Country
|
Military manpower - military age and obligation (years of age)
|
Afghanistan
|
22 years of age (2004 est.)
|
Albania
|
19 years of age (2004 est.)
|
Algeria
|
19-30 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 18 months (October 2003)
|
Angola
|
17 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years plus time for training (2001)
|
Argentina
|
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2001)
|
Armenia
|
18-27 years of age for compulsory military service, conscript service obligation - 12 months; 18 years of age for voluntary military service (May 2004)
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Australia
|
16 years of age for voluntary service (2001)
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Austria
|
18 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years of age for voluntary service; from 2007, at the earliest, compulsory military service obligation will be reduced from 8 months to 6 (June 2004)
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Azerbaijan
|
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; law passed December 2001 raises maximum conscription age from 28 to 35 (December 2001)
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Bahrain
|
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
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Belarus
|
18-27 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 18 months (May 2004)
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Belgium
|
16 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
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Belize
|
18 years of age for voluntary military service; laws allow for conscription only if volunteers are insufficient; conscription has never been implemented; volunteers typically outnumber available positions by 3:1 (2001)
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Benin
|
21 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; in practice, volunteers may be taken at the age of 18; both sexes are eligible for military service; conscript tour of duty - 18 months (2004)
|
Bhutan
|
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2001)
|
Bolivia
|
18 years of age for voluntary military service; when annual number of volunteers falls short of goal, compulsory recruitment is effected, including conscription of boys as young as 14; one estimate holds that 40% of the armed forces are under the age of 18, with 50% of those under the age of 16; conscript tour of duty - 12 months (2002)
|
Bosnia and Herzegovina
|
18 years of age for compulsory military service in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina; 16 years of age in times of war; 18 years of age for Republika Srpska; 17 years of age for voluntary military service in the Federation and in the Republika Srpska; by law, military obligations cover all healthy men between the ages of 18 and 60, and all women between the ages of 18 and 55; service obligation is 4 months (July 2004)
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Botswana
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18 is the apparent age of voluntary military service; the official qualifications for determining minimum age are unknown (2001)
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Brazil
|
19 years of age for compulsory military service, conscript service obligation - 12 months; 17 years of age for voluntary service (2001)
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Brunei
|
18 years of age (est.) (2004)
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Bulgaria
|
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 9 months (2004)
|
Burma
|
18 years of age for voluntary military service for both sexes (May 2002)
|
Burundi
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16 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service (2001)
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Cambodia
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18-30 years of age for compulsory military service for all males; conscription law passed September 2004; service obligation is 18 months (September 2004)
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Cameroon
|
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (1999)
|
Canada
|
16 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
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Chad
|
20 years of age for conscripts, with 3-year service obligation; 18 years of age for volunteers; no minimum age restriction for volunteers with consent from a guardian (2004)
|
Chile
|
18 years of age for compulsory military service; all citizens 18-45 are obligated to perform military service; conscript service obligation - 12 months for Army, 24 months for Navy and Air Force (2004)
|
China
|
18 years of age for compulsory military service, with 24-month service obligation; no minimum age for voluntary service; 17 years of age for women who meet requirements for specific military jobs (2004)
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Colombia
|
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 24 months (2004)
|
Congo, Republic of the
|
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
|
Costa Rica
|
18 years of age (2004 est.)
|
Cote d'Ivoire
|
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 18 months (2004)
|
Croatia
|
18 years of age for compulsory military service, with 6-month service obligation; 16 years of age with consent for voluntary service (2004)
|
Cuba
|
17 years of age (2004 est.)
|
Cyprus
|
18 years of age (2004 est.)
|
Czech Republic
|
18-50 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; service obligation - 12 months; conscription due to end by 2005 (January 2004)
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Denmark
|
18 years of age; 18 years of age for compulsory and volunteer military service; conscripts serve an initial training period that varies from 4 to 12 months according to specialization; reservists are assigned to mobilization units following completion of their conscript service (2004)
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Dominican Republic
|
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
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East Timor
|
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
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Ecuador
|
20 years of age for conscript military service; 12-month service obligation (2004)
|
Egypt
|
18 years of age for conscript military service; 3-year service obligation (2001)
|
El Salvador
|
18 years of age for compulsory military service, with 12-month service obligation; 16 years of age for volunteers (2002)
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Estonia
|
18 years of age for compulsory military service, with 11-month service obligation; Estonia has committed to retaining conscription for men and women up to 2010; 17 years of age for volunteers (2004)
|
Ethiopia
|
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service (2001)
|
Fiji
|
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
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Finland
|
18 years of age for voluntary and compulsory military service (October 2004)
|
France
|
17 years of age with consent for voluntary military service (2001)
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Gabon
|
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service (2001)
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Georgia
|
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 18 months (2004)
|
Germany
|
18 years of age (conscripts serve a nine-month tour of compulsory military service) (2004 est.)
