – 18 (voluntary)
Argentina – 18 (voluntary)
Armenia – 18 (compulsory)
Australia – 18 (voluntary; age 17 with parental consent)
Austria – 17 (voluntary), 18 (compulsory)
Azerbaijan – 17 (voluntary), 18 (compulsory)
B
Bahamas – 18 (voluntary)
Bahrain – 18 (voluntary)
Bangladesh – 16 (voluntary)
Barbados – 18 (voluntary)
Belarus – 18 (compulsory)
Belgium – 18 (voluntary)
Belize – 18 (voluntary)
Benin – 18 (compulsory)
Bhutan – 18 (voluntary), 20 (compulsory militia training)
Bolivia – 18 (voluntary)
Bosnia and Herzegovina – 18 (voluntary)
Botswana – 18 (voluntary)
Brazil – 18 (compulsory)
Brunei – 17 (voluntary)
Bulgaria – 18 (voluntary)
Burkina Faso – 18 (voluntary)
Burundi – 18 (voluntary)
C
Cape Verde – 17 (voluntary), 18 (compulsory)
Cambodia – 18 (compulsory)
Cameroon – 18 (voluntary)
Canada – 18 (voluntary; volunteers can join the Reserves and enter the
Military Colleges at age 16, or join the regular forces at age 17 with parental consent)
Central African Republic – 18 (voluntary)
Chad – 18 (voluntary), 20 (compulsory – men), 21 (compulsory – women)
Chile – 18 (voluntary)
People's Republic of China – 18 (compulsory; only registration is compulsory. People do not have to serve in the military)
Colombia – 18 (compulsory)
Comoros – 18 (voluntary)
Democratic Republic of the Congo – 18 (compulsory)
Republic of the Congo – 18 (voluntary)
Côte d'Ivoire – 18 (compulsory; conscription not enforced)
Croatia – 18 (voluntary)
Cuba – 17 (compulsory)
Cyprus – 17 (voluntary), 18 (compulsory for Greek Cypriots only)
Czech Republic – 18 (voluntary)
D
Denmark – 18 (compulsory)
Djibouti – 18 (voluntary)
Dominican Republic – 17 (voluntary)
E
Ecuador – 18 (compulsory; conscription is currently suspended until further notice)
Egypt – 18 (compulsory)
El Salvador – 18 (compulsory)
Equatorial Guinea – 18 (compulsory)
Eritrea – 18 (compulsory)
Estonia – 18 (compulsory)
Eswatini (Swaziland) – 18 (voluntary)
Ethiopia – 18 (voluntary)
F
G
Gabon – 20 (voluntary).
Gambia – 18 (compulsory).
Georgia – 18 (compulsory).
Germany – 17 (parental consent).
Ghana – 18 (voluntary).
Greece – 18 (voluntary), 19 (compulsory; conscription age can be lowered to 17 during wartime).
Guatemala – 17 (compulsory).
Guinea – 18 (voluntary).
Guinea-Bissau – 16 (voluntary, with parental consent), 18 (compulsory).
Guyana – 18 (voluntary).
