France vs India
France vs India: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 304,000 people in France and 3.07 million people in India, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in India, by 2.76 million people, or 10 times that in France.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- India has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1985.
- In 2020, France ranked 23 and India ranked 1 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | France | India | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 304,000 | 3.07 million | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 304,000 | 3.05 million | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 304,800 | 3.03 million | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 307,000 | 3.03 million | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 306,100 | 2.98 million | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 306,400 | 2.8 million | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 312,400 | 2.75 million | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 318,400 | 2.75 million | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 325,600 | 2.73 million | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 332,300 | 2.65 million | 28 million |
| 2010 | 342,000 | 2.63 million | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 342,000 | 2.63 million | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 353,000 | 2.58 million | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 353,000 | 2.58 million | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 354,000 | 2.59 million | 27 million |
| 2005 | 359,000 | 3.05 million | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 358,000 | 2.62 million | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 360,400 | 2.42 million | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 361,800 | 2.39 million | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 374,400 | 2.35 million | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 389,400 | 2.37 million | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 411,600 | 2.26 million | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 452,200 | 2.27 million | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 473,100 | 2.23 million | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 491,300 | 2.22 million | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 502,400 | 2.15 million | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 506,000 | 1.27 million | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 506,000 | 1.27 million | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 522,000 | 1.27 million | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 542,000 | 1.27 million | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 550,000 | 1.26 million | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 554,000 | 1.26 million | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 464,300 | 1.26 million | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 571,000 | 1.12 million | – |
| 1983 | 578,000 | 1.1 million | – |
| 1982 | 578,000 | 1.12 million | – |
| 1981 | 575,000 | 1.1 million | – |
| 1980 | 575,000 | 1.1 million | – |
| 1979 | 578,000 | 1.29 million | – |
| 1978 | 581,000 | 1.3 million | – |
| 1977 | 584,000 | 1.27 million | – |
| 1976 | 585,000 | 1.44 million | – |
| 1975 | 585,000 | 1.67 million | – |
| 1974 | 585,000 | 1.62 million | – |
| 1973 | 581,000 | 1.62 million | – |
| 1972 | 560,000 | 1.59 million | – |
| 1971 | 565,000 | 1.56 million | – |
| 1970 | 570,000 | 1.55 million | – |
| 1969 | 570,000 | 1.51 million | – |
| 1968 | 570,000 | 1.48 million | – |
| 1967 | 595,000 | 1.42 million | – |
| 1966 | 580,000 | 1.4 million | – |
| 1965 | 585,000 | 1.22 million | – |
| 1964 | 690,000 | 1.22 million | – |
| 1963 | 735,000 | 1.08 million | – |
| 1962 | 705,000 | 800,000 | – |
| 1961 | 720,000 | 775,000 | – |
| 1960 | 1.03 million | 535,000 | – |
| 1959 | 992,000 | 535,000 | – |
| 1958 | 961,000 | 490,000 | – |
| 1957 | 913,000 | 445,000 | – |
| 1956 | 856,000 | 400,000 | – |
| 1955 | 802,000 | 391,000 | – |
| 1954 | 745,000 | 381,000 | – |
| 1953 | 699,000 | 371,000 | – |
| 1952 | 655,000 | 361,000 | – |
| 1951 | 620,000 | 351,000 | – |
| 1950 | 595,000 | 341,000 | – |
| 1949 | 588,000 | 331,000 | – |
| 1948 | 577,000 | 321,000 | – |
| 1947 | 580,000 | 311,000 | – |
| 1946 | 578,000 | – | – |
| 1945 | 578,000 | – | – |
| 1944 | 579,000 | – | – |
| 1941 | 373,000 | – | – |
| 1940 | 5 million | – | – |
| 1939 | 581,000 | – | – |
| 1938 | 581,000 | – | – |
| 1937 | 613,000 | – | – |
| 1936 | 588,000 | – | – |
| 1935 | 548,000 | – | – |
| 1934 | 458,000 | – | – |
| 1933 | 449,000 | – | – |
| 1932 | 422,000 | – | – |
| 1931 | 441,000 | – | – |
| 1930 | 411,000 | – | – |
| 1929 | 411,000 | – | – |
| 1928 | 469,000 | – | – |
| 1927 | 494,000 | – | – |
| 1926 | 471,000 | – | – |
