Brazil vs China
Brazil vs China: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 762,000 people in Brazil and 2.54 million people in China, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in China, by 1.77 million people, or 3.33 times that in Brazil.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- China has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1985.
- In 2020, Brazil ranked 8 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 | Brazil | China | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 762,000 | 2.54 million | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 762,000 | 2.54 million | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 761,500 | 2.7 million | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 730,000 | 2.7 million | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 729,500 | 2.7 million | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 729,500 | 2.84 million | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 729,500 | 2.99 million | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 713,500 | 2.99 million | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 713,500 | 2.99 million | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 713,500 | 2.95 million | 28 million |
| 2010 | 713,500 | 2.95 million | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 713,500 | 2.95 million | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 721,000 | 2.89 million | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 721,000 | 2.89 million | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 754,000 | 3.61 million | 27 million |
| 2005 | 673,000 | 3.76 million | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 687,000 | 3.76 million | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 673,200 | 3.75 million | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 673,200 | 3.77 million | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 673,200 | 3.81 million | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 673,200 | 3.91 million | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 676,600 | 3.82 million | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 698,900 | 3.82 million | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 700,300 | 3.64 million | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 680,600 | 4.14 million | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 680,600 | 4.13 million | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 296,000 | 2.93 million | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 296,000 | 3.03 million | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 296,000 | 3.16 million | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 295,000 | 3.2 million | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 295,000 | 3.5 million | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 319,000 | 3.9 million | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 276,000 | 3.9 million | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 459,000 | 4.1 million | – |
| 1983 | 460,000 | 4.1 million | – |
| 1982 | 460,000 | 4.35 million | – |
| 1981 | 450,000 | 4.75 million | – |
| 1980 | 450,000 | 4.65 million | – |
| 1979 | 450,000 | 4.6 million | – |
| 1978 | 450,000 | 4.5 million | – |
| 1977 | 450,000 | 4.3 million | – |
| 1976 | 450,000 | 4.3 million | – |
| 1975 | 455,000 | 4.3 million | – |
| 1974 | 435,000 | 4.3 million | – |
| 1973 | 420,000 | 3.25 million | – |
| 1972 | 410,000 | 3.04 million | – |
| 1971 | 375,000 | 2.97 million | – |
| 1970 | 375,000 | 2.85 million | – |
| 1969 | 360,000 | 2.83 million | – |
| 1968 | 340,000 | 2.8 million | – |
| 1967 | 330,000 | 2.71 million | – |
| 1966 | 325,000 | 2.6 million | – |
| 1965 | 320,000 | 2.4 million | – |
| 1964 | 315,000 | 2.75 million | – |
| 1963 | 305,000 | 2.5 million | – |
| 1962 | 185,000 | 2.3 million | – |
| 1961 | 180,000 | 2.2 million | – |
| 1960 | 241,000 | 3.23 million | – |
| 1959 | 235,000 | 3.21 million | – |
| 1958 | 229,000 | 3.18 million | – |
| 1957 | 113,000 | 3.16 million | – |
| 1956 | 107,000 | 3.13 million | – |
| 1955 | 107,000 | 3 million | – |
| 1954 | 231,000 | 3.08 million | – |
| 1953 | 231,000 | 3.05 million | – |
| 1952 | 231,000 | 3.03 million | – |
| 1951 | 231,000 | 3 million | – |
| 1950 | 231,000 | 4 million | – |
| 1949 | 231,000 | 2.57 million | – |
| 1948 | 131,000 | 3.69 million | – |
| 1947 | 131,000 | 4.02 million | – |
| 1946 | 119,000 | 4.16 million | – |
| 1945 | – | 4.78 million | – |
| 1944 | – | 4.23 million | – |
| 1943 | – | 3.68 million | – |
| 1942 | 105,000 | 3.13 million | – |
| 1941 | – | 2.58 million | – |
| 1940 | 103,000 | 2.04 million | – |
| 1939 | 93,000 | 1.49 million | – |
| 1938 | 97,000 | 900,000 | – |
| 1937 | 98,000 | 2 million | – |
| 1936 | 96,000 | 1.7 million | – |
| 1935 | 97,000 | 1.7 million | – |
| 1934 | 97,000 | 1.7 million | – |
| 1933 | 64,000 | 1.7 million | – |
| 1932 | 71,000 | 1.7 million | – |
| 1931 | 57,000 | 1.7 million | – |
| 1930 | 57,000 | 1.7 million | – |
| 1929 | 57,000 | 1.7 million | – |
| 1928 | 48,000 | 1.7 million | – |
| 1927 | 52,000 | 1.7 million | – |
| 1926 | 57,000 | 1.7 million | – |
| 1925 | 60,000 | 1.7 million | – |
| 1924 | 58,000 | 1.7 million | – |
| 1923 | 54,000 | 1.63 million | – |
| 1922 | 53,000 | 1.57 million | – |
| 1921 | 55,000 | 1.5 million | – |
| 1920 | 56,000 | 1.44 million | – |
| 1919 | 64,000 | 1.38 million | – |
| 1918 | 54,000 | 1.3 million | – |
| 1917 | 25,000 | 900,000 | – |
| 1916 | 25,000 | 850,000 | – |
| 1915 | 25,000 | 500,000 | – |
| 1914 | 25,000 | 460,000 | – |
| 1913 | 31,000 | 450,000 | – |
| 1912 | 31,000 | 450,000 | – |
