China, People's Republic of vs United States: Armed forces personnel, total
China, People's Republic of
2.54 million
in 2020
United States
1.40 million
in 2020
China, People's Republic of rank
2nd
United States rank
5th
Armed forces personnel, total over time
- China, People's Republic of
- United States
How they compare
China, People's Republic of currently reports 2.54 million against 1.40 million in United States, a difference of 1.14 million.
That makes China, People's Republic of's figure about 1.8 times United States's.
Across all 33 years both countries report, China, People's Republic of has been ahead every year.
China, People's Republic of ranks 2nd and United States ranks 5th of 173 countries.
China, People's Republic of has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China, People's Republic of | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 3.90 million | 2.20 million | 1.70 million | China, People's Republic of |
| 1990s | 3.54 million | 1.77 million | 1.77 million | China, People's Republic of |
| 2000s | 3.51 million | 1.50 million | 2.01 million | China, People's Republic of |
| 2010s | 2.83 million | 1.42 million | 1.41 million | China, People's Republic of |
| 2020s | 2.54 million | 1.40 million | 1.14 million | China, People's Republic of |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel, total, China, People's Republic of or United States?
- China, People's Republic of, at 2.54 million against 1.40 million in United States as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel, total between China, People's Republic of and United States?
- 1.14 million, with China, People's Republic of ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China, People's Republic of and United States?
- 33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
- How do China, People's Republic of and United States rank globally for armed forces personnel, total?
- China, People's Republic of ranks 2nd and United States ranks 5th of 173 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies, published as Armed forces personnel, total. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if the training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces.