China vs Spain

China vs Spain: Armed forces personnel

Armed forces personnel in 2020: 2.54 million people in China and 199,000 people in Spain, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in China, by 2.34 million people, or 13 times that in Spain.

Watch it change on the map

people · IISS

China vs Spain: Armed forces personnelArmed forces personnel in 2020: 2.54 million people in China and 199,000 people in Spain, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in China, by 2.34 million people, or 13 times that in Spain.
ChinaSpainEstimates, 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 Spain ranked 32 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
  • The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.

Every year

people · IISS

YearChinaSpainWorld
20202.54 million199,00027.4 million
20192.54 million199,00027.7 million
20182.7 million196,40027.7 million
20172.7 million196,00027.4 million
20162.7 million198,00027.5 million
20152.84 million200,00027.4 million
20142.99 million200,00027.3 million
20132.99 million214,00027.2 million
20122.99 million215,60028.2 million
20112.95 million215,70028 million
20102.95 million223,20028.1 million
20092.95 million222,40027.9 million
20082.89 million223,00027.5 million
20072.89 million222,00027.3 million
20063.61 million222,00027 million
20053.76 million220,00028.5 million
20043.76 million220,00027.1 million
20033.75 million224,00028.2 million
20023.77 million251,20028.3 million
20013.81 million214,70028.2 million
20003.91 million241,80029.4 million
19993.82 million262,30029.6 million
19983.82 million269,70029.9 million
19973.64 million273,30029.9 million
19964.14 million282,30030.2 million
19954.13 million281,60030.2 million
19942.93 million213,00023.2 million
19933.03 million204,00023.7 million
19923.16 million198,00024.5 million
19913.2 million246,00022.7 million
19903.5 million263,00023.9 million
19893.9 million277,00024.3 million
19853.9 million320,00022.2 million
19844.1 million342,000–
19834.1 million355,000–
19824.35 million372,000–
19814.75 million366,000–
19804.65 million356,000–
19794.6 million374,000–
19784.5 million372,000–
19774.3 million373,000–
19764.3 million368,000–
19754.3 million375,000–
19744.3 million375,000–
19733.25 million365,000–
19723.04 million365,000–
19712.97 million365,000–
19702.85 million365,000–
19692.83 million365,000–
19682.8 million370,000–
19672.71 million370,000–
19662.6 million375,000–
19652.4 million370,000–
19642.75 million370,000–
19632.5 million370,000–
19622.3 million340,000–
19612.2 million345,000–
19603.23 million371,000–
19593.21 million398,000–
19583.18 million424,000–
19573.16 million451,000–
19563.13 million478,000–
19553 million505,000–
19543.08 million505,000–
19533.05 million503,000–
19523.03 million528,000–
19513 million528,000–
19504 million494,000–
19492.57 million444,000–
19483.69 million464,000–
19474.02 million464,000–
19464.16 million462,000–
19454.78 million477,000–
19444.23 million483,000–
19433.68 million497,000–
19423.13 million508,000–
19412.58 million522,000–
19402.04 million531,000–
19391.49 million539,000–
1938900,000550,000–
19372 million500,000–
19361.7 million475,000–
19351.7 million141,000–
19341.7 million138,000–
19331.7 million146,000–
19321.7 million138,000–
19311.7 million134,000–
19301.7 million134,000–
19291.7 million132,000–
19281.7 million128,000–
19271.7 million129,000–
19261.7 million154,000–
19251.7 million152,000–
19241.7 million161,000–
19231.63 million199,000–
19221.57 million235,000–
19211.5 million207,000–
19201.44 million236,000–
19191.38 million224,000–
19181.3 million212,000–
1917900,000198,000–
1916850,000189,000–
1915500,000175,000–
1914460,000162,000–
1913450,000145,000–
1912450,000145,000–
19111 million147,000–
19101 million137,000–
19091 million111,000–
19081 million111,000–
19071 million132,000–
19061 million113,000–
19051 million113,000–
19041 million112,000–
19031 million112,000–
19021 million112,000–
19011 million114,000–
19001 million111,000–
18991 million132,000–
18981 million153,000–
18971 million154,000–
18961 million149,000–
18951 million150,000–
18941 million136,000–
18931 million133,000–
18921 million131,000–
18911 million137,000–
18901 million139,000–
18891 million146,000–
18881 million149,000–
18871 million153,000–
18861 million153,000–
18851 million176,000–
18841 million150,000–
18831 million154,000–
18821 million157,000–
18811 million160,000–
18801 million159,000–
18791 million154,000–
18781 million150,000–
18771 million104,000–
18761 million104,000–
18751 million111,000–
18741 million103,000–
18731 million100,000–
18721 million97,000–
18711 million97,000–
18701 million124,000–
18691 million102,000–
18681 million98,000–
18671 million109,000–
18661 million107,000–
18651 million124,000–
18641 million118,000–
18631 million109,000–
18621 million117,000–
18611 million123,000–
18601 million125,000–
1859–124,000–
1858–123,000–
1857–120,000–
1856–104,000–
1855–92,000–
1854–103,000–
1853–105,000–
1852–110,000–
1851–114,000–
1850–117,000–
1849–118,000–
1848–120,000–
1847–121,000–
1846–121,000–
1845–113,000–
1844–107,000–
1843–100,000–
1842–92,000–
1841–86,000–
1840–79,000–
1839–79,000–
1838–84,000–
1837–89,000–
1836–95,000–
1835–101,000–
1834–110,000–
1833–60,000–
1832–89,000–
1831–130,000–
1830–83,000–
1829–87,000–
1828–91,000–
1827–92,000–
1826–92,000–
1825–93,000–
1824–93,000–
1823–114,000–
1822–158,000–
1821–165,000–
1820–146,000–
1819–127,000–
1818–126,000–
1817–126,000–
1816–125,000–
  • 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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