China vs United Kingdom

China vs United Kingdom: Armed forces personnel

Armed forces personnel in 2020: 2.54 million people in China and 153,000 people in United Kingdom, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in China, by 2.38 million people, or 17 times that in United Kingdom.

Watch it change on the map

people · IISS

China vs United Kingdom: Armed forces personnelArmed forces personnel in 2020: 2.54 million people in China and 153,000 people in United Kingdom, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in China, by 2.38 million people, or 17 times that in United Kingdom.
ChinaUnited KingdomEstimates, 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 United Kingdom ranked 41 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
  • The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.

Every year

people · IISS

YearChinaUnited KingdomWorld
20202.54 million153,00027.4 million
20192.54 million149,00027.7 million
20182.7 million148,50027.7 million
20172.7 million148,00027.4 million
20162.7 million150,30027.5 million
20152.84 million152,40027.4 million
20142.99 million154,70027.3 million
20132.99 million159,20027.2 million
20122.99 million169,20028.2 million
20112.95 million165,70028 million
20102.95 million174,00028.1 million
20092.95 million178,50027.9 million
20082.89 million160,00027.5 million
20072.89 million160,00027.3 million
20063.61 million181,00027 million
20053.76 million217,00028.5 million
20043.76 million205,00027.1 million
20033.75 million212,60028.2 million
20023.77 million210,40028.3 million
20013.81 million211,40028.2 million
20003.91 million212,50029.4 million
19993.82 million218,00029.6 million
19983.82 million218,00029.9 million
19973.64 million218,00029.9 million
19964.14 million221,00030.2 million
19954.13 million233,00030.2 million
19942.93 million257,00023.2 million
19933.03 million271,00023.7 million
19923.16 million293,00024.5 million
19913.2 million301,00022.7 million
19903.5 million308,00023.9 million
19893.9 million318,00024.3 million
19853.9 million334,00022.2 million
19844.1 million336,000–
19834.1 million333,000–
19824.35 million335,000–
19814.75 million341,000–
19804.65 million330,000–
19794.6 million324,000–
19784.5 million320,000–
19774.3 million326,000–
19764.3 million337,000–
19754.3 million348,000–
19744.3 million359,000–
19733.25 million377,000–
19723.04 million370,000–
19712.97 million370,000–
19702.85 million390,000–
19692.83 million390,000–
19682.8 million410,000–
19672.71 million425,000–
19662.6 million425,000–
19652.4 million425,000–
19642.75 million435,000–
19632.5 million450,000–
19622.3 million475,000–
19612.2 million475,000–
19603.23 million519,000–
19593.21 million565,000–
19583.18 million614,000–
19573.16 million702,000–
19563.13 million761,000–
19553 million809,000–
19543.08 million839,000–
19533.05 million865,000–
19523.03 million872,000–
19513 million826,000–
19504 million689,000–
19492.57 million770,000–
19483.69 million847,000–
19474.02 million1.3 million–
19464.16 million2.05 million–
19454.78 million5.09 million–
19444.23 million4.9 million–
19433.68 million4.15 million–
19423.13 million3.39 million–
19412.58 million2.3 million–
19402.04 million1.02 million–
19391.49 million394,000–
1938900,000376,000–
19372 million350,000–
19361.7 million336,000–
19351.7 million321,000–
19341.7 million318,000–
19331.7 million316,000–
19321.7 million317,000–
19311.7 million319,000–
19301.7 million318,000–
19291.7 million325,000–
19281.7 million330,000–
19271.7 million338,000–
19261.7 million341,000–
19251.7 million342,000–
19241.7 million337,000–
19231.63 million337,000–
19221.57 million368,000–
19211.5 million448,000–
19201.44 million596,000–
19191.38 million1.33 million–
19181.3 million4.22 million–
1917900,0004.43 million–
1916850,000––
1915500,0004.35 million–
1914460,000532,000–
1913450,000533,000–
1912450,000523,000–
19111 million376,000–
19101 million372,000–
19091 million381,000–
19081 million364,000–
19071 million369,000–
19061 million384,000–
19051 million394,000–
19041 million409,000–
19031 million416,000–
19021 million489,000–
19011 million521,000–
19001 million487,000–
18991 million331,000–
18981 million331,000–
18971 million319,000–
18961 million315,000–
18951 million309,000–
18941 million302,000–
18931 million294,000–
18921 million288,000–
18911 million281,000–
18901 million278,000–
18891 million275,000–
18881 million273,000–
18871 million273,000–
18861 million265,000–
18851 million256,000–
18841 million240,000–
18831 million239,000–
18821 million247,000–
18811 million247,000–
18801 million248,000–
18791 million260,000–
18781 million261,000–
18771 million251,000–
18761 million244,000–
18751 million245,000–
18741 million248,000–
18731 million252,000–
18721 million254,000–
18711 million241,000–
18701 million257,000–
18691 million270,000–
18681 million279,000–
18671 million283,000–
18661 million286,000–
18651 million296,000–
18641 million290,000–
18631 million312,000–
18621 million305,000–
18611 million316,000–
18601 million347,000–
1859–315,000–
1858–292,000–
1857–272,000–
1856–382,000–
1855–329,000–
1854–234,000–
1853–213,000–
1852–201,000–
1851–198,000–
1850–201,000–
1849–203,000–
1848–208,000–
1847–193,000–
1846–191,000–
1845–178,000–
1844–185,000–
1843–158,000–
1842–184,000–
1841–173,000–
1840–168,000–
1839–159,000–
1838–155,000–
1837–143,000–
1836–143,000–
1835–136,000–
1834–137,000–
1833–144,000–
1832–145,000–
1831–150,000–
1830–140,000–
1829–148,000–
1828–155,000–
1827–155,000–
1826–149,000–
1825–132,000–
1824–132,000–
1823–125,000–
1822–125,000–
1821–139,000–
1820–144,000–
1819–143,000–
1818–173,000–
1817–190,000–
1816–255,000–
  • 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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