China vs United Arab Emirates
China vs United Arab Emirates: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 2.54 million people in China and 63,000 people in United Arab Emirates, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in China, by 2.47 million people, or 40 times that in United Arab Emirates.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- China has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1985.
- In 2020, China ranked 2 and United Arab Emirates ranked 63 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | China | United Arab Emirates | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2.54 million | 63,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 2.54 million | 63,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 2.7 million | 63,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 2.7 million | 63,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 2.7 million | 63,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 2.84 million | 63,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 2.99 million | 63,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 2.99 million | 63,000 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 2.99 million | 51,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 2.95 million | 51,000 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 2.95 million | 51,000 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 2.95 million | 51,000 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 2.89 million | 51,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 2.89 million | 51,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 3.61 million | 51,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 3.76 million | 51,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 3.76 million | 50,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 3.75 million | 50,500 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 3.77 million | 41,500 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 3.81 million | 66,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 3.91 million | 66,000 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 3.82 million | 65,500 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 3.82 million | 65,500 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 3.64 million | 65,500 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 4.14 million | 65,500 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 4.13 million | 71,000 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 2.93 million | 60,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 3.03 million | 55,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 3.16 million | 55,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 3.2 million | 66,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 3.5 million | 66,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 3.9 million | 43,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 3.9 million | 43,000 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 4.1 million | 44,000 | – |
| 1983 | 4.1 million | 44,000 | – |
| 1982 | 4.35 million | 44,000 | – |
| 1981 | 4.75 million | 44,000 | – |
| 1980 | 4.65 million | 44,000 | – |
| 1979 | 4.6 million | 25,000 | – |
| 1978 | 4.5 million | 25,000 | – |
| 1977 | 4.3 million | 25,000 | – |
| 1976 | 4.3 million | 27,000 | – |
| 1975 | 4.3 million | 21,000 | – |
| 1974 | 4.3 million | 19,000 | – |
| 1973 | 3.25 million | 11,000 | – |
| 1972 | 3.04 million | 10,000 | – |
| 1971 | 2.97 million | 2,000 | – |
| 1970 | 2.85 million | – | – |
| 1969 | 2.83 million | – | – |
| 1968 | 2.8 million | – | – |
| 1967 | 2.71 million | – | – |
| 1966 | 2.6 million | – | – |
| 1965 | 2.4 million | – | – |
| 1964 | 2.75 million | – | – |
| 1963 | 2.5 million | – | – |
| 1962 | 2.3 million | – | – |
| 1961 | 2.2 million | – | – |
| 1960 | 3.23 million | – | – |
| 1959 | 3.21 million | – | – |
| 1958 | 3.18 million | – | – |
| 1957 | 3.16 million | – | – |
| 1956 | 3.13 million | – | – |
| 1955 | 3 million | – | – |
| 1954 | 3.08 million | – | – |
| 1953 | 3.05 million | – | – |
| 1952 | 3.03 million | – | – |
| 1951 | 3 million | – | – |
| 1950 | 4 million | – | – |
| 1949 | 2.57 million | – | – |
| 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.
- 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 United Arab Emirates
Health
- Life expectancyChina: 78 years in 2023United Arab Emirates: 82.9 years in 2023
- Child mortalityChina: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024United Arab Emirates: 0.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityChina: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023United Arab Emirates: 4.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionChina: 3.31% in 2017United Arab Emirates: 2.88% in 2017
- Suicide rateChina: 7.2 per 100,000 people in 2017United Arab Emirates: 5.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationChina: 1.42 billion people in 2023United Arab Emirates: 10.6 million people in 2023
- Population growthChina: -0.24% a year in 2023United Arab Emirates: 3.7% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateChina: 1 births per woman in 2023United Arab Emirates: 1.2 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationChina: 66.3% in 2025United Arab Emirates: 86% in 2025
- Median ageChina: 39.1 years in 2023United Arab Emirates: 31.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overChina: 14.3% in 2023United Arab Emirates: 1.7% in 2023
- Net migration rateChina: -0.4 per 1,000 people in 2023United Arab Emirates: 28.2 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
- GDP per personChina: $13,790 in 2025United Arab Emirates: $41,610 in 2024
- GDP growthChina: 5% a year in 2025United Arab Emirates: 6.2% a year in 2025
- InflationChina: 0.1% a year in 2025United Arab Emirates: 1.3% a year in 2025
- Government debtChina: 98.6% of GDP in 2025United Arab Emirates: 33.9% of GDP in 2025
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingChina: 1.73% of GDP in 2025United Arab Emirates: 5.64% of GDP in 2014
- Military spending in US dollarsChina: $335B in 2025United Arab Emirates: $27.8B in 2014
- Military spending per personChina: $237 in 2025United Arab Emirates: $2,840 in 2014
- Military share of state spendingChina: 5.1% of government spending in 2025United Arab Emirates: 17% of government spending in 2014
- National powerChina: 23.41% of world capability in 2022United Arab Emirates: 0.47% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersChina: 0.33% of the labour force in 2020United Arab Emirates: 1.02% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsChina: 207 million TIV in 2025United Arab Emirates: 868 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsChina: 880 million TIV in 2025United Arab Emirates: 33 million TIV in 2025