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)
 * 🇦🇲 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 – 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 – 18 (voluntary)
 * 🇪🇹 Ethiopia – 18 (voluntary)

F

 * 🇫🇯 Fiji – 18 (voluntary)
 * 🇫🇮 Finland – 18 (compulsory)
 * 🇫🇷 France – 18 (voluntary)

G

 * 🇬🇦 Gabon – 20 (voluntary).
 * 🇬🇲 Gambia – 18 (compulsory).
 * Georgia (country) – 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

 * 🇭🇳 Honduras – 18 (voluntary)
 * 🇭🇺 Hungary – 18 (voluntary)

I

 * 🇮🇳 India – 17 (voluntary)
 * 🇮🇩 Indonesia – 18 (voluntary)
 * 🇮🇷 Iran – 18 (compulsory)
 * 🇮🇶 Iraq – 18 (voluntary)
 * Republic of 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)

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 – 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

 * 🇷🇴 Romania – 18 (voluntary)
 * 🇷🇺 Russia – 18 (compulsory)
 * 🇷🇼 Rwanda – 18 (voluntary)

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 – 18 (compulsory)
 * 🇦🇪 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)
 * 🇺🇾 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

 * 🇿🇲 Zambia – 18 (voluntary; age 16 with parental consent)
 * 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe – 18 (voluntary)