China vs United States

China vs United States: Armed forces personnel

Armed forces personnel in 2020: 2.54 million people in China and 1.4 million people in United States, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in China, by 1.14 million people, or 1.82 times that in United States.

Watch it change on the map

people · IISS

China vs United States: Armed forces personnelArmed forces personnel in 2020: 2.54 million people in China and 1.4 million people in United States, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in China, by 1.14 million people, or 1.82 times that in United States.
ChinaUnited StatesEstimates, 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 States ranked 5 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
  • The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.

Every year

people · IISS

YearChinaUnited StatesWorld
20202.54 million1.4 million27.4 million
20192.54 million1.39 million27.7 million
20182.7 million1.38 million27.7 million
20172.7 million1.36 million27.4 million
20162.7 million1.35 million27.5 million
20152.84 million1.35 million27.4 million
20142.99 million1.38 million27.3 million
20132.99 million1.43 million27.2 million
20122.99 million1.49 million28.2 million
20112.95 million1.52 million28 million
20102.95 million1.57 million28.1 million
20092.95 million1.56 million27.9 million
20082.89 million1.54 million27.5 million
20072.89 million1.56 million27.3 million
20063.61 million1.5 million27 million
20053.76 million1.55 million28.5 million
20043.76 million1.47 million27.1 million
20033.75 million1.48 million28.2 million
20023.77 million1.47 million28.3 million
20013.81 million1.42 million28.2 million
20003.91 million1.46 million29.4 million
19993.82 million1.58 million29.6 million
19983.82 million1.59 million29.9 million
19973.64 million1.53 million29.9 million
19964.14 million1.57 million30.2 million
19954.13 million1.64 million30.2 million
19942.93 million1.72 million23.2 million
19933.03 million1.82 million23.7 million
19923.16 million1.92 million24.5 million
19913.2 million2.12 million22.7 million
19903.5 million2.18 million23.9 million
19893.9 million2.24 million24.3 million
19853.9 million2.15 million22.2 million
19844.1 million2.22 million–
19834.1 million2.2 million–
19824.35 million2.17 million–
19814.75 million2.1 million–
19804.65 million2.05 million–
19794.6 million2.03 million–
19784.5 million2.06 million–
19774.3 million2.06 million–
19764.3 million2.08 million–
19754.3 million2.1 million–
19744.3 million2.15 million–
19733.25 million2.21 million–
19723.04 million2.32 million–
19712.97 million2.72 million–
19702.85 million3.07 million–
19692.83 million3.46 million–
19682.8 million3.55 million–
19672.71 million3.38 million–
19662.6 million3.09 million–
19652.4 million2.66 million–
19642.75 million2.69 million–
19632.5 million2.7 million–
19622.3 million2.81 million–
19612.2 million2.31 million–
19603.23 million2.31 million–
19593.21 million2.33 million–
19583.18 million2.41 million–
19573.16 million2.8 million–
19563.13 million2.81 million–
19553 million2.94 million–
19543.08 million3.3 million–
19533.05 million3.56 million–
19523.03 million3.64 million–
19513 million3.25 million–
19504 million1.46 million–
19492.57 million1.62 million–
19483.69 million1.45 million–
19474.02 million1.58 million–
19464.16 million3.03 million–
19454.78 million12.1 million–
19444.23 million11.5 million–
19433.68 million9.05 million–
19423.13 million3.86 million–
19412.58 million1.8 million–
19402.04 million458,000–
19391.49 million334,000–
1938900,000323,000–
19372 million312,000–
19361.7 million291,000–
19351.7 million252,000–
19341.7 million247,000–
19331.7 million244,000–
19321.7 million245,000–
19311.7 million253,000–
19301.7 million256,000–
19291.7 million255,000–
19281.7 million251,000–
19271.7 million249,000–
19261.7 million247,000–
19251.7 million252,000–
19241.7 million261,000–
19231.63 million247,000–
19221.57 million270,000–
19211.5 million387,000–
19201.44 million343,000–
19191.38 million1.17 million–
19181.3 million2.9 million–
1917900,000644,000–
1916850,000179,000–
1915500,000174,000–
1914460,000166,000–
1913450,000155,000–
1912450,000153,000–
19111 million145,000–
19101 million139,000–
19091 million142,000–
19081 million129,000–
19071 million108,000–
19061 million112,000–
19051 million108,000–
19041 million110,000–
19031 million106,000–
19021 million111,000–
19011 million112,000–
19001 million126,000–
18991 million100,000–
18981 million236,000–
18971 million44,000–
18961 million42,000–
18951 million42,000–
18941 million42,000–
18931 million39,000–
18921 million39,000–
18911 million38,000–
18901 million39,000–
18891 million39,000–
18881 million39,000–
18871 million39,000–
18861 million39,000–
18851 million39,000–
18841 million39,000–
18831 million37,000–
18821 million38,000–
18811 million38,000–
18801 million38,000–
18791 million38,000–
18781 million36,000–
18771 million34,000–
18761 million41,000–
18751 million38,000–
18741 million44,000–
18731 million43,000–
18721 million42,000–
18711 million42,000–
18701 million50,000–
18691 million52,000–
18681 million66,000–
18671 million75,000–
18661 million77,000–
18651 million1.06 million–
18641 million1.03 million–
18631 million960,000–
18621 million673,000–
18611 million217,000–
18601 million28,000–
1859–29,000–
1858–29,000–
1857–27,000–
1856–26,000–
1855–26,000–
1854–21,000–
1853–21,000–
1852–21,000–
1851–21,000–
1850–21,000–
1849–23,000–
1848–60,000–
1847–58,000–
1846–39,000–
1845–21,000–
1844–21,000–
1843–21,000–
1842–23,000–
1841–21,000–
1840–22,000–
1839–19,000–
1838–18,000–
1837–22,000–
1836–17,000–
1835–14,000–
1834–13,000–
1833–13,000–
1832–12,000–
1831–11,000–
1830–12,000–
1829–12,000–
1828–11,000–
1827–12,000–
1826–12,000–
1825–11,000–
1824–11,000–
1823–11,000–
1822–10,000–
1821–11,000–
1820–15,000–
1819–13,000–
1818–14,000–
1817–15,000–
1816–17,000–
  • 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

China vs United States

Health

People

Economy

Education

Politics

Conflict

Military

Climate

Technology and environment