|
Ghana
|
18 years of age for compulsory and volunteer military service (2001)
|
Greece
|
18 years of age for compulsory military service; during wartime the law allows for recruitment after reaching January of the year of inductee's 18th birthday, thus including 17 year olds; 17 years of age for volunteers; conscript service obligation - 12 months for the Army, 14 months for the Air Force, 15 months for the Navy (April 2003)
|
Guatemala
|
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 30 months (2004)
|
Haiti
|
18 years of age for voluntary recruitment into the police force (2001)
|
Honduras
|
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
|
Hong Kong
|
18 years of age (2004 est.)
|
Hungary
|
18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in June 2004 (June 2004)
|
India
|
16 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
|
Indonesia
|
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years (2002)
|
Iran
|
18 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years of age for volunteers; soldiers as young as 9 were recruited extensively during the Iran-Iraq war; conscript service obligation - 18 months (2004)
|
Iraq
|
18 years of age; the Iraqi Interim Government is creating a new professional Iraqi military force of men aged 18 to 40 to defend Iraqi territory from external threats (September 2004)
|
Ireland
|
17 years of age for voluntary military service; enlistees under the age of 17 can be recruited for specialist positions (2001)
|
Israel
|
17 years of age for compulsory (Jews, Druzes) and voluntary (Christians, Muslims, Circassians) military service; both sexes are eligible for military service; conscript service obligation - 36 months for men, 21 months for women (2004)
|
Italy
|
18 years of age (2004 est.)
|
Jamaica
|
18 years of age for voluntary military service; younger recruits may be conscripted with parental consent (2001)
|
Japan
|
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
|
Jordan
|
17 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription at age 18 was suspended in 1999, although all males under age 37 are required to register (2004)
|
Kazakhstan
|
18 years of age (2004 est.)
|
Korea, North
|
17 years of age (2004 est.)
|
Korea, South
|
20-30 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 24-28 months, depending on the military branch involved; 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2004)
|
Kuwait
|
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service (2001)
|
Kyrgyzstan
|
18 years of age for compulsory military service (2001)
|
Laos
|
15 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - minimum 18 months (2004)
|
Latvia
|
19 years of age for compulsory military service, conscript service obligation - 12 months; 18 years of age for volunteers; Latvia plans to phase out conscription, tentatively moving to an all-professional force by 2007 (August 2004)
|
Lebanon
|
18-30 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 12 months (2004)
|
Libya
|
17 years of age (2004 est.)
|
Lithuania
|
19-45 years of age for compulsory military service, conscript service obligation - 12 months; 18 years of age for volunteers (2004)
|
Luxembourg
|
17 years of age for voluntary military service; soldiers under 18 are not deployed into combat or with peacekeeping missions (2001)
|
Macedonia
|
18 years of age for voluntary military service, tour of conscript duty is 6 months; 17 years of age for voluntary service (2004)
|
Madagascar
|
18 years of age (est.); conscript service obligation - 18 months (2004)
|
Malaysia
|
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
|
Mali
|
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years (2004)
|
Mexico
|
18 years of age for compulsory military service, conscript service obligation - 12 months; 16 years of age with consent for voluntary enlistment
note: 18 years of age for compulsory military service, conscript service obligation - 12 months; 16 years of age with consent for voluntary enlistment 18 years of age for compulsory military service, conscript service obligation - 12 months; 16 years of age with consent for voluntary enlistment (2004)
|
Moldova
|
18 years of age for compulsory military service; national service obligation - 12 months (2004)
|
Mongolia
|
18-25 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 12 months (2004)
|
Morocco
|
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 18 months (2004)
|
Nepal
|
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
|
Netherlands
|
20 years of age (2004 est.)
