India vs United States

India vs United States: Armed forces personnel

Armed forces personnel in 2020: 3.07 million people in India and 1.4 million people in United States, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in India, by 1.67 million people, or 2.2 times that in United States.

Watch it change on the map

people · IISS

India vs United States: Armed forces personnelArmed forces personnel in 2020: 3.07 million people in India and 1.4 million people in United States, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in India, by 1.67 million people, or 2.2 times that in United States.
IndiaUnited StatesEstimates, Correlates of WarWorld

What the numbers say

  • India has been higher since 1995, when it overtook United States.
  • In 2020, India ranked 1 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

YearIndiaUnited StatesWorld
20203.07 million1.4 million27.4 million
20193.05 million1.39 million27.7 million
20183.03 million1.38 million27.7 million
20173.03 million1.36 million27.4 million
20162.98 million1.35 million27.5 million
20152.8 million1.35 million27.4 million
20142.75 million1.38 million27.3 million
20132.75 million1.43 million27.2 million
20122.73 million1.49 million28.2 million
20112.65 million1.52 million28 million
20102.63 million1.57 million28.1 million
20092.63 million1.56 million27.9 million
20082.58 million1.54 million27.5 million
20072.58 million1.56 million27.3 million
20062.59 million1.5 million27 million
20053.05 million1.55 million28.5 million
20042.62 million1.47 million27.1 million
20032.42 million1.48 million28.2 million
20022.39 million1.47 million28.3 million
20012.35 million1.42 million28.2 million
20002.37 million1.46 million29.4 million
19992.26 million1.58 million29.6 million
19982.27 million1.59 million29.9 million
19972.23 million1.53 million29.9 million
19962.22 million1.57 million30.2 million
19952.15 million1.64 million30.2 million
19941.27 million1.72 million23.2 million
19931.27 million1.82 million23.7 million
19921.27 million1.92 million24.5 million
19911.27 million2.12 million22.7 million
19901.26 million2.18 million23.9 million
19891.26 million2.24 million24.3 million
19851.26 million2.15 million22.2 million
19841.12 million2.22 million–
19831.1 million2.2 million–
19821.12 million2.17 million–
19811.1 million2.1 million–
19801.1 million2.05 million–
19791.29 million2.03 million–
19781.3 million2.06 million–
19771.27 million2.06 million–
19761.44 million2.08 million–
19751.67 million2.1 million–
19741.62 million2.15 million–
19731.62 million2.21 million–
19721.59 million2.32 million–
19711.56 million2.72 million–
19701.55 million3.07 million–
19691.51 million3.46 million–
19681.48 million3.55 million–
19671.42 million3.38 million–
19661.4 million3.09 million–
19651.22 million2.66 million–
19641.22 million2.69 million–
19631.08 million2.7 million–
1962800,0002.81 million–
1961775,0002.31 million–
1960535,0002.31 million–
1959535,0002.33 million–
1958490,0002.41 million–
1957445,0002.8 million–
1956400,0002.81 million–
1955391,0002.94 million–
1954381,0003.3 million–
1953371,0003.56 million–
1952361,0003.64 million–
1951351,0003.25 million–
1950341,0001.46 million–
1949331,0001.62 million–
1948321,0001.45 million–
1947311,0001.58 million–
1946–3.03 million–
1945–12.1 million–
1944–11.5 million–
1943–9.05 million–
1942–3.86 million–
1941–1.8 million–
1940–458,000–
1939–334,000–
1938–323,000–
1937–312,000–
1936–291,000–
1935–252,000–
1934–247,000–
1933–244,000–
1932–245,000–
1931–253,000–
1930–256,000–
1929–255,000–
1928–251,000–
1927–249,000–
1926–247,000–
1925–252,000–
1924–261,000–
1923–247,000–
1922–270,000–
1921–387,000–
1920–343,000–
1919–1.17 million–
1918–2.9 million–
1917–644,000–
1916–179,000–
1915–174,000–
1914–166,000–
1913–155,000–
1912–153,000–
1911–145,000–
1910–139,000–
1909–142,000–
1908–129,000–
1907–108,000–
1906–112,000–
1905–108,000–
1904–110,000–
1903–106,000–
1902–111,000–
1901–112,000–
1900–126,000–
1899–100,000–
1898–236,000–
1897–44,000–
1896–42,000–
1895–42,000–
1894–42,000–
1893–39,000–
1892–39,000–
1891–38,000–
1890–39,000–
1889–39,000–
1888–39,000–
1887–39,000–
1886–39,000–
1885–39,000–
1884–39,000–
1883–37,000–
1882–38,000–
1881–38,000–
1880–38,000–
1879–38,000–
1878–36,000–
1877–34,000–
1876–41,000–
1875–38,000–
1874–44,000–
1873–43,000–
1872–42,000–
1871–42,000–
1870–50,000–
1869–52,000–
1868–66,000–
1867–75,000–
1866–77,000–
1865–1.06 million–
1864–1.03 million–
1863–960,000–
1862–673,000–
1861–217,000–
1860–28,000–
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

India vs United States

Health

People

Economy

Education

Politics

Conflict

Military

Climate

Technology and environment