Armed forces personnel in China
China: Armed forces personnel was 0.3% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel in China, 1990–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies. Measured in % of total labor force.
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel in China is 0.3%, measured in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.0% on the previous year and down 12.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in China peaked at 0.6% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 2019.
That places China 145th out of 171 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 31 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel in China, year by year
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 0.5% | — |
| 1991 | 0.5% | -9.5% |
| 1992 | 0.5% | -2.2% |
| 1993 | 0.5% | -5.0% |
| 1994 | 0.4% | -4.2% |
| 1995 | 0.6% | +39.6% |
| 1996 | 0.6% | -0.9% |
| 1997 | 0.5% | -13.0% |
| 1998 | 0.6% | +3.8% |
| 1999 | 0.5% | -0.9% |
| 2000 | 0.6% | +1.4% |
| 2001 | 0.5% | -3.8% |
| 2002 | 0.5% | -2.4% |
| 2003 | 0.5% | -1.8% |
| 2004 | 0.5% | -1.1% |
| 2005 | 0.5% | -1.3% |
| 2006 | 0.5% | -4.9% |
| 2007 | 0.4% | -20.4% |
| 2008 | 0.4% | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 0.4% | +1.8% |
| 2010 | 0.4% | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 0.4% | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 0.4% | +1.5% |
| 2013 | 0.4% | -0.0% |
| 2014 | 0.4% | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 0.4% | -5.1% |
| 2016 | 0.3% | -5.2% |
| 2017 | 0.3% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 0.3% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 0.3% | -5.8% |
| 2020 | 0.3% | +2.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 1 |
Countries ranked near China
- 142 Canada 0.4% compare
- 143 New Zealand 0.3% compare
- 144 Cameroon 0.3% compare
- 146 Bangladesh 0.3% compare
- 147 Guinea 0.3% compare
- 148 Luxembourg 0.3% compare
More public sector data for China
- Arms imports 72.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 0.0511 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate -83.29 % change on previous year (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), gaps filled 72.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per capita 222.62 current USD per person (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per unit of GDP 0.0167 current USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), annual growth rate 5.67 % change on previous year (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), gaps filled 313.66 billion current USD (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per square kilometre 45.91 SIPRI trend indicator values per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel in China?
- Armed forces personnel in China was 0.3% in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 0.6% in 1995.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 2019.
- How does China rank for armed forces personnel?
- China ranks 145th out of 171 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies, published as part of Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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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. Labor force comprises all people who meet the International Labour Organization's definition of the economically active population.