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List of enlistment age by country

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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 during peacetime; compulsory for men during wartime)
Armenia – 18 (compulsory)
Australia – 18 (voluntary; age 17 with parental consent)
Austria – 17 (voluntary), 18 (compulsory)
Azerbaijan – 17 (voluntary), 18 (compulsory)
Afghanistan - 18 (voluntary) 20 (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)
Croatia – 18 (voluntary; will be compulsory after 2025)
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 – 18 (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

Fiji – 18 (voluntary)
Finland – 18 (compulsory)
France – 18 (voluntary)

G

Gabon – 20 (voluntary).
Gambia – 18 (compulsory).
Georgia – 18 (compulsory).
Germany – 18 (compulsory; conscription not enforced(17 with 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

Honduras – 18 (voluntary)
Hungary – 18 (voluntary)
Hezbollah - 18 (compulsory)

I

India – 30^[1] (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

Jamaica – 17 (voluntary)
Japan – 18 (voluntary)
Jordan – 17 (voluntary)

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)
Liberland - 18 (voluntary)

M

Madagascar – 18 (compulsory)
Malawi – 18 (voluntary)
Malaysia – 18 (voluntary)
Maldives – 18 (voluntary)
Mali – 18 (compulsory)
Malta – 18 (voluntary)
Mauritania – 18 (voluntary), 18 (compulsory, conscription not enforced)
Mexico – 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 15 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

Romania – 18 (voluntary)
Russia – 18 (compulsory)
Rwanda – 18 (voluntary)

S

Saint Kitts and Nevis – 18 (voluntary)
San Marino – 15 (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; was 27 before April 2024)^[2]
United Arab Emirates – 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)^[3]
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)
Vanuatu - 18 (voluntary)

Y

Yemen – 18 (voluntary)

Z

Zambia – 18 (voluntary; age 16 with parental consent)
Zimbabwe – 18 (voluntary)

References

^ https://www.mod.gov.in/dod/sites/default/files/mm_0.pdf ^{[bare URL PDF]}
^ "Ukraine lowers its conscription age to 25 to replenish its beleaguered troops". AP News. 2024-04-03. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
^ "10 U.S. Code § 246 - Militia: Composition and classes".

Online CIA publication The World Factbook

External links

Military service ages and obligation

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