Top 10 Countries With The Most Number of U.S. Military Bases

Key Takeaways

  • Japan leads with 14 bases. It hosts the most U.S. bases globally, exceeding individual counts in the Philippines (9) and South Korea (8).
  • Asia-Pacific Dominance: The region (Japan, Philippines, South Korea, Australia, and Papua New Guinea) accounts for 41 bases, nearly 1/3 of the global total.
  • The Asia-Pacific region hosts 41 U.S. bases, while Europe (Italy, Germany, Poland, UK) has 23. This indicates a growing strategic pivot towards the Pacific compared to traditional European deployments.
  •  Kuwait (5 bases) stands out as the primary hub for U.S. military operations in the Middle East, highlighting its role as a key staging ground for regional security.
  • The top 10 host countries account for 69 of the 128 total bases (over 53%), meaning nearly half of U.S. overseas bases are spread across the remaining 39 countries.

The U.S. maintains 128 bases across 49 countries, with Japan alone hosting 14 — the highest single-nation total. While Japan leads individually, the Philippines (9) and South Korea (8) collectively hold 17 bases in the Asia-Pacific, highlighting the region’s strategic priority.

Europe’s footprint spans Italy (7), Germany (6), and Poland (5), reflecting NATO’s eastern focus, while Kuwait (5) anchors Middle East operations. Emerging deployments in Papua New Guinea (6) highlight Pacific militarisation efforts, contrasting with legacy hubs like Germany.

Source:

Congressional research service

Period:

2024
HTML code to embed chart
Want a bespoke report?
Reach out
Click to copy HTML embed code
Tags
Related Insights
Nigeria set to clear IMF debt by mid-2025 after reducing outstanding balance by 87.5% from March 2023 to March 2025
Key Takeaways:
  • Nigeria’s outstanding debt to the IMF has reduced from SDR 2.45 billion in March 2023 to SDR 306.81 million by March 2025.
  • The country has maintained a consistent quarterly repayment pattern, averaging SDR 306.8 million.
  • This steady repayment trend reflects Nigeria’s commitment to managing its external obligations.
  • At the current repayment rate, Nigeria is positioned to fully clear its IMF obligations by mid-2025.
As of March 31, 2025, the top five countries accounted for 57% of total IMF credit outstanding
Key Takeaways:  
  • Argentina tops the list with SDR 31.1 billion in outstanding IMF credit.
  • The top three borrowers, Argentina, Ukraine, and Egypt, together hold over 45% of total IMF credit.
  • All 15 countries on the list have outstanding credit of at least SDR 1.4 billion.
  • African nations such as Kenya, Angola, Ghana, and Ethiopia rank among the top 15 IMF debtors.
  • The top 10 countries alone account for more than two-thirds of the IMF’s total outstanding credit.
Egypt accounts for one-third of over SDR 26 billion owed by Africa’s top 10 IMF debtors
Key Takeaways:
  • Egypt leads African nations in IMF debt, with SDR 8.63 billion in outstanding credit.
  • The combined debt of these 10 countries represents 24% of the IMF’s total outstanding credit globally.
  • East African nations, Kenya and Ethiopia, hold a combined SDR 4.5 billion in IMF credit.
  • West Africa is strongly represented with Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Senegal, and Cameroon owing more than SDR 7.4 billion collectively.
Cadbury Nigeria Plc’s total assets expanded by 152%, from ₦28.8 billion in 2019 to ₦72.4 billion in 2024
Key takeaways:
  • Cadbury Nigeria's total assets increased by 155%, from ₦28.4 billion in 2015 to ₦72.4 billion in 2024.
  • Assets remained relatively stable between 2015 and 2019, hovering around ₦28 billion.
  • Despite recent financial challenges, Cadbury Nigeria's asset base has more than doubled in the last decade.
  • Significant expansion began in 2020, with continued steady growth through 2024.
Nigeria, the fourth-largest economy in Africa, experienced a constant annual growth rate (CAGR) of -16.02% in its GDP per capita over the past five years
  • At -16.02% CAGR, Nigeria's GDP per capita is shrinking fast, signalling deep economic strain on its population despite being a top 4 African economy.
  • Angola recorded 8.28% CAGR, showing that smaller economies can drive significant per capita progress when policies and investments align with citizen welfare.
  • With 8.23% CAGR, Algeria continues to transform national wealth into measurable benefits for its people.
  • Ethiopia’s 6.86% annual growth in GDP per capita highlights how consistent development efforts can raise living standards even in densely populated, developing nations.
  • A modest 2.52% CAGR for South Africa might not sound like much, but in a mature economy, this reflects resilience and relative stability in per capita income.
  • Egypt has a -1.41% CAGR, showing mild contraction, but far less severe than Nigeria’s economic shrinkage.
With an impressive GDP of $199.72 billion, Nigeria is still the lowest-performing of Africa's top 10 economies
  • Despite being among the top 4 economies by size, Nigeria ranks low in GDP per capita, revealing a disconnect between total wealth and individual prosperity.
  • With the highest nominal GDP and highest per capita GDP, South Africa showcases balanced growth and better wealth distribution.
  • Countries like Ethiopia and Nigeria have huge populations, which dilutes their GDP and drags down per capita figures.
  • Though fifth in total GDP, Morocco performs better in GDP per capita, highlighting efficiency in wealth distribution.
  • This proves that a country’s economic “size” doesn’t always translate to individual opportunity, wealth, or standard of living.
  • Economies like Nigeria and Ethiopia must focus not just on increasing GDP but on ensuring that economic growth improves lives at the grassroots level.
POPULAR TOPICS
SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
Get periodic updates about the African startup space, access to our reports, among others.
Subscribe Here
Subscription Form
A product of Techpoint Africa. All rights reserved