India vs Singapore
India vs Singapore: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 3.07 million people in India and 59,000 people in Singapore, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in India, by 3.01 million people, or 52 times that in Singapore.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- India has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1985.
- In 2020, India ranked 1 and Singapore ranked 65 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | India | Singapore | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 3.07 million | 59,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 3.05 million | 59,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 3.03 million | 59,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 3.03 million | 81,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 2.98 million | 147,600 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 2.8 million | 147,600 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 2.75 million | 147,600 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 2.75 million | 147,600 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 2.73 million | 147,600 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 2.65 million | 147,600 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 2.63 million | 147,500 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 2.63 million | 147,500 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 2.58 million | 167,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 2.58 million | 167,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 2.59 million | 167,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 3.05 million | 167,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 2.62 million | 165,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 2.42 million | 168,800 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 2.39 million | 156,800 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 2.35 million | 154,500 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 2.37 million | 168,500 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 2.26 million | 181,000 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 2.27 million | 180,500 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 2.23 million | 178,000 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 2.22 million | 65,500 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 2.15 million | 65,500 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 1.27 million | 56,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 1.27 million | 56,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 1.27 million | 56,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 1.27 million | 56,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 1.26 million | 56,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 1.26 million | 56,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 1.26 million | 55,000 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 1.12 million | 56,000 | – |
| 1983 | 1.1 million | 42,000 | – |
| 1982 | 1.12 million | 60,000 | – |
| 1981 | 1.1 million | 59,000 | – |
| 1980 | 1.1 million | 50,000 | – |
| 1979 | 1.29 million | 57,000 | – |
| 1978 | 1.3 million | 64,000 | – |
| 1977 | 1.27 million | 36,000 | – |
| 1976 | 1.44 million | 35,000 | – |
| 1975 | 1.67 million | 27,000 | – |
| 1974 | 1.62 million | 24,000 | – |
| 1973 | 1.62 million | 24,000 | – |
| 1972 | 1.59 million | 20,000 | – |
| 1971 | 1.56 million | 15,000 | – |
| 1970 | 1.55 million | 14,000 | – |
| 1969 | 1.51 million | 12,000 | – |
| 1968 | 1.48 million | 11,000 | – |
| 1967 | 1.42 million | 10,000 | – |
| 1966 | 1.4 million | 0 | – |
| 1965 | 1.22 million | 0 | – |
| 1964 | 1.22 million | – | – |
| 1963 | 1.08 million | – | – |
| 1962 | 800,000 | – | – |
| 1961 | 775,000 | – | – |
| 1960 | 535,000 | – | – |
| 1959 | 535,000 | – | – |
| 1958 | 490,000 | – | – |
| 1957 | 445,000 | – | – |
| 1956 | 400,000 | – | – |
| 1955 | 391,000 | – | – |
| 1954 | 381,000 | – | – |
| 1953 | 371,000 | – | – |
| 1952 | 361,000 | – | – |
| 1951 | 351,000 | – | – |
| 1950 | 341,000 | – | – |
| 1949 | 331,000 | – | – |
| 1948 | 321,000 | – | – |
| 1947 | 311,000 | – | – |
- 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
India vs Singapore
Health
- Life expectancyIndia: 72 years in 2023Singapore: 83.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalityIndia: 2.7 per 100 live births in 2024Singapore: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityIndia: 22.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023Singapore: 1.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionIndia: 3.53% in 2017Singapore: 3.44% in 2017
- Suicide rateIndia: 15.6 per 100,000 people in 2017Singapore: 7.3 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationIndia: 1.44 billion people in 2023Singapore: 5.79 million people in 2023
- Population growthIndia: 0.89% a year in 2023Singapore: 0.81% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateIndia: 1.98 births per woman in 2023Singapore: 0.94 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationIndia: 35.7% in 2025Singapore: 100% in 2025
- Median ageIndia: 28.1 years in 2023Singapore: 35.1 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overIndia: 6.9% in 2023Singapore: 13.1% in 2023
- Net migration rateIndia: -0.7 per 1,000 people in 2023Singapore: 4.7 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingIndia: 2.3% of GDP in 2025Singapore: 3.05% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsIndia: $93.3B in 2025Singapore: $16.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personIndia: $63 in 2025Singapore: $2,980 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingIndia: 8.2% of government spending in 2025Singapore: 18% of government spending in 2025
- National powerIndia: 9.94% of world capability in 2022Singapore: 0.25% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersIndia: 0.58% of the labour force in 2020Singapore: 1.72% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsIndia: 2.86 billion TIV in 2025Singapore: 57 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsIndia: 81 million TIV in 2025Singapore: 79 million TIV in 2025