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The 5 Worst Militaries In The World In 2022
According to the Global Firepower survey

A lot of fuss is being made about who currently has the best military in the world. The usual suspects are all at the top of the list — The United States, Russia, China, Japan, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. The nations that always seem to be involved in the world’s largest and worst conflicts. While talking heads debate where Ukraine lands on the list and whether Russia’s hypersonic missiles give them an edge over their rivals I started thinking about the other end of the spectrum.
Who has the worst military in the world?
It turns out there is an annual survey that asks that very question. The Global Firepower Survey examines all of the world’s professional militaries and ranks them based on their effectiveness and modernity. These ranks are then published publically. Brilliant.
Here are the five worst militaries in the world in 2022.
Liberia (Rank #138)
Despite having a population of 5 million and receiving years of military support from the United State Liberia’s military is the 5th worst in the world. That is because the military had to be reorganized and reconstituted in 2003 after a turbulent period that included a coup and two civil wars. Trust in the military was lost and the new force is not as large or powerful as it once was.
A military coup in 1980 threw the country into turmoil and cut off the support it had received from the United States. In the 1990s, two civil wars broke out and ravaged the country. The result was a war-torn nation that was tended to by the international community in 2003. The reforms and demands of the international community resulted in a weakened military.
After decades of death, unrest, and military betrayal that might be for the best.
Somalia (Rank #139)
It is not surprising that a nation that has struggled to keep a government afloat and has failed to quell a massive insurgency has a poor military. Somalia’s military is beset by problems from all sides. Tribalism, corruption, poor management and organization, poor funding, and internal strife have all played havoc on Somalia’s…