| 1911 | 31,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1910 | 31,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1909 | 29,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1908 | 26,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1907 | 22,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1906 | 33,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1905 | 19,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1904 | 32,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1903 | 24,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1902 | 24,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1901 | 22,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1900 | 21,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1899 | 23,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1898 | 30,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1897 | 36,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1896 | 36,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1895 | 32,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1894 | 40,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1893 | 38,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1892 | 38,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1891 | 39,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1890 | 22,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1889 | 22,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1888 | 20,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1887 | 21,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1886 | 21,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1885 | 21,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1884 | 20,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1883 | 20,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1882 | 18,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1881 | 18,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1880 | 20,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1879 | 21,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1878 | 22,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1877 | 23,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1876 | 22,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1875 | 24,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1874 | 34,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1873 | 33,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1872 | 31,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1871 | 30,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1870 | 73,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1869 | 73,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1868 | 73,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1867 | 74,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1866 | 77,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1865 | 35,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1864 | 19,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1863 | 17,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1862 | 18,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1861 | 20,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1860 | 21,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1859 | 26,000 | – | – |
| 1858 | 26,000 | – | – |
| 1857 | 26,000 | – | – |
| 1856 | 27,000 | – | – |
| 1855 | 27,000 | – | – |
| 1854 | 27,000 | – | – |
| 1853 | 27,000 | – | – |
| 1852 | 23,000 | – | – |
| 1851 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1850 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1849 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1848 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1847 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1846 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1845 | 23,000 | – | – |
| 1844 | 26,000 | – | – |
| 1843 | 24,000 | – | – |
| 1842 | 22,000 | – | – |
| 1841 | 19,000 | – | – |
| 1840 | 17,000 | – | – |
| 1839 | 15,000 | – | – |
| 1838 | 15,000 | – | – |
| 1837 | 15,000 | – | – |
| 1836 | 15,000 | – | – |
| 1835 | 12,000 | – | – |
| 1834 | 14,000 | – | – |
| 1833 | 15,000 | – | – |
| 1832 | 17,000 | – | – |
| 1831 | 18,000 | – | – |
| 1830 | 18,000 | – | – |
| 1829 | 18,000 | – | – |
| 1828 | 18,000 | – | – |
| 1827 | 18,000 | – | – |
| 1826 | 18,000 | – | – |
- 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
Brazil vs China
Health
- Life expectancyBrazil: 75.9 years in 2023China: 78 years in 2023
- Child mortalityBrazil: 1.4 per 100 live births in 2024China: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityBrazil: 12.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023China: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionBrazil: 3.3% in 2017China: 3.31% in 2017
- Suicide rateBrazil: 6.1 per 100,000 people in 2017China: 7.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationBrazil: 211 million people in 2023China: 1.42 billion people in 2023
- Population growthBrazil: 0.41% a year in 2023China: -0.24% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateBrazil: 1.62 births per woman in 2023China: 1 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationBrazil: 88.2% in 2025China: 66.3% in 2025
- Median ageBrazil: 33.9 years in 2023China: 39.1 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overBrazil: 10.6% in 2023China: 14.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateBrazil: -1.1 per 1,000 people in 2023China: -0.4 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingBrazil: 1.05% of GDP in 2025China: 1.73% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsBrazil: $23.6B in 2025China: $335B in 2025
- Military spending per personBrazil: $113 in 2025China: $237 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingBrazil: 2.2% of government spending in 2025China: 5.1% of government spending in 2025
- National powerBrazil: 2.01% of world capability in 2022China: 23.41% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersBrazil: 0.76% of the labour force in 2020China: 0.33% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsBrazil: 462 million TIV in 2025China: 207 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsBrazil: 153 million TIV in 2025China: 880 million TIV in 2025