China vs Japan

China vs Japan: Armed forces personnel

Armed forces personnel in 2020: 2.54 million people in China and 261,000 people in Japan, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in China, by 2.27 million people, or 9.71 times that in Japan.

Watch it change on the map

people · IISS

China vs Japan: Armed forces personnelArmed forces personnel in 2020: 2.54 million people in China and 261,000 people in Japan, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in China, by 2.27 million people, or 9.71 times that in Japan.
ChinaJapanEstimates, 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 Japan ranked 27 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
  • The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.

Every year

people · IISS

YearChinaJapanWorld
20202.54 million261,00027.4 million
20192.54 million261,00027.7 million
20182.7 million261,20027.7 million
20172.7 million261,00027.4 million
20162.7 million260,90027.5 million
20152.84 million259,80027.4 million
20142.99 million259,80027.3 million
20132.99 million259,80027.2 million
20122.99 million259,80028.2 million
20112.95 million260,10028 million
20102.95 million260,40028.1 million
20092.95 million260,40027.9 million
20082.89 million242,00027.5 million
20072.89 million242,00027.3 million
20063.61 million252,00027 million
20053.76 million272,00028.5 million
20043.76 million251,00027.1 million
20033.75 million252,10028.2 million
20023.77 million252,10028.3 million
20013.81 million252,10028.2 million
20003.91 million248,70029.4 million
19993.82 million254,60029.6 million
19983.82 million254,60029.9 million
19973.64 million247,60029.9 million
19964.14 million247,50030.2 million
19954.13 million251,50030.2 million
19942.93 million233,00023.2 million
19933.03 million242,00023.7 million
19923.16 million242,00024.5 million
19913.2 million250,00022.7 million
19903.5 million250,00023.9 million
19893.9 million247,00024.3 million
19853.9 million243,00022.2 million
19844.1 million241,000–
19834.1 million241,000–
19824.35 million243,000–
19814.75 million241,000–
19804.65 million242,000–
19794.6 million239,000–
19784.5 million239,000–
19774.3 million236,000–
19764.3 million236,000–
19754.3 million237,000–
19744.3 million237,000–
19733.25 million233,000–
19723.04 million233,000–
19712.97 million234,000–
19702.85 million236,000–
19692.83 million236,000–
19682.8 million235,000–
19672.71 million231,000–
19662.6 million227,000–
19652.4 million246,000–
19642.75 million244,000–
19632.5 million243,000–
19622.3 million235,000–
19612.2 million230,000–
19603.23 million263,000–
19593.21 million255,000–
19583.18 million243,000–
19573.16 million224,000–
19563.13 million215,000–
19553 million196,000–
19543.08 million165,000–
19533.05 million123,000–
19523.03 million119,000–
19513 million––
19504 million––
19492.57 million––
19483.69 million––
19474.02 million––
19464.16 million––
19454.78 million6.1 million–
19444.23 million4.33 million–
19433.68 million3.08 million–
19423.13 million3.08 million–
19412.58 million3.08 million–
19402.04 million957,000–
19391.49 million957,000–
1938900,000370,000–
19372 million393,000–
19361.7 million416,000–
19351.7 million410,000–
19341.7 million399,000–
19331.7 million371,000–
19321.7 million370,000–
19311.7 million292,000–
19301.7 million293,000–
19291.7 million296,000–
19281.7 million285,000–
19271.7 million274,000–
19261.7 million302,000–
19251.7 million306,000–
19241.7 million306,000–
19231.63 million306,000–
19221.57 million306,000–
19211.5 million306,000–
19201.44 million306,000–
19191.38 million306,000–
19181.3 million660,000–
1917900,000660,000–
1916850,000650,000–
1915500,000650,000–
1914460,000300,000–
1913450,000296,000–
1912450,000275,000–
19111 million274,000–
19101 million283,000–
19091 million273,000–
19081 million273,000–
19071 million262,000–
19061 million266,000–
19051 million250,000–
19041 million218,000–
19031 million214,000–
19021 million209,000–
19011 million206,000–
19001 million182,000–
18991 million147,000–
18981 million156,000–
18971 million132,000–
18961 million103,000–
18951 million207,000–
18941 million83,000–
18931 million71,000–
18921 million79,000–
18911 million89,000–
18901 million71,000–
18891 million69,000–
18881 million62,000–
18871 million62,000–
18861 million56,000–
18851 million52,000–
18841 million48,000–
18831 million48,000–
18821 million47,000–
18811 million46,000–
18801 million45,000–
18791 million44,000–
18781 million43,000–
18771 million38,000–
18761 million37,000–
18751 million41,000–
18741 million41,000–
18731 million40,000–
18721 million20,000–
18711 million17,000–
18701 million6,000–
18691 million6,000–
18681 million0–
18671 million0–
18661 million0–
18651 million0–
18641 million0–
18631 million0–
18621 million12,000–
18611 million12,000–
18601 million12,000–
  • 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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