| 1925 | 475,000 | – | – |
| 1924 | 479,000 | – | – |
| 1923 | 511,000 | – | – |
| 1922 | 545,000 | – | – |
| 1921 | 547,000 | – | – |
| 1920 | 1.46 million | – | – |
| 1919 | 2.36 million | – | – |
| 1918 | 5.28 million | – | – |
| 1917 | 5.14 million | – | – |
| 1916 | 5.26 million | – | – |
| 1915 | 5 million | – | – |
| 1914 | 789,000 | – | – |
| 1913 | 632,000 | – | – |
| 1912 | 642,000 | – | – |
| 1911 | 638,000 | – | – |
| 1910 | 652,000 | – | – |
| 1909 | 641,000 | – | – |
| 1908 | 619,000 | – | – |
| 1907 | 619,000 | – | – |
| 1906 | 635,000 | – | – |
| 1905 | 626,000 | – | – |
| 1904 | 596,000 | – | – |
| 1903 | 614,000 | – | – |
| 1902 | 610,000 | – | – |
| 1901 | 603,000 | – | – |
| 1900 | 621,000 | – | – |
| 1899 | 654,000 | – | – |
| 1898 | 654,000 | – | – |
| 1897 | 623,000 | – | – |
| 1896 | 613,000 | – | – |
| 1895 | 586,000 | – | – |
| 1894 | 590,000 | – | – |
| 1893 | 610,000 | – | – |
| 1892 | 606,000 | – | – |
| 1891 | 605,000 | – | – |
| 1890 | 596,000 | – | – |
| 1889 | 589,000 | – | – |
| 1888 | 569,000 | – | – |
| 1887 | 519,000 | – | – |
| 1886 | 536,000 | – | – |
| 1885 | 519,000 | – | – |
| 1884 | 526,000 | – | – |
| 1883 | 516,000 | – | – |
| 1882 | 588,000 | – | – |
| 1881 | 578,000 | – | – |
| 1880 | 544,000 | – | – |
| 1879 | 525,000 | – | – |
| 1878 | 543,000 | – | – |
| 1877 | 523,000 | – | – |
| 1876 | 501,000 | – | – |
| 1875 | 485,000 | – | – |
| 1874 | 474,000 | – | – |
| 1873 | 534,000 | – | – |
| 1872 | 483,000 | – | – |
| 1871 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1870 | 452,000 | – | – |
| 1869 | 474,000 | – | – |
| 1868 | 483,000 | – | – |
| 1867 | 461,000 | – | – |
| 1866 | 458,000 | – | – |
| 1865 | 479,000 | – | – |
| 1864 | 487,000 | – | – |
| 1863 | 493,000 | – | – |
| 1862 | 520,000 | – | – |
| 1861 | 528,000 | – | – |
| 1860 | 608,000 | – | – |
| 1859 | 465,000 | – | – |
| 1858 | 427,000 | – | – |
| 1857 | 528,000 | – | – |
| 1856 | 645,000 | – | – |
| 1855 | 645,000 | – | – |
| 1854 | 440,000 | – | – |
| 1853 | 424,000 | – | – |
| 1852 | 397,000 | – | – |
| 1851 | 402,000 | – | – |
| 1850 | 439,000 | – | – |
| 1849 | 465,000 | – | – |
| 1848 | 387,000 | – | – |
| 1847 | 394,000 | – | – |
| 1846 | 388,000 | – | – |
| 1845 | 357,000 | – | – |
| 1844 | 361,000 | – | – |
| 1843 | 397,000 | – | – |
| 1842 | 438,000 | – | – |
| 1841 | 483,000 | – | – |
| 1840 | 446,000 | – | – |
| 1839 | 300,000 | – | – |
| 1838 | 304,000 | – | – |
| 1837 | 307,000 | – | – |
| 1836 | 294,000 | – | – |
| 1835 | 289,000 | – | – |
| 1834 | 267,000 | – | – |
| 1833 | 299,000 | – | – |
| 1832 | 311,000 | – | – |
| 1831 | 373,000 | – | – |
| 1830 | 259,000 | – | – |
| 1829 | 265,000 | – | – |
| 1828 | 247,000 | – | – |
| 1827 | 237,000 | – | – |
| 1826 | 237,000 | – | – |
| 1825 | 237,000 | – | – |
| 1824 | 239,000 | – | – |
| 1823 | 256,000 | – | – |
| 1822 | 243,000 | – | – |
| 1821 | 198,000 | – | – |
| 1820 | 208,000 | – | – |
| 1819 | 182,000 | – | – |
| 1818 | 138,000 | – | – |
| 1817 | 131,000 | – | – |
| 1816 | 132,000 | – | – |
- 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
France vs India
Health
- Life expectancyFrance: 83.3 years in 2023India: 72 years in 2023
- Child mortalityFrance: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024India: 2.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityFrance: 3.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023India: 22.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionFrance: 4.25% in 2017India: 3.53% in 2017
- Suicide rateFrance: 12.4 per 100,000 people in 2017India: 15.6 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationFrance: 66.4 million people in 2023India: 1.44 billion people in 2023
- Population growthFrance: 0.17% a year in 2023India: 0.89% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateFrance: 1.64 births per woman in 2023India: 1.98 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationFrance: 78.8% in 2025India: 35.7% in 2025
- Median ageFrance: 41.8 years in 2023India: 28.1 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overFrance: 21.8% in 2023India: 6.9% in 2023
- Net migration rateFrance: 1.4 per 1,000 people in 2023India: -0.7 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingFrance: 2.03% of GDP in 2025India: 2.3% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsFrance: $64.5B in 2025India: $93.3B in 2025
- Military spending per personFrance: $1,021 in 2025India: $63 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingFrance: 3.5% of government spending in 2025India: 8.2% of government spending in 2025
- National powerFrance: 1.09% of world capability in 2022India: 9.94% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersFrance: 1% of the labour force in 2020India: 0.58% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsFrance: 236 million TIV in 2025India: 2.86 billion TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsFrance: 3.37 billion TIV in 2025India: 81 million TIV in 2025