China vs Mexico

China vs Mexico: Armed forces personnel

Armed forces personnel in 2020: 2.54 million people in China and 341,000 people in Mexico, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in China, by 2.19 million people, or 7.43 times that in Mexico.

Watch it change on the map

people · IISS

China vs Mexico: Armed forces personnelArmed forces personnel in 2020: 2.54 million people in China and 341,000 people in Mexico, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in China, by 2.19 million people, or 7.43 times that in Mexico.
ChinaMexicoEstimates, 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 Mexico ranked 19 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
  • The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.

Every year

people · IISS

YearChinaMexicoWorld
20202.54 million341,00027.4 million
20192.54 million328,00027.7 million
20182.7 million348,00027.7 million
20172.7 million336,00027.4 million
20162.7 million336,10027.5 million
20152.84 million336,10027.4 million
20142.99 million336,10027.3 million
20132.99 million325,50027.2 million
20122.99 million329,80028.2 million
20112.95 million329,80028 million
20102.95 million331,80028.1 million
20092.95 million331,80027.9 million
20082.89 million305,00027.5 million
20072.89 million286,00027.3 million
20063.61 million280,00027 million
20053.76 million204,00028.5 million
20043.76 million203,00027.1 million
20033.75 million203,80028.2 million
20023.77 million203,80028.3 million
20013.81 million203,80028.2 million
20003.91 million207,80029.4 million
19993.82 million193,80029.6 million
19983.82 million190,00029.9 million
19973.64 million190,00029.9 million
19964.14 million190,00030.2 million
19954.13 million189,00030.2 million
19942.93 million175,00023.2 million
19933.03 million175,00023.7 million
19923.16 million175,00024.5 million
19913.2 million175,00022.7 million
19903.5 million175,00023.9 million
19893.9 million154,00024.3 million
19853.9 million129,10022.2 million
19844.1 million129,000–
19834.1 million130,000–
19824.35 million130,000–
19814.75 million125,000–
19804.65 million120,000–
19794.6 million120,000–
19784.5 million120,000–
19774.3 million100,000–
19764.3 million100,000–
19754.3 million95,000–
19744.3 million85,000–
19733.25 million80,000–
19723.04 million80,000–
19712.97 million80,000–
19702.85 million80,000–
19692.83 million75,000–
19682.8 million75,000–
19672.71 million80,000–
19662.6 million75,000–
19652.4 million65,000–
19642.75 million65,000–
19632.5 million65,000–
19622.3 million64,000–
19612.2 million60,000–
19603.23 million50,000–
19593.21 million50,000–
19583.18 million49,000–
19573.16 million48,000–
19563.13 million48,000–
19553 million48,000–
19543.08 million56,000–
19533.05 million56,000–
19523.03 million56,000–
19513 million60,000–
19504 million55,000–
19492.57 million64,000–
19483.69 million61,000–
19474.02 million61,000–
19464.16 million61,000–
19454.78 million––
19444.23 million––
19433.68 million80,000–
19423.13 million52,000–
19412.58 million––
19402.04 million––
19391.49 million49,000–
1938900,00049,000–
19372 million54,000–
19361.7 million48,000–
19351.7 million54,000–
19341.7 million59,000–
19331.7 million54,000–
19321.7 million54,000–
19311.7 million61,000–
19301.7 million65,000–
19291.7 million70,000–
19281.7 million74,000–
19271.7 million69,000–
19261.7 million64,000–
19251.7 million64,000–
19241.7 million52,000–
19231.63 million66,000–
19221.57 million85,000–
19211.5 million103,000–
19201.44 million120,000–
19191.38 million137,000–
19181.3 million55,000–
1917900,000––
1916850,000200,000–
1915500,000180,000–
1914460,00030,000–
1913450,00031,000–
1912450,00057,000–
19111 million32,000–
19101 million31,000–
19091 million30,000–
19081 million29,000–
19071 million28,000–
19061 million28,000–
19051 million29,000–
19041 million29,000–
19031 million29,000–
19021 million30,000–
19011 million33,000–
19001 million33,000–
18991 million33,000–
18981 million33,000–
18971 million33,000–
18961 million35,000–
18951 million38,000–
18941 million38,000–
18931 million38,000–
18921 million49,000–
18911 million38,000–
18901 million37,000–
18891 million37,000–
18881 million32,000–
18871 million21,000–
18861 million21,000–
18851 million21,000–
18841 million21,000–
18831 million21,000–
18821 million22,000–
18811 million22,000–
18801 million25,000–
18791 million22,000–
18781 million22,000–
18771 million22,000–
18761 million22,000–
18751 million22,000–
18741 million22,000–
18731 million20,000–
18721 million18,000–
18711 million18,000–
18701 million18,000–
18691 million18,000–
18681 million26,000–
18671 million33,000–
18661 million40,000–
18651 million21,000–
18641 million15,000–
18631 million10,000–
18621 million27,000–
18611 million26,000–
18601 million26,000–
1859–26,000–
1858–26,000–
1857–26,000–
1856–26,000–
1855–26,000–
1854–27,000–
1853–26,000–
1852–25,000–
1851–24,000–
1850–23,000–
1849–22,000–
1848–21,000–
1847–20,000–
1846–20,000–
1845–20,000–
1844–20,000–
1843–20,000–
1842–20,000–
1841–20,000–
1840–20,000–
1839–25,000–
1838–25,000–
1837–25,000–
1836–25,000–
1835–25,000–
1834–25,000–
1833–25,000–
1832–25,000–
1831–25,000–
  • 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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