The U.S Military Overseas: which countries have the most American troops on their soil?

More than 160,000 American soldiers are stationed overseas, but you may not believe which countries have the most troops operating their territory. The top three countries might surprise you. Let's take a look at where the most American military personnel are currently deployed.

It makes a lot of sense that the largest military on the planet has a lot of military personnel on the soil than other nations. The United States has several treaties with countries in many global hotspots and it really doesn’t matter if you’re a former foe or recent ally. 

The United States is actually quite good at retaining a military presence in countries where they were once engaged in combat, so it makes sense that some nations in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East still house a very large number of American troops. 

However, you may be surprised by the large number of American soldiers who are still present in some countries. Visual Capitalist compiled a top ten list of the countries containing the most U.S. troops based on research from the Defense Manpower Data Center published in March 2024.  

Active Duty U.S. Troops: 1,438

Active Duty U.S. Troops: 1,690

Active Duty U.S. Troops: 3,292

Active Duty U.S. Troops: 3,479

Active Duty U.S. Troops: 6,593

It’s important to note that Guam is a U.S. territory and not a foreign country.

Active Duty U.S. Troops:

Active Duty U.S. Troops: 10,058

Active Duty U.S. Troops: 12,375

Active Duty U.S. Troops: 24,234

Active Duty U.S. Troops: 35,068

Active Duty U.S. Troops: 54,774

Active Duty U.S. Troops: 16,116

Active Duty U.S. Troops: 169,117

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