China

Armed forces personnel in China

Armed forces personnel in China: 3.9 million people in 1985 and 2.54 million people in 2020, by IISS estimates.

Latest, 2020
2.54 million people
Since 1985
−1.37 million people
Rank, 2020
2 of 170
counting from the highest
World, 2020
27.4 million people
Watch it change on the map

people · IISS

Armed forces personnel in ChinaArmed forces personnel in China: 3.9 million people in 1985 and 2.54 million people in 2020, by IISS estimates. The highest was 4.14 million people in 1996, the lowest 2.54 million people in 2019.
Estimates, IISSEstimates, Correlates of WarWorld

What the numbers say

  • The highest was 4.14 million people in 1996, the lowest 2.54 million people in 2019.
  • Older estimates from Correlates of War reach back to 1860: 1 million people.

Every year

people · IISS

YearChinaWorld
20202.54 million27.4 million
20192.54 million27.7 million
20182.7 million27.7 million
20172.7 million27.4 million
20162.7 million27.5 million
20152.84 million27.4 million
20142.99 million27.3 million
20132.99 million27.2 million
20122.99 million28.2 million
20112.95 million28 million
20102.95 million28.1 million
20092.95 million27.9 million
20082.89 million27.5 million
20072.89 million27.3 million
20063.61 million27 million
20053.76 million28.5 million
20043.76 million27.1 million
20033.75 million28.2 million
20023.77 million28.3 million
20013.81 million28.2 million
20003.91 million29.4 million
19993.82 million29.6 million
19983.82 million29.9 million
19973.64 million29.9 million
19964.14 million30.2 million
19954.13 million30.2 million
19942.93 million23.2 million
19933.03 million23.7 million
19923.16 million24.5 million
19913.2 million22.7 million
19903.5 million23.9 million
19893.9 million24.3 million
19853.9 million22.2 million
19844.1 million–
19834.1 million–
19824.35 million–
19814.75 million–
19804.65 million–
19794.6 million–
19784.5 million–
19774.3 million–
19764.3 million–
19754.3 million–
19744.3 million–
19733.25 million–
19723.04 million–
19712.97 million–
19702.85 million–
19692.83 million–
19682.8 million–
19672.71 million–
19662.6 million–
19652.4 million–
19642.75 million–
19632.5 million–
19622.3 million–
19612.2 million–
19603.23 million–
19593.21 million–
19583.18 million–
19573.16 million–
19563.13 million–
19553 million–
19543.08 million–
19533.05 million–
19523.03 million–
19513 million–
19504 million–
19492.57 million–
19483.69 million–
19474.02 million–
19464.16 million–
19454.78 million–
19444.23 million–
19433.68 million–
19423.13 million–
19412.58 million–
19402.04 million–
19391.49 million–
1938900,000–
19372 million–
19361.7 million–
19351.7 million–
19341.7 million–
19331.7 million–
19321.7 million–
19311.7 million–
19301.7 million–
19291.7 million–
19281.7 million–
19271.7 million–
19261.7 million–
19251.7 million–
19241.7 million–
19231.63 million–
19221.57 million–
19211.5 million–
19201.44 million–
19191.38 million–
19181.3 million–
1917900,000–
1916850,000–
1915500,000–
1914460,000–
1913450,000–
1912450,000–
19111 million–
19101 million–
19091 million–
19081 million–
19071 million–
19061 million–
19051 million–
19041 million–
19031 million–
19021 million–
19011 million–
19001 million–
18991 million–
18981 million–
18971 million–
18961 million–
18951 million–
18941 million–
18931 million–
18921 million–
18911 million–
18901 million–
18891 million–
18881 million–
18871 million–
18861 million–
18851 million–
18841 million–
18831 million–
18821 million–
18811 million–
18801 million–
18791 million–
18781 million–
18771 million–
18761 million–
18751 million–
18741 million–
18731 million–
18721 million–
18711 million–
18701 million–
18691 million–
18681 million–
18671 million–
18661 million–
18651 million–
18641 million–
18631 million–
18621 million–
18611 million–
18601 million–
  • 12.3Estimates, Correlates of War

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 in numbers

Every measure for China on one page

Health

People

Economy

Education

Politics

Conflict

Military

Climate

Technology and environment