China vs France

China vs France: Armed forces personnel

Armed forces personnel in 2020: 2.54 million people in China and 304,000 people in France, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in China, by 2.23 million people, or 8.34 times that in France.

Watch it change on the map

people · IISS

China vs France: Armed forces personnelArmed forces personnel in 2020: 2.54 million people in China and 304,000 people in France, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in China, by 2.23 million people, or 8.34 times that in France.
ChinaFranceEstimates, Correlates of WarWorld

What the numbers say

  • China has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1985.
  • In 2020, China ranked 2 and France ranked 23 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
  • The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.

Every year

people · IISS

YearChinaFranceWorld
20202.54 million304,00027.4 million
20192.54 million304,00027.7 million
20182.7 million304,80027.7 million
20172.7 million307,00027.4 million
20162.7 million306,10027.5 million
20152.84 million306,40027.4 million
20142.99 million312,40027.3 million
20132.99 million318,40027.2 million
20122.99 million325,60028.2 million
20112.95 million332,30028 million
20102.95 million342,00028.1 million
20092.95 million342,00027.9 million
20082.89 million353,00027.5 million
20072.89 million353,00027.3 million
20063.61 million354,00027 million
20053.76 million359,00028.5 million
20043.76 million358,00027.1 million
20033.75 million360,40028.2 million
20023.77 million361,80028.3 million
20013.81 million374,40028.2 million
20003.91 million389,40029.4 million
19993.82 million411,60029.6 million
19983.82 million452,20029.9 million
19973.64 million473,10029.9 million
19964.14 million491,30030.2 million
19954.13 million502,40030.2 million
19942.93 million506,00023.2 million
19933.03 million506,00023.7 million
19923.16 million522,00024.5 million
19913.2 million542,00022.7 million
19903.5 million550,00023.9 million
19893.9 million554,00024.3 million
19853.9 million464,30022.2 million
19844.1 million571,000–
19834.1 million578,000–
19824.35 million578,000–
19814.75 million575,000–
19804.65 million575,000–
19794.6 million578,000–
19784.5 million581,000–
19774.3 million584,000–
19764.3 million585,000–
19754.3 million585,000–
19744.3 million585,000–
19733.25 million581,000–
19723.04 million560,000–
19712.97 million565,000–
19702.85 million570,000–
19692.83 million570,000–
19682.8 million570,000–
19672.71 million595,000–
19662.6 million580,000–
19652.4 million585,000–
19642.75 million690,000–
19632.5 million735,000–
19622.3 million705,000–
19612.2 million720,000–
19603.23 million1.03 million–
19593.21 million992,000–
19583.18 million961,000–
19573.16 million913,000–
19563.13 million856,000–
19553 million802,000–
19543.08 million745,000–
19533.05 million699,000–
19523.03 million655,000–
19513 million620,000–
19504 million595,000–
19492.57 million588,000–
19483.69 million577,000–
19474.02 million580,000–
19464.16 million578,000–
19454.78 million578,000–
19444.23 million579,000–
19433.68 million––
19423.13 million––
19412.58 million373,000–
19402.04 million5 million–
19391.49 million581,000–
1938900,000581,000–
19372 million613,000–
19361.7 million588,000–
19351.7 million548,000–
19341.7 million458,000–
19331.7 million449,000–
19321.7 million422,000–
19311.7 million441,000–
19301.7 million411,000–
19291.7 million411,000–
19281.7 million469,000–
19271.7 million494,000–
19261.7 million471,000–
19251.7 million475,000–
19241.7 million479,000–
19231.63 million511,000–
19221.57 million545,000–
19211.5 million547,000–
19201.44 million1.46 million–
19191.38 million2.36 million–
19181.3 million5.28 million–
1917900,0005.14 million–
1916850,0005.26 million–
1915500,0005 million–
1914460,000789,000–
1913450,000632,000–
1912450,000642,000–
19111 million638,000–
19101 million652,000–
19091 million641,000–
19081 million619,000–
19071 million619,000–
19061 million635,000–
19051 million626,000–
19041 million596,000–
19031 million614,000–
19021 million610,000–
19011 million603,000–
19001 million621,000–
18991 million654,000–
18981 million654,000–
18971 million623,000–
18961 million613,000–
18951 million586,000–
18941 million590,000–
18931 million610,000–
18921 million606,000–
18911 million605,000–
18901 million596,000–
18891 million589,000–
18881 million569,000–
18871 million519,000–
18861 million536,000–
18851 million519,000–
18841 million526,000–
18831 million516,000–
18821 million588,000–
18811 million578,000–
18801 million544,000–
18791 million525,000–
18781 million543,000–
18771 million523,000–
18761 million501,000–
18751 million485,000–
18741 million474,000–
18731 million534,000–
18721 million483,000–
18711 million1 million–
18701 million452,000–
18691 million474,000–
18681 million483,000–
18671 million461,000–
18661 million458,000–
18651 million479,000–
18641 million487,000–
18631 million493,000–
18621 million520,000–
18611 million528,000–
18601 million608,000–
1859–465,000–
1858–427,000–
1857–528,000–
1856–645,000–
1855–645,000–
1854–440,000–
1853–424,000–
1852–397,000–
1851–402,000–
1850–439,000–
1849–465,000–
1848–387,000–
1847–394,000–
1846–388,000–
1845–357,000–
1844–361,000–
1843–397,000–
1842–438,000–
1841–483,000–
1840–446,000–
1839–300,000–
1838–304,000–
1837–307,000–
1836–294,000–
1835–289,000–
1834–267,000–
1833–299,000–
1832–311,000–
1831–373,000–
1830–259,000–
1829–265,000–
1828–247,000–
1827–237,000–
1826–237,000–
1825–237,000–
1824–239,000–
1823–256,000–
1822–243,000–
1821–198,000–
1820–208,000–
1819–182,000–
1818–138,000–
1817–131,000–
1816–132,000–
  • 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

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