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.
The current enlistment age in Ukraine is 25. All countries should be updated on this page.
A
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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)
Afghanistan - 18 (voluntary) 20 (compulsory)
B
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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
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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
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Denmark – 18 (compulsory)
Djibouti – 18 (voluntary)
Dominican Republic – 18 (voluntary)
E
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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
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G
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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
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I
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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
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K
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Kazakhstan – 18 (compulsory)
Kenya – 18 (voluntary)
North Korea – 17 (compulsory)
South Korea – 18 (compulsory)
Kuwait – 17 (voluntary)
Kyrgyzstan – 18 (compulsory), 19 (voluntary – women)
L
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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
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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
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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
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Oman – 18 (voluntary)
P
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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
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Qatar – 18 (compulsory)
R
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S
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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
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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
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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)[2]
Uruguay – 18 (voluntary)
Uzbekistan – 18 (compulsory)
V
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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
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Yemen – 18 (voluntary)
Z
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References
[edit]- Online CIA publication The World Factbook