Explore how the world’s largest submarine fleets changed from 1914 to 2026 in this animated country ranking. This visualization compares countries by the estimated number of active or commissioned military submarines in service each year. Watch major naval powers such as the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Soviet Union, Russia, China, Japan, France, Italy, India, South Korea and others rise and fall through more than a century of naval history. The timeline covers major periods including World War I, World War II, the Cold War and the modern era of nuclear-powered and advanced diesel-electric submarines. Historical states such as the German Empire, Austria-Hungary, Russian Empire, Soviet Union, West Germany, East Germany and Yugoslavia are shown separately during the periods in which they existed, while successor countries appear separately afterward. The submarine totals primari

Source: Countries With the Most Submarines | 1914–2026