China vs Mexico
China vs Mexico: Armed forces, share of workers
Armed forces, share of workers in 2020: 0.33% of the labour force in China and 0.64% of the labour force in Mexico, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Mexico, by 0.31 percentage points, or 1.93 times that in China.
% of the labour force · IISS
What the numbers say
- Mexico has been higher since 2006, when it overtook China.
- In 2020, China ranked 142 and Mexico ranked 99 of 168 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 0.79% of the labour force in 2020.
Every year
% of the labour force · IISS
| Year | China | Mexico | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 0.33 | 0.64 | 0.79 |
| 2019 | 0.33 | 0.58 | 0.79 |
| 2018 | 0.35 | 0.63 | 0.8 |
| 2017 | 0.35 | 0.62 | 0.8 |
| 2016 | 0.35 | 0.63 | 0.81 |
| 2015 | 0.36 | 0.64 | 0.82 |
| 2014 | 0.38 | 0.65 | 0.82 |
| 2013 | 0.38 | 0.63 | 0.83 |
| 2012 | 0.38 | 0.65 | 0.87 |
| 2011 | 0.38 | 0.67 | 0.88 |
| 2010 | 0.38 | 0.69 | 0.89 |
| 2009 | 0.38 | 0.7 | 0.89 |
| 2008 | 0.37 | 0.66 | 0.89 |
| 2007 | 0.38 | 0.63 | 0.89 |
| 2006 | 0.47 | 0.63 | 0.95 |
| 2005 | 0.5 | 0.47 | 0.96 |
| 2004 | 0.5 | 0.49 | 0.94 |
| 2003 | 0.51 | 0.5 | 0.98 |
| 2002 | 0.52 | 0.52 | 1 |
| 2001 | 0.53 | 0.52 | 1.01 |
| 2000 | 0.55 | 0.54 | 1.07 |
| 1999 | 0.55 | 0.51 | 1.09 |
| 1998 | 0.55 | 0.51 | 1.13 |
| 1997 | 0.53 | 0.52 | 1.15 |
| 1996 | 0.61 | 0.54 | 1.18 |
| 1995 | 0.62 | 0.55 | 1.2 |
| 1994 | 0.44 | 0.52 | 0.94 |
| 1993 | 0.46 | 0.54 | 0.98 |
| 1992 | 0.48 | 0.56 | 1.03 |
| 1991 | 0.5 | 0.58 | 1.03 |
| 1990 | 0.55 | 0.6 | 1.11 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Active-duty military personnel as a share of everyone working or looking for work, by the IISS Military Balance.
- Source: IISS, The Military Balance, via the World Bank.
- Ranks count the 168 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
China vs Mexico
Health
- Life expectancyChina: 78 years in 2023Mexico: 75.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityChina: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024Mexico: 1.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityChina: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023Mexico: 10.4 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionChina: 3.31% in 2017Mexico: 2.79% in 2017
- Suicide rateChina: 7.2 per 100,000 people in 2017Mexico: 5.9 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationChina: 1.42 billion people in 2023Mexico: 130 million people in 2023
- Population growthChina: -0.24% a year in 2023Mexico: 0.88% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateChina: 1 births per woman in 2023Mexico: 1.91 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationChina: 66.3% in 2025Mexico: 80% in 2025
- Median ageChina: 39.1 years in 2023Mexico: 28.9 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overChina: 14.3% in 2023Mexico: 8% in 2023
- Net migration rateChina: -0.4 per 1,000 people in 2023Mexico: -0.8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingChina: 1.73% of GDP in 2025Mexico: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsChina: $335B in 2025Mexico: $13.8B in 2025
- Military spending per personChina: $237 in 2025Mexico: $104 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingChina: 5.1% of government spending in 2025Mexico: 2.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelChina: 2.54 million people in 2020Mexico: 341,000 people in 2020
- National powerChina: 23.41% of world capability in 2022Mexico: 1.14% of world capability in 2022
- Arms importsChina: 207 million TIV in 2025Mexico: 9 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsChina: 880 million TIV in 2025Mexico: 1 million TIV in 2019