Journal profile · Social Sciences-Political Science and International Relations
The Military Balance
ISSN 0459-7222 · eISSN 1479-9022 · Taylor & Francis
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The Military Balance: subscription journal; 16 articles in 2025; indexed in Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
The Military Balance is published by Taylor & Francis. By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Defense, Military, and Policy Studies, International Relations and Foreign Policy and European and Russian Geopolitical Military Strategies, together about 57.5% of its articles. Its main subfields are Political Science and International Relations. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The Military Balance is The International Institute for Strategic Studies' annual authoritative assessment of the military capabilities and defence economics worldwide. It is an essential resource for those involved in security policymaking, analysis and research. Detailed A-Z entries list each country’s military organisation, personnel members, equipment inventories, and relevant economic and demographic data. Regional and select country analyses cover the major developments affecting defence policy and procurement, and defence economics. The opening graphics section displays notable defence statistics, while additional data sets detail selected arms orders and military exercises, as well as comparative defence expenditure and personnel numbers. The Military Balance is an indispensable handbook for anyone conducting serious analysis of security policy and military affairs. “Amid continuing conflict and broadening insecurity, The Military Balance provides essential facts and analysis for decision-makers and for better informed public debate.” Dr Robert M. Gates, former U.S. Secretary of Defense and Director of Central Intelligence “Because military affairs are inevitably clouded in fog, the IISS Military Balance is an essential companion for those who seek to understand.” Lord Robertson of Port Ellen, former UK Defence Secretary and Secretary-General of NATO The Military Balance contains region-by-region analysis of the major military and economic developments affecting defence and security policies, and the trade in weapons and other military equipment. Detailed entries describe the military capabilities of 171 countries, displaying key equipment inventories and defence economics. Comprehensive tables detail arms orders and deliveries, major training activities and international comparisons of defence expenditure and military personnel. The Military Balance Blog
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Social Sciences-Political Science and International Relations
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Defense, Military, and Policy StudiesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance30.2%
- International Relations and Foreign PolicySocial Sciences17.8%
- European and Russian Geopolitical Military StrategiesSocial Sciences9.5%
- Military Technology and StrategiesEngineering9.1%
- Nuclear Issues and DefenseSocial Sciences8%
- European Politics and SecuritySocial Sciences3.2%
- Military and Defense StudiesSocial Sciences2.9%
- Middle East Politics and SocietySocial Sciences2.6%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CiteScore quartiles (Scopus, June 2026 release)
| Subject | Quartile | Rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Political Science and International Relations | Q4 | 688/745 | 7th |
Scopus ranks journals by CiteScore within each subject: the 75th percentile and above is Q1, then a quartile every 25 points. A different system from the CAS zones.LetPub
Database indexing
ScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
CSA Worldwide Political Science Abstracts, PAIS: Public Affairs Information Service, Research Base OnlinePublisher website
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 0.2LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 0.2Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.22LetPub ·
- SJR (publisher) 2025
- 0.22Publisher website ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0LetPub ·
- h-index
- 10OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 13OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 0.54OpenAlex ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 0%LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher)
- 87,000Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 940 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 16 | 1 | 19 |
| 2025 | 16 | 1 | 46 |
| 2024 | 16 | 1 | 42 |
| 2023 | 17 | 0 | 67 |
| 2022 | 18 | 1 | 77 |
| 2021 | 19 | 1 | 63 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Subscription journalLetPub
A subscription journal: articles are read by subscription or purchase, and authors usually pay no publication charge.
No source has fee information yet; check the journal's website.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteOpen access, Peer review, Self-archiving
- Open access Open access
Overview Open journals Open Select Dove Medical Press F1000Research
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review
Abstracting and indexing services Model summary
The Military Balance is covered by the following abstracting/indexing services: CSA Worldwide Political Science Abstracts, PAIS: Public Affairs Information Service, Research Base Online
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Self-archiving
Published on behalf of the International Institute for Strategic Studies Model summary
The Military Balance is The International Institute for Strategic Studies' annual authoritative assessment of the military capabilities and defence economics worldwide.
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Before you submit
Three checks before submitting to The Military Balance
- 1ScopeRecent output centres on Defense, Military, and Policy Studies, International Relations and Foreign Policy.Check scope
- 2Article type and formatPrepare text, figures and references as the author guidelines ask.Submission rules
- 3English languagePolish grammar and academic style before you submit: it lowers the risk of rejection for language and improves your chances of acceptance.
The checks are built from this page's data.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- ISSN
- 0459-7222
- Electronic ISSN
- 1479-9022
- Society / sponsor
- International Institute for Strategic Studies
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 126, Issue 1 (2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about The Military Balance
Which databases index The Military Balance?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, The Military Balance is indexed in Scopus.
Is The Military Balance open access, and what is the APC?
The Military Balance is a subscription journal. Fee information is not available yet; check the journal's website.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .