Afghanistan vs China
Afghanistan vs China: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 165,000 people in Afghanistan and 2.54 million people in China, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in China, by 2.37 million people, or 15 times that in Afghanistan.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- China has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1985.
- In 2020, Afghanistan ranked 37 and China ranked 2 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | Afghanistan | China | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 165,000 | 2.54 million | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 278,000 | 2.54 million | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 272,900 | 2.7 million | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 323,000 | 2.7 million | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 323,000 | 2.7 million | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 319,400 | 2.84 million | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 308,800 | 2.99 million | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 330,700 | 2.99 million | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 338,200 | 2.99 million | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 340,400 | 2.95 million | 28 million |
| 2010 | 306,800 | 2.95 million | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 255,700 | 2.95 million | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 94,000 | 2.89 million | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 51,000 | 2.89 million | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 51,000 | 3.61 million | 27 million |
| 2005 | 27,000 | 3.76 million | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 27,000 | 3.76 million | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 130,000 | 3.75 million | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 120,000 | 3.77 million | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | – | 3.81 million | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 400,000 | 3.91 million | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 400,000 | 3.82 million | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 400,000 | 3.82 million | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 429,000 | 3.64 million | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 429,000 | 4.14 million | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 383,000 | 4.13 million | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 45,000 | 2.93 million | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 45,000 | 3.03 million | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 45,000 | 3.16 million | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 45,000 | 3.2 million | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 58,000 | 3.5 million | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 55,000 | 3.9 million | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 47,000 | 3.9 million | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 46,000 | 4.1 million | – |
| 1983 | 46,000 | 4.1 million | – |
| 1982 | 55,000 | 4.35 million | – |
| 1981 | 45,000 | 4.75 million | – |
| 1980 | 43,000 | 4.65 million | – |
| 1979 | 89,000 | 4.6 million | – |
| 1978 | 110,000 | 4.5 million | – |
| 1977 | 143,000 | 4.3 million | – |
| 1976 | 142,000 | 4.3 million | – |
| 1975 | 130,000 | 4.3 million | – |
| 1974 | 80,000 | 4.3 million | – |
| 1973 | 91,000 | 3.25 million | – |
| 1972 | 91,000 | 3.04 million | – |
| 1971 | 91,000 | 2.97 million | – |
| 1970 | 91,000 | 2.85 million | – |
| 1969 | 89,000 | 2.83 million | – |
| 1968 | 89,000 | 2.8 million | – |
| 1967 | 95,000 | 2.71 million | – |
| 1966 | 97,000 | 2.6 million | – |
| 1965 | 97,000 | 2.4 million | – |
| 1964 | 112,000 | 2.75 million | – |
| 1963 | 110,000 | 2.5 million | – |
| 1962 | 104,000 | 2.3 million | – |
| 1961 | 110,000 | 2.2 million | – |
| 1960 | 60,000 | 3.23 million | – |
| 1959 | 50,000 | 3.21 million | – |
| 1958 | 43,000 | 3.18 million | – |
| 1957 | 43,000 | 3.16 million | – |
| 1956 | 43,000 | 3.13 million | – |
| 1955 | 43,000 | 3 million | – |
| 1954 | 41,000 | 3.08 million | – |
| 1953 | 41,000 | 3.05 million | – |
| 1952 | 60,000 | 3.03 million | – |
| 1951 | 60,000 | 3 million | – |
| 1950 | 75,000 | 4 million | – |
| 1949 | 75,000 | 2.57 million | – |
| 1948 | 90,000 | 3.69 million | – |
| 1947 | 100,000 | 4.02 million | – |
| 1946 | 90,000 | 4.16 million | – |
| 1945 | 90,000 | 4.78 million | – |
| 1944 | 90,000 | 4.23 million | – |
| 1943 | 90,000 | 3.68 million | – |
| 1942 | 90,000 | 3.13 million | – |
| 1941 | 90,000 | 2.58 million | – |
| 1940 | 60,000 | 2.04 million | – |
| 1939 | 103,000 | 1.49 million | – |
| 1938 | 103,000 | 900,000 | – |
| 1937 | 103,000 | 2 million | – |
| 1936 | 103,000 | 1.7 million | – |
| 1935 | 72,000 | 1.7 million | – |
| 1934 | 45,000 | 1.7 million | – |
| 1933 | 72,000 | 1.7 million | – |
| 1932 | 60,000 | 1.7 million | – |
| 1931 | 60,000 | 1.7 million | – |
| 1930 | 60,000 | 1.7 million | – |
| 1929 | 60,000 | 1.7 million | – |
| 1928 | 60,000 | 1.7 million | – |
| 1927 | 76,000 | 1.7 million | – |
| 1926 | 76,000 | 1.7 million | – |
| 1925 | 76,000 | 1.7 million | – |
| 1924 | 65,000 | 1.7 million | – |
| 1923 | 65,000 | 1.63 million | – |
| 1922 | 55,000 | 1.57 million | – |
| 1921 | 55,000 | 1.5 million | – |
| 1920 | 55,000 | 1.44 million | – |
| 1919 | – | 1.38 million | – |
| 1918 | – | 1.3 million | – |
| 1917 | – | 900,000 | – |
| 1916 | – | 850,000 | – |
| 1915 | – | 500,000 | – |
| 1914 | – | 460,000 | – |
| 1913 | – | 450,000 | – |
| 1912 | – | 450,000 | – |
| 1911 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1910 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1909 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1908 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1907 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1906 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1905 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1904 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1903 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1902 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1901 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1900 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1899 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1898 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1897 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1896 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1895 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1894 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1893 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1892 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1891 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1890 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1889 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1888 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1887 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1886 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1885 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1884 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1883 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1882 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1881 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1880 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1879 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1878 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1877 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1876 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1875 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1874 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1873 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1872 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1871 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1870 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1869 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1868 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1867 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1866 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1865 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1864 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1863 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1862 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1861 | – | 1 million | – |
| 1860 | – | 1 million | – |
- 12.3Estimates, Correlates of War
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Active-duty military personnel, with paramilitary forces where they are trained and equipped like soldiers, by the IISS Military Balance.
- Source: IISS, The Military Balance, via the World Bank.
- Before 1985: Correlates of War Project, National Material Capabilities v7.0; Singer, Bremer and Stuckey (1972), “Capability Distribution, Uncertainty, and Major Power War, 1820–1965”, in Bruce Russett (ed.), Peace, War, and Numbers, Sage, 19–48.
- Ranks count the 170 countries with a value in 2020, highest first.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Afghanistan vs China
Health
- Life expectancyAfghanistan: 66 years in 2023China: 78 years in 2023
- Child mortalityAfghanistan: 5.3 per 100 live births in 2024China: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityAfghanistan: 44 per 1,000 live births in 2023China: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionAfghanistan: 4.14% in 2017China: 3.31% in 2017
- Suicide rateAfghanistan: 9.2 per 100,000 people in 2017China: 7.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationAfghanistan: 41.5 million people in 2023China: 1.42 billion people in 2023
- Population growthAfghanistan: 2.85% a year in 2023China: -0.24% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateAfghanistan: 4.84 births per woman in 2023China: 1 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationAfghanistan: 25.9% in 2025China: 66.3% in 2025
- Median ageAfghanistan: 16.9 years in 2023China: 39.1 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overAfghanistan: 2.4% in 2023China: 14.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateAfghanistan: -1.2 per 1,000 people in 2023China: -0.4 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingAfghanistan: 1.83% of GDP in 2021China: 1.73% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsAfghanistan: $8.55M in 1977China: $335B in 2025
- Military spending per personAfghanistan: $7 in 2021China: $237 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingAfghanistan: 5% of government spending in 2020China: 5.1% of government spending in 2025
- National powerAfghanistan: 0.29% of world capability in 2022China: 23.41% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersAfghanistan: 1.82% of the labour force in 2020China: 0.33% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsAfghanistan: 65 million TIV in 2021China: 207 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsAfghanistan: 1 million TIV in 1992China: 880 million TIV in 2025