China vs Netherlands

China vs Netherlands: Armed forces personnel

Armed forces personnel in 2020: 2.54 million people in China and 41,000 people in Netherlands, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in China, by 2.49 million people, or 62 times that in Netherlands.

Watch it change on the map

people · IISS

China vs Netherlands: Armed forces personnelArmed forces personnel in 2020: 2.54 million people in China and 41,000 people in Netherlands, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in China, by 2.49 million people, or 62 times that in Netherlands.
ChinaNetherlandsEstimates, 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

YearChinaNetherlandsWorld
20202.54 million41,00027.4 million
20192.54 million41,00027.7 million
20182.7 million41,41027.7 million
20172.7 million41,00027.4 million
20162.7 million41,31027.5 million
20152.84 million41,31027.4 million
20142.99 million41,90027.3 million
20132.99 million43,30027.2 million
20122.99 million43,30028.2 million
20112.95 million43,30028 million
20102.95 million43,28028.1 million
20092.95 million43,28027.9 million
20082.89 million47,00027.5 million
20072.89 million41,00027.3 million
20063.61 million46,00027 million
20053.76 million60,00028.5 million
20043.76 million53,00027.1 million
20033.75 million59,90028.2 million
20023.77 million52,90028.3 million
20013.81 million55,60028.2 million
20003.91 million57,10029.4 million
19993.82 million60,00029.6 million
19983.82 million60,78029.9 million
19973.64 million60,80029.9 million
19964.14 million66,70030.2 million
19954.13 million78,00030.2 million
19942.93 million77,00023.2 million
19933.03 million86,00023.7 million
19923.16 million90,00024.5 million
19913.2 million104,00022.7 million
19903.5 million104,00023.9 million
19893.9 million106,00024.3 million
19853.9 million105,50022.2 million
19844.1 million103,000–
19834.1 million104,000–
19824.35 million106,000–
19814.75 million108,000–
19804.65 million107,000–
19794.6 million107,000–
19784.5 million106,000–
19774.3 million103,000–
19764.3 million106,000–
19754.3 million107,000–
19744.3 million110,000–
19733.25 million111,000–
19723.04 million115,000–
19712.97 million110,000–
19702.85 million115,000–
19692.83 million120,000–
19682.8 million120,000–
19672.71 million120,000–
19662.6 million120,000–
19652.4 million125,000–
19642.75 million125,000–
19632.5 million130,000–
19622.3 million141,000–
19612.2 million141,000–
19603.23 million151,000–
19593.21 million158,000–
19583.18 million166,000–
19573.16 million173,000–
19563.13 million181,000–
19553 million188,000–
19543.08 million196,000–
19533.05 million203,000–
19523.03 million211,000–
19513 million218,000–
19504 million226,000–
19492.57 million233,000–
19483.69 million233,000–
19474.02 million233,000–
19464.16 million100,000–
19454.78 million87,000–
19444.23 million––
19433.68 million––
19423.13 million––
19412.58 million––
19402.04 million64,000–
19391.49 million47,000–
1938900,00016,000–
19372 million16,000–
19361.7 million15,000–
19351.7 million16,000–
19341.7 million16,000–
19331.7 million16,000–
19321.7 million16,000–
19311.7 million16,000–
19301.7 million14,000–
19291.7 million14,000–
19281.7 million14,000–
19271.7 million14,000–
19261.7 million16,000–
19251.7 million16,000–
19241.7 million15,000–
19231.63 million15,000–
19221.57 million15,000–
19211.5 million14,000–
19201.44 million14,000–
19191.38 million14,000–
19181.3 million19,000–
1917900,00023,000–
1916850,00028,000–
1915500,00033,000–
1914460,00041,000–
1913450,00045,000–
1912450,00046,000–
19111 million45,000–
19101 million28,000–
19091 million27,000–
19081 million27,000–
19071 million28,000–
19061 million28,000–
19051 million34,000–
19041 million31,000–
19031 million31,000–
19021 million35,000–
19011 million31,000–
19001 million31,000–
18991 million29,000–
18981 million29,000–
18971 million29,000–
18961 million29,000–
18951 million29,000–
18941 million29,000–
18931 million29,000–
18921 million30,000–
18911 million34,000–
18901 million42,000–
18891 million38,000–
18881 million38,000–
18871 million37,000–
18861 million44,000–
18851 million46,000–
18841 million46,000–
18831 million45,000–
18821 million44,000–
18811 million43,000–
18801 million41,000–
18791 million40,000–
18781 million40,000–
18771 million39,000–
18761 million41,000–
18751 million41,000–
18741 million40,000–
18731 million39,000–
18721 million39,000–
18711 million39,000–
18701 million39,000–
18691 million39,000–
18681 million39,000–
18671 million38,000–
18661 million38,000–
18651 million39,000–
18641 million39,000–
18631 million39,000–
18621 million39,000–
18611 million39,000–
18601 million39,000–
1859–38,000–
1858–38,000–
1857–38,000–
1856–38,000–
1855–38,000–
1854–33,000–
1853–31,000–
1852–29,000–
1851–30,000–
1850–30,000–
1849–31,000–
1848–32,000–
1847–33,000–
1846–32,000–
1845–32,000–
1844–30,000–
1843–28,000–
1842–26,000–
1841–24,000–
1840–22,000–
1839–32,000–
1838–32,000–
1837–43,000–
1836–32,000–
1835–32,000–
1834–32,000–
1833–38,000–
1832–38,000–
1831–80,000–
1830–30,000–
1829–29,000–
1828–29,000–
1827–29,000–
1826–28,000–
1825–28,000–
1824–28,000–
1823–28,000–
1822–27,000–
1821–27,000–
1820–27,000–
1819–27,000–
1818–27,000–
1817–27,000–
1816–26,000–
  • 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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