H
I
India – 17 (voluntary)
Indonesia – 18 (voluntary)
Iran – 18 (compulsory)
Iraq – 18 (voluntary)
Ireland – 18 (voluntary)
Israel – 17 (voluntary), 18 (compulsory for Jews and Druze only)
Italy – 18 (voluntary)
J
K
Kazakhstan – 18 (compulsory)
Kenya – 18 (voluntary)
North Korea – 17 (compulsory)
South Korea – 18 (compulsory)
Kuwait – 17 (voluntary)
Kyrgyzstan – 18 (compulsory), 19 (voluntary – women)
L
Laos – 18 (compulsory)
Latvia – 18 (voluntary)
Lebanon – 17 (voluntary)
Lesotho – 18 (voluntary)
Liberia – 18 (voluntary)
Libya – 18 (compulsory)
Lithuania – 18 (compulsory)
Luxembourg – 18 (voluntary)
M
Madagascar – 18 (compulsory)
Malawi – 18 (voluntary)
Malaysia – 17 (voluntary)
Maldives – 18 (voluntary)
Mali – 18 (compulsory)
Malta – 18 (voluntary)
Mauritania – 18 (voluntary), 18 (compulsory, conscription not enforced)
Mexico – 16 (voluntary, with parental consent), 18 (compulsory)
Moldova – 18 (compulsory)
Mongolia – 18 (compulsory)
Montenegro – 18 (voluntary)
Morocco – 20 (voluntary)
Mozambique – 18 (compulsory)
Myanmar – 18 (voluntary)
N
Namibia – 18 (voluntary)
Nepal – 18 (voluntary)
Netherlands – 17 (voluntary)
New Zealand – 17 (voluntary; soldiers are not deployed in combat before the age of 18)
Nicaragua – 18 (voluntary)
Niger – 18 (compulsory)
Nigeria – 18 (voluntary)
North Macedonia – 18 (voluntary)
Norway – 17 (voluntary – men), 18 (voluntary – women), 19 (compulsory; conscription age can be lowered to 16 during wartime)
O
Oman – 18 (voluntary)
P
Pakistan – 16 (voluntary; soldiers cannot be deployed to combat before the age of 18)
Papua New Guinea – 18 (voluntary; age 16 with parental consent)
Paraguay – 18 (compulsory)
Peru – 18 (voluntary)
Philippines – 17 (voluntary)
Poland – 18 (voluntary; enlistment age can be lowered to 17 during wartime)
Portugal – 18 (voluntary)
Q
Qatar – 18 (compulsory)
R
S
Saint Kitts and Nevis – 18 (voluntary)
San Marino – 18 (voluntary)
São Tomé and Príncipe – 17 (voluntary), 18 (compulsory)
Saudi Arabia – 17 (voluntary)
Senegal – 18 (voluntary), 20 (compulsory)
Serbia – 18 (voluntary)
Seychelles – 18 (voluntary)
Sierra Leone – 18 (voluntary)
Singapore – 16.5 (voluntary), 18 (compulsory)
Slovakia – 18 (voluntary)
Slovenia – 18 (voluntary)
Somalia – 18 (compulsory)
South Africa – 18 (voluntary)
South Sudan – 18 (compulsory)
Spain – 18 (voluntary)
Sri Lanka – 18 (voluntary)
Sudan – 18 (compulsory)
Suriname – 18 (voluntary)
Sweden – 18 (compulsory)
Switzerland – 18 (voluntary), 19 (compulsory)
Syria – 18 (compulsory)
T
Taiwan – 19 (compulsory)
Tajikistan – 18 (compulsory)
Tanzania – 18 (voluntary)
Thailand – 18 (voluntary), 21 (compulsory)
Timor-Leste – 18 (voluntary)
Togo – 18 (voluntary)
Tonga – 18 (voluntary; age 16 with parental consent)
Trinidad and Tobago – 18 (voluntary; age 16 with parental consent)
Tunisia – 18 (voluntary), 20 (compulsory)
Turkey – 18 (voluntary), 21 (compulsory)
Turkmenistan – 18 (compulsory)
U
Uganda – 18 (voluntary)
Ukraine – 25 (compulsory)
United Arab Emirates – 17 (voluntary, with consent), 18 (compulsory)
United Kingdom – 18 (voluntary; age 16 with parental consent; age 17 for admission to an officer program; Nepalese citizens can join the
Brigade of Gurkhas at age 17)
United States – 18 (voluntary registration), 18 (voluntary service; age 17 with parental consent), 17 (compulsory militia service under 10 U.S. Code § 246)
[1]
Uruguay – 18 (voluntary)
Uzbekistan – 18 (compulsory)
V
Vatican City – 19 years old. The
Holy See maintains a small volunteer force of Swiss nationals who make up the
Pontifical Swiss Guard.
Venezuela – 18 (compulsory)
Vietnam – 18 (compulsory)
Y
Yemen – 18 (voluntary)
Z
References
- Online CIA publication The World Factbook