China vs India: Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled
China
2.54 million
in 2020
India
3.07 million
in 2020
China rank
2nd
India rank
1st
Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled over time
- China
- India
How they compare
India currently reports 3.07 million against 2.54 million in China, a difference of 533,000.
That makes India's figure about 1.2 times China's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 36 shared years of data; in 1985 it was China ahead.
China ranks 2nd and India ranks 1st of 173 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, China averaged higher in 3 and India in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | India | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 3.90 million | 1.26 million | 2.64 million | China |
| 1990s | 3.54 million | 1.75 million | 1.79 million | China |
| 2000s | 3.51 million | 2.56 million | 950,631 | China |
| 2010s | 2.83 million | 2.84 million | 5,119 | India |
| 2020s | 2.54 million | 3.07 million | 533,000 | India |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled, China or India?
- India, at 3.07 million against 2.54 million in China as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled between China and India?
- 533,000, with India ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and India?
- 36 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
- How do China and India rank globally for armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled?
- China ranks 2nd and India ranks 1st of 173 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Statizoid (derived), published as Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Armed forces personnel, total with 597 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.