|
Netherlands Antilles
|
16 years of age for military recruitment; no conscription (July 2002)
|
New Zealand
|
17 years of age for voluntary military service; soldiers cannot be deployed until the age of 18 (2001)
|
Nicaragua
|
17 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
|
Niger
|
18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years (2004)
|
Nigeria
|
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
|
Norway
|
18 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years of age in wartime; 17 years of age for male volunteers; 18 years of age for women; 16 years of age for volunteers to the Home Guard; conscript service obligation - 12 months (2004)
|
Oman
|
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
|
Pakistan
|
16 years of age for voluntary military service; soldiers cannot be deployed for combat until age of 18 (2001)
|
Paraguay
|
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 12 months for Army, 24 months for Navy (2004)
|
Peru
|
18 years of age for compulsory military service (1999)
|
Philippines
|
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service (2001)
|
Poland
|
17 years of age for compulsory military service after January 1st of the year of 18th birthday; 17 years of age for voluntary military service; in 2005 Poland plans to shorten the length of conscript service obligation from 12 to 9 months; by 2008, plans call for at least 60% of military personnel to be volunteers; only soldiers who have completed their conscript service are allowed to volunteer for professional service; as of April 2004 women are only allowed to serve as officers and non-commissioned officers (April 2004)
|
Portugal
|
18 years of age for voluntary military service; compulsory military service was ended in September 2004 (September 2004)
|
Qatar
|
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
|
Reunion
|
18 years of age (2004 est.)
|
Romania
|
20 years of age for compulsory military service, 18 in wartime; conscript service obligation - 12 months; 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2004)
|
Russia
|
18-27 years of age; males are registered for the draft at 17 years of age; 200,000 conscripts were inducted into the armed forces in 2003; length of compulsory military service is 2 years; plans as of August 2004 call for reduction in mandatory service to 1 year by 2008; 2003 planning calls for volunteer servicemen to compose 70% of armed forces by 2010, with the remaining servicemen consisting of conscripts (August 2004)
|
Saudi Arabia
|
18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2004)
|
Senegal
|
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years (2004)
|
Serbia and Montenegro
|
19 years of age (nine months compulsory service) (2004)
|
Slovakia
|
18 years of age (conscripts serve nine months of basic military service; term of service will be reduced to six months effective 2004) complete transition to an all-volunteer professional force is planned for 1 January 2007; 82% of Slovak armed forces will be volunteers by December 2004; volunteers include women, with minimum age of 17 years; 18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscripts serve 9 months of basic military service; service obligation reduced to 6 months effective 2004 (October 2004)
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Slovenia
|
17 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 2004 (2004)
|
South Africa
|
18 years of age for voluntary military service (October 2004)
|
Spain
|
20 years of age (2004 est.)
|
Sri Lanka
|
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
|
Sudan
|
18-30 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 3 years (August 2004)
|
Sweden
|
19 years of age; conscripts serve seven to 15 months depending on their role; after completing their initial service, soldiers have a reserve commitment until the age of 47 19 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 7-17 months depending on conscript role; after completing initial service soldiers have a reserve commitment until the age of 47 (2004)
|
Switzerland
|
19 years of age for compulsory military service; 17 years of age for voluntary military service; conscripts receive 15 weeks of compulsory training, followed by 10 intermittent recalls for training over the next 22 years (2004)
|
Syria
|
18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 30 months (2004)
|
Taiwan
|
19 years of age; 22-month active service obligation 19-40 years of age for military service; service obligation - 20-months (March 2004)
|
Tajikistan
|
18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years (2004)
|
Thailand
|
20 years of age; males are registered at 18 years of age 21 years of age for compulsory military service; males are registered at 18 years of age; conscript service obliation - 2 years; 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2004)
|
Tunisia
|
20 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 12 months; 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2004)
|
Turkey
|
20 years of age (2004 est.)
|
Turkmenistan
|
18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years (2004)
|
Ukraine
|
18-27 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 18 months for Army and Air Force, 24 months for Navy (2004)
|
United Arab Emirates
|
18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2001)
|
United Kingdom
|
16 years of age for voluntary military service (January 2004)
|
United States
|
18 years of age (2004 est.)
|
Uzbekistan
|
18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 12 months (2004)
|
Venezuela
|
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 30 months (2004)
|
Vietnam
|
18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years (2004)
|
Yemen
|
18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years (2004)
|