China vs Italy

China vs Italy: Armed forces personnel

Armed forces personnel in 2020: 2.54 million people in China and 338,000 people in Italy, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in China, by 2.2 million people, or 7.5 times that in Italy.

Watch it change on the map

people · IISS

China vs Italy: Armed forces personnelArmed forces personnel in 2020: 2.54 million people in China and 338,000 people in Italy, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in China, by 2.2 million people, or 7.5 times that in Italy.
ChinaItalyEstimates, 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 Italy ranked 20 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
  • The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.

Every year

people · IISS

YearChinaItalyWorld
20202.54 million338,00027.4 million
20192.54 million342,00027.7 million
20182.7 million341,50027.7 million
20172.7 million347,00027.4 million
20162.7 million356,90027.5 million
20152.84 million356,90027.4 million
20142.99 million356,90027.3 million
20132.99 million359,50027.2 million
20122.99 million359,50028.2 million
20112.95 million367,60028 million
20102.95 million359,40028.1 million
20092.95 million326,90027.9 million
20082.89 million436,00027.5 million
20072.89 million436,00027.3 million
20063.61 million440,00027 million
20053.76 million445,00028.5 million
20043.76 million445,00027.1 million
20033.75 million454,30028.2 million
20023.77 million471,10028.3 million
20013.81 million482,60028.2 million
20003.91 million503,10029.4 million
19993.82 million521,20029.6 million
19983.82 million554,10029.9 million
19973.64 million580,90029.9 million
19964.14 million580,90030.2 million
19954.13 million585,00030.2 million
19942.93 million436,00023.2 million
19933.03 million450,00023.7 million
19923.16 million471,00024.5 million
19913.2 million473,00022.7 million
19903.5 million493,00023.9 million
19893.9 million506,00024.3 million
19853.9 million385,10022.2 million
19844.1 million508,000–
19834.1 million498,000–
19824.35 million517,000–
19814.75 million505,000–
19804.65 million500,000–
19794.6 million490,000–
19784.5 million489,000–
19774.3 million475,000–
19764.3 million455,000–
19754.3 million459,000–
19744.3 million534,000–
19733.25 million548,000–
19723.04 million510,000–
19712.97 million435,000–
19702.85 million435,000–
19692.83 million435,000–
19682.8 million430,000–
19672.71 million430,000–
19662.6 million435,000–
19652.4 million460,000–
19642.75 million590,000–
19632.5 million515,000–
19622.3 million470,000–
19612.2 million470,000–
19603.23 million321,000–
19593.21 million321,000–
19583.18 million321,000–
19573.16 million321,000–
19563.13 million320,000–
19553 million318,000–
19543.08 million315,000–
19533.05 million330,000–
19523.03 million325,000–
19513 million320,000–
19504 million235,000–
19492.57 million330,000–
19483.69 million310,000–
19474.02 million280,000–
19464.16 million260,000–
19454.78 million276,000–
19444.23 million283,000–
19433.68 million1.7 million–
19423.13 million3.75 million–
19412.58 million––
19402.04 million1.63 million–
19391.49 million581,000–
1938900,000486,000–
19372 million466,000–
19361.7 million343,000–
19351.7 million1.38 million–
19341.7 million362,000–
19331.7 million363,000–
19321.7 million354,000–
19311.7 million314,000–
19301.7 million333,000–
19291.7 million315,000–
19281.7 million317,000–
19271.7 million318,000–
19261.7 million317,000–
19251.7 million299,000–
19241.7 million380,000–
19231.63 million311,000–
19221.57 million291,000–
19211.5 million290,000–
19201.44 million840,000–
19191.38 million2 million–
19181.3 million3.16 million–
1917900,0003.16 million–
1916850,0003.16 million–
1915500,0003.16 million–
1914460,000344,000–
1913450,000288,000–
1912450,000398,000–
19111 million291,000–
19101 million252,000–
19091 million251,000–
19081 million227,000–
19071 million219,000–
19061 million267,000–
19051 million266,000–
19041 million263,000–
19031 million270,000–
19021 million276,000–
19011 million262,000–
19001 million262,000–
18991 million264,000–
18981 million318,000–
18971 million247,000–
18961 million226,000–
18951 million229,000–
18941 million250,000–
18931 million264,000–
18921 million241,000–
18911 million265,000–
18901 million257,000–
18891 million256,000–
18881 million237,000–
18871 million230,000–
18861 million227,000–
18851 million226,000–
18841 million223,000–
18831 million163,000–
18821 million162,000–
18811 million167,000–
18801 million167,000–
18791 million167,000–
18781 million203,000–
18771 million152,000–
18761 million156,000–
18751 million179,000–
18741 million177,000–
18731 million161,000–
18721 million175,000–
18711 million353,000–
18701 million174,000–
18691 million204,000–
18681 million294,000–
18671 million394,000–
18661 million233,000–
18651 million209,000–
18641 million365,000–
18631 million275,000–
18621 million185,000–
18611 million––
18601 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

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