China vs Sweden

China vs Sweden: Armed forces personnel

Armed forces personnel in 2020: 2.54 million people in China and 15,000 people in Sweden, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in China, by 2.52 million people, or 170 times that in Sweden.

Watch it change on the map

people · IISS

China vs Sweden: Armed forces personnelArmed forces personnel in 2020: 2.54 million people in China and 15,000 people in Sweden, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in China, by 2.52 million people, or 170 times that in Sweden.
ChinaSwedenEstimates, Correlates of WarWorld

What the numbers say

  • China has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1985.
  • The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.

Every year

people · IISS

YearChinaSwedenWorld
20202.54 million15,00027.4 million
20192.54 million15,00027.7 million
20182.7 million15,15027.7 million
20172.7 million30,00027.4 million
20162.7 million30,55027.5 million
20152.84 million30,55027.4 million
20142.99 million30,55027.3 million
20132.99 million16,10027.2 million
20122.99 million16,10028.2 million
20112.95 million21,30028 million
20102.95 million21,16028.1 million
20092.95 million21,87027.9 million
20082.89 million17,60027.5 million
20072.89 million17,60027.3 million
20063.61 million24,60027 million
20053.76 million28,60028.5 million
20043.76 million27,60027.1 million
20033.75 million63,20028.2 million
20023.77 million69,50028.3 million
20013.81 million69,50028.2 million
20003.91 million88,30029.4 million
19993.82 million88,70029.6 million
19983.82 million88,70029.9 million
19973.64 million88,95029.9 million
19964.14 million98,20030.2 million
19954.13 million99,60030.2 million
19942.93 million70,00023.2 million
19933.03 million70,00023.7 million
19923.16 million70,00024.5 million
19913.2 million63,00022.7 million
19903.5 million65,00023.9 million
19893.9 million62,00024.3 million
19853.9 million65,70022.2 million
19844.1 million69,000–
19834.1 million68,000–
19824.35 million70,000–
19814.75 million70,000–
19804.65 million70,000–
19794.6 million68,000–
19784.5 million69,000–
19774.3 million69,000–
19764.3 million66,000–
19754.3 million75,000–
19744.3 million75,000–
19733.25 million75,000–
19723.04 million75,000–
19712.97 million75,000–
19702.85 million75,000–
19692.83 million75,000–
19682.8 million75,000–
19672.71 million70,000–
19662.6 million70,000–
19652.4 million70,000–
19642.75 million70,000–
19632.5 million70,000–
19622.3 million80,000–
19612.2 million80,000–
19603.23 million29,000–
19593.21 million29,000–
19583.18 million28,000–
19573.16 million28,000–
19563.13 million––
19553 million––
19543.08 million––
19533.05 million––
19523.03 million––
19513 million––
19504 million––
19492.57 million––
19483.69 million––
19474.02 million––
19464.16 million––
19454.78 million400,000–
19444.23 million400,000–
19433.68 million400,000–
19423.13 million400,000–
19412.58 million––
19402.04 million100,000–
19391.49 million––
1938900,00041,000–
19372 million27,000–
19361.7 million30,000–
19351.7 million39,000–
19341.7 million––
19331.7 million34,000–
19321.7 million32,000–
19311.7 million32,000–
19301.7 million39,000–
19291.7 million38,000–
19281.7 million38,000–
19271.7 million28,000–
19261.7 million28,000–
19251.7 million30,000–
19241.7 million40,000–
19231.63 million25,000–
19221.57 million30,000–
19211.5 million25,000–
19201.44 million101,000–
19191.38 million––
19181.3 million101,000–
1917900,000100,000–
1916850,00099,000–
1915500,00080,000–
1914460,000––
1913450,00086,000–
1912450,00074,000–
19111 million74,000–
19101 million71,000–
19091 million65,000–
19081 million67,000–
19071 million67,000–
19061 million67,000–
19051 million64,000–
19041 million95,000–
19031 million103,000–
19021 million73,000–
19011 million75,000–
19001 million75,000–
18991 million63,000–
18981 million63,000–
18971 million63,000–
18961 million62,000–
18951 million63,000–
18941 million63,000–
18931 million63,000–
18921 million63,000–
18911 million66,000–
18901 million66,000–
18891 million64,000–
18881 million64,000–
18871 million65,000–
18861 million65,000–
18851 million65,000–
18841 million62,000–
18831 million69,000–
18821 million67,000–
18811 million66,000–
18801 million92,000–
18791 million64,000–
18781 million86,000–
18771 million94,000–
18761 million54,000–
18751 million79,000–
18741 million––
18731 million82,000–
18721 million86,000–
18711 million83,000–
18701 million83,000–
18691 million83,000–
18681 million83,000–
18671 million120,000–
18661 million120,000–
18651 million117,000–
18641 million117,000–
18631 million91,000–
18621 million91,000–
18611 million77,000–
18601 million77,000–
1859–77,000–
1858–76,000–
1857–77,000–
1856–77,000–
1855–77,000–
1853–77,000–
1852–49,000–
1851–34,000–
1850–34,000–
1849–49,000–
1848–47,000–
1846–52,000–
1844–52,000–
1840–52,000–
1833–52,000–
1831–45,000–
1830–42,000–
1828–45,000–
1823–45,000–
1819–54,000–
  • 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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