List of enlistment age by country

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

C

D

E

F

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

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

K

L

M

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

S

T

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

Y

  •  Yemen – 18 (voluntary)

Z

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

References

  1. ^ https://www.mod.gov.in/dod/sites/default/files/mm_0.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  2. ^ "Ukraine lowers its conscription age to 25 to replenish its beleaguered troops". AP News. 2024-04-03. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
  3. ^ "10 U.S. Code § 246 - Militia: Composition and classes".