China vs South Korea: Armed forces personnel

Armed forces personnel in 2020: 2.54 million people in China and 569,000 people in South Korea, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in China, by 1.97 million people, or 4.46 times that in South Korea.

ChinaSouth Korea

Watch it change on the map

Change since 2010, % · IISS

All years Since 1950 Since 1990 Since 2010

Values Change

Linear Log

World

ChinaSouth Korea

Latest figures

people · IISS

Country	Latest	10 years before	Rank in 2020
China	2.54 million 2020	2.95 million	2 of 170
South Korea	569,000 2020	659,500	11 of 170
World	27.4 million 2020	28.1 million

What the numbers say

China has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1985.
In 2020, China ranked 2 and South Korea ranked 11 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.

Every year

people · IISS

Year	China	South Korea	World
2020	2.54 million	569,000	27.4 million
2019	2.54 million	613,000	27.7 million
2018	2.7 million	608,000	27.7 million
2017	2.7 million	634,000	27.4 million
2016	2.7 million	634,000	27.5 million
2015	2.84 million	634,500	27.4 million
2014	2.99 million	632,500	27.3 million
2013	2.99 million	659,500	27.2 million
2012	2.99 million	659,500	28.2 million
2011	2.95 million	659,500	28 million
2010	2.95 million	659,500	28.1 million
2009	2.95 million	659,500	27.9 million
2008	2.89 million	692,000	27.5 million
2007	2.89 million	692,000	27.3 million
2006	3.61 million	692,000	27 million
2005	3.76 million	693,000	28.5 million
2004	3.76 million	696,000	27.1 million
2003	3.75 million	690,500	28.2 million
2002	3.77 million	690,500	28.3 million
2001	3.81 million	687,500	28.2 million
2000	3.91 million	687,500	29.4 million
1999	3.82 million	676,500	29.6 million
1998	3.82 million	676,500	29.9 million
1997	3.64 million	676,500	29.9 million
1996	4.14 million	668,000	30.2 million
1995	4.13 million	641,000	30.2 million
1994	2.93 million	750,000	23.2 million
1993	3.03 million	750,000	23.7 million
1992	3.16 million	750,000	24.5 million
1991	3.2 million	750,000	22.7 million
1990	3.5 million	650,000	23.9 million
1989	3.9 million	647,000	24.3 million
1985	3.9 million	598,000	22.2 million
1984	4.1 million	602,000	–
1983	4.1 million	602,000	–
1982	4.35 million	601,000	–
1981	4.75 million	606,000	–
1980	4.65 million	600,000	–
1979	4.6 million	638,000	–
1978	4.5 million	600,000	–
1977	4.3 million	600,000	–
1976	4.3 million	610,000	–
1975	4.3 million	630,000	–
1974	4.3 million	634,000	–
1973	3.25 million	634,000	–
1972	3.04 million	635,000	–
1971	2.97 million	638,000	–
1970	2.85 million	645,000	–
1969	2.83 million	620,000	–
1968	2.8 million	620,000	–
1967	2.71 million	612,000	–
1966	2.6 million	572,000	–
1965	2.4 million	604,000	–
1964	2.75 million	600,000	–
1963	2.5 million	627,000	–
1962	2.3 million	570,000	–
1961	2.2 million	570,000	–
1960	3.23 million	650,000	–
1959	3.21 million	650,000	–
1958	3.18 million	650,000	–
1957	3.16 million	650,000	–
1956	3.13 million	650,000	–
1955	3 million	730,000	–
1954	3.08 million	630,000	–
1953	3.05 million	504,000	–
1952	3.03 million	335,000	–
1951	3 million	196,000	–
1950	4 million	109,000	–
1949	2.57 million	69,000	–
1948	3.69 million	–	–
1947	4.02 million	–	–
1946	4.16 million	–	–
1945	4.78 million	–	–
1944	4.23 million	–	–
1943	3.68 million	–	–
1942	3.13 million	–	–
1941	2.58 million	–	–
1940	2.04 million	–	–
1939	1.49 million	–	–
1938	900,000	–	–
1937	2 million	–	–
1936	1.7 million	–	–
1935	1.7 million	–	–
1934	1.7 million	–	–
1933	1.7 million	–	–
1932	1.7 million	–	–
1931	1.7 million	–	–
1930	1.7 million	–	–
1929	1.7 million	–	–
1928	1.7 million	–	–
1927	1.7 million	–	–
1926	1.7 million	–	–
1925	1.7 million	–	–
1924	1.7 million	–	–
1923	1.63 million	–	–
1922	1.57 million	–	–
1921	1.5 million	–	–
1920	1.44 million	–	–
1919	1.38 million	–	–
1918	1.3 million	–	–
1917	900,000	–	–
1916	850,000	–	–
1915	500,000	–	–
1914	460,000	–	–
1913	450,000	–	–
1912	450,000	–	–
1911	1 million	–	–
1910	1 million	–	–
1909	1 million	–	–
1908	1 million	–	–
1907	1 million	–	–
1906	1 million	–	–
1905	1 million	–	–
1904	1 million	–	–
1903	1 million	–	–
1902	1 million	–	–
1901	1 million	–	–
1900	1 million	–	–
1899	1 million	–	–
1898	1 million	–	–
1897	1 million	–	–
1896	1 million	–	–
1895	1 million	–	–
1894	1 million	–	–
1893	1 million	–	–
1892	1 million	–	–
1891	1 million	–	–
1890	1 million	–	–
1889	1 million	–	–
1888	1 million	–	–
1887	1 million	–	–
1886	1 million	–	–
1885	1 million	–	–
1884	1 million	–	–
1883	1 million	–	–
1882	1 million	–	–
1881	1 million	–	–
1880	1 million	–	–
1879	1 million	–	–
1878	1 million	–	–
1877	1 million	–	–
1876	1 million	–	–
1875	1 million	–	–
1874	1 million	–	–
1873	1 million	–	–
1872	1 million	–	–
1871	1 million	–	–
1870	1 million	–	–
1869	1 million	–	–
1868	1 million	–	–
1867	1 million	–	–
1866	1 million	–	–
1865	1 million	–	–
1864	1 million	–	–
1863	1 million	–	–
1862	1 million	–	–
1861	1 million	–	–
1860	1 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.

How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time