These are the enlistment ages for military service by country, according to the online CIA publication The World Factbook.
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A – 19 (voluntary; age lowered to 18 during wartime) – 19 (compulsory) – 18 (voluntary – men), 20 (voluntary – women), 20 (compulsory – men) – 18 (voluntary) – 18 (voluntary during peacetime; compulsory for men during wartime) – 18 (compulsory) – 18 (voluntary; age 17 with parental consent) – 17 (voluntary), 18 (compulsory) – 17 (voluntary), 18 (compulsory) - 18 (voluntary) 20 (compulsory)
B
– 18 (voluntary) – 18 (voluntary) – 16 (voluntary) – 18 (voluntary) – 18 (compulsory) – 18 (voluntary) – 18 (voluntary) – 18 (compulsory) – 18 (voluntary), 20 (compulsory militia training) – 18 (voluntary) – 18 (voluntary) – 18 (voluntary) – 18 (compulsory) – 17 (voluntary) – 18 (voluntary) – 18 (voluntary) – 18 (voluntary)
C – 17 (voluntary), 18 (compulsory) – 18 (compulsory) – 18 (voluntary) – 16.5 (voluntary; volunteers can join the Reserves and enter the Military Colleges at age 16.5, or join the regular forces at age 17 with parental consent) – 18 (voluntary) – 18 (voluntary), 20 (compulsory – men), 21 (compulsory – women) – 18 (voluntary) – 18 (compulsory; only registration is compulsory. People do not have to serve in the military) 17 with parental permission. – 18 (compulsory) – 18 (voluntary) – 18 (compulsory) – 18 (voluntary) – 18 (compulsory) – 18 (compulsory) – 17 (compulsory) – 17 (voluntary), 18 (compulsory for Greek Cypriots only) – 18 (voluntary)
D – 18 (compulsory) – 18 (voluntary) – 18 (voluntary)
E – 18 (compulsory; conscription is currently suspended until further notice) – 18 (compulsory) – 18 (compulsory) – 18 (compulsory) – 18 (compulsory) – 18 (compulsory) – 18 (voluntary) – 18 (voluntary)
F – 18 (voluntary) – 18 (compulsory) – 18 (voluntary)
G – 20 (voluntary). – 18 (compulsory). – 18 (compulsory). – 18 (compulsory; conscription not enforced(17 with parental consent) – 18 (voluntary). – 18 (voluntary), 19 (compulsory; conscription age can be lowered to 17 during wartime). – 17 (compulsory). – 18 (voluntary). – 16 (voluntary, with parental consent), 18 (compulsory). – 18 (voluntary).
H – 18 (voluntary) – 18 (voluntary)
I – 16.5 (voluntary, for National Defense Academy), 17.5 (voluntary, for all others on the Agnipath scheme) – 18 (voluntary) – 18 (compulsory) – 18 (voluntary) – 18 (voluntary) – 17 (voluntary), 18 (compulsory for Jews and Druze only) – 18 (voluntary)
J – 17 (voluntary) – 18 (voluntary) – 17 (compulsory)
K – 18 (compulsory) – 18 (voluntary) – 17 (compulsory) – 18 (compulsory) – 17 (voluntary) – 18 (compulsory), 19 (voluntary – women)
L – 18 (compulsory) – 18 (compulsory) – 17 (voluntary) – 18 (voluntary) – 18 (voluntary) – 18 (compulsory) – 18 (compulsory) – 18 (voluntary)
M – 18 (compulsory) – 18 (voluntary) – 18 (voluntary) – 18 (voluntary) – 18 (compulsory) – 18 (voluntary) – 18 (voluntary), 18 (compulsory, conscription not enforced) – 18 (compulsory) – 18 (compulsory) – 18 (compulsory) – 18 (voluntary) – 18 (voluntary), 19 (compulsory, reintroduced in 2019); both sexes are obligated to military service; conscript service obligation - 12 months – 18 (compulsory) – 18 (voluntary)
N – 18 (voluntary) – 18 (voluntary) – 17 (voluntary) – 17 (voluntary; soldiers are not deployed in combat before the age of 18) – 18 (voluntary) – 18 (compulsory) – 18 (voluntary) – 18 (voluntary) – 17 (voluntary – men), 18 (voluntary – women), 19 (compulsory;)
O – 18 (voluntary)
P – 16 (voluntary) – 18 (voluntary; age 16 with parental consent) – 18 (compulsory) – 18 (voluntary) – 17 (voluntary) – 18 (voluntary; enlistment age can be lowered to 17 during wartime) – 18 (voluntary)
Q – 18 (compulsory)
R – 18 (voluntary) – 18 (compulsory) – 18 (voluntary)
S – 18 (voluntary) – 15 (voluntary) – 17 (voluntary), 18 (compulsory) – 17 (voluntary) – 18 (voluntary), 20 (compulsory) – 18 (voluntary) – 18 (voluntary) – 18 (voluntary) – 16.5 (voluntary), 18 (compulsory) – 18 (voluntary) – 18 (voluntary) – 18 (compulsory) – 18 (voluntary) – 18 (compulsory) – 18 (voluntary) – 18 (voluntary) – 18 (compulsory) – 18 (voluntary) – 18 (compulsory) – 18 (voluntary), 19 (compulsory) – 18 (voluntary)
T – 19 (compulsory) – 18 (compulsory) – 18 (voluntary) – 18 (voluntary), 21 (compulsory) – 18 (voluntary) – 18 (voluntary) – 18 (voluntary; age 16 with parental consent) – 18 (voluntary; age 17 with parental consent) – 18 (voluntary), 20 (compulsory) – 18 (voluntary), 21 (compulsory) – 18 (compulsory)
U – 18 (voluntary) – 18 (voluntary) 25 (compulsory; was 27 before April 2024) – 18 (compulsory) – 18 (voluntary; age 16 with parental consent; age 17.5 for admission to an officer program; Nepalese citizens can join the Brigade of Gurkhas at age 17) – 18 (voluntary registration), 18 (voluntary service; age 17 with parental consent), 17 (compulsory militia service under 10 U.S. Code § 246) – 18 (voluntary) – 18 (compulsory)
V – 19 years old. The Holy See maintains a small volunteer force of Swiss nationals who make up the Pontifical Swiss Guard. – 18 (compulsory) – 18 (compulsory) - 18 (voluntary)
Y – 18 (voluntary)
Z – 18 (voluntary; age 16 with parental consent) – 18 (voluntary)
References
Online CIA publication The World Factbook
External links Military service ages and obligation