The United States remains far more populous than Russia. The U.S. has about 342 million people, whereas Russia has around 141 million.
In terms of manpower—those fit for military service—the U.S. has roughly 124.8 million, while Russia has about 46.2 million.
Every year, the U.S. has many more young people entering the military-eligible age: about 4.4 million versus Russia’s 1.27 million
2. Military Strength & Forces
Both nations maintain large military forces, but with different structures and strengths:
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Active duty personnel are somewhat comparable: the U.S. has about 1,328,000; Russia, 1,320,000.
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Reserve forces: Russia has larger reserves (~2,000,000), while U.S. reserves are smaller (~799,500).
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Paramilitary forces also add to Russia’s overall force capacity.
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In aerial power, the U.S. holds a significant edge: U.S. total aircraft number over 13,000; Russia has around 4,292.
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Tanks and artillery: Russia in many categories still has more land force hardware like tanks, self-propelled artillery, etc., though the U.S. often compensates via technology, support systems, global reach, logistics.
3. Nuclear Weapons & Strategic Deterrence
One of the most critical comparisons lies in nuclear arsenals:
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Both the U.S. and Russia are among the largest nuclear powers in the world.
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Active deployed strategic warheads: both maintain approximately 1,600 deployed warheads each.
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Russia’s total stockpile of warheads is somewhat larger, though both sides have been subject to treaties and limits.
4. Economic Comparison
The economic gap between the two is large:
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The U.S. has by far the larger GDP, a more diversified economy with strength in tech, services, innovation, finance. Russia’s economy is significantly smaller, much more dependent on natural resources (especially energy / oil & gas) and export of commodities. The U.S. also has greater purchasing power, foreign reserves, and ability to mobilize industry for defense, R&D and global supply chains.
5. Military Spending & Strategic Outlook
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The U.S. spends vastly more on defense: in 2024 the U.S. military budget was close to US$ 997 billion, making up a large portion of global military spending. Russia’s defense budget in contrast is much smaller in absolute terms though a larger share of its GDP is devoted to military spending. Russia is increasingly pushing toward a “war economy” model, boosting production of artillery, munitions, and reliance on state-led defense industry. Yet U.S. advantage in logistics, technology, global base network, and ability to project power overseas remains a crucial differentiator.
Conclusion
While Russia remains one of the foremost military powers with strong land force capabilities, a massive nuclear arsenal, and a growing armaments output, the United States continues to lead in terms of population size, economic capacity, defense spending, global military projection, and air & naval superiority. In any direct confrontation—especially beyond regional scope—the U.S. holds multiple strategic advantages. However, the raw power of Russia, especially in nuclear terms and reserve/external force mobilization, ensures it remains a formidable counterpart on the global stage.
