Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in China
China: Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled was 2.54 million in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in China, 1985–2020
Source: Statizoid (derived).
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in China is 2.54 million, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
That represents a change of down 13.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in China peaked at 4.13 million in 1996 and was at its lowest, 2.54 million, in 2019.
China ranks 2nd of 173 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in China, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 3.90 million | — |
| 1986 | 3.90 million | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 3.90 million | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 3.90 million | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 3.90 million | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 3.50 million | -10.3% |
| 1991 | 3.20 million | -8.6% |
| 1992 | 3.16 million | -1.2% |
| 1993 | 3.03 million | -4.1% |
| 1994 | 2.93 million | -3.3% |
| 1995 | 4.13 million | +41.0% |
| 1996 | 4.13 million | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 3.64 million | -12.0% |
| 1998 | 3.82 million | +4.9% |
| 1999 | 3.82 million | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 3.91 million | +2.4% |
| 2001 | 3.81 million | -2.6% |
| 2002 | 3.77 million | -1.0% |
| 2003 | 3.75 million | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 3.75 million | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 3.75 million | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 3.60 million | -4.0% |
| 2007 | 2.88 million | -20.0% |
| 2008 | 2.88 million | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 2.94 million | +2.1% |
| 2010 | 2.94 million | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 2.94 million | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 2.99 million | +1.6% |
| 2013 | 2.99 million | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 2.99 million | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 2.84 million | -5.0% |
| 2016 | 2.69 million | -5.2% |
| 2017 | 2.69 million | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 2.69 million | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 2.54 million | -5.9% |
| 2020 | 2.54 million | +0.0% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 2.54 million is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 64,000, 39.6× the median. (48 countries reporting)
- China's 2.54 million is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 146,500, 17.3× the median. (20 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in China changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | +41.0% | 2.93 million | 4.13 million |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 3.90 million | 3.90 million | 3.90 million | 5 |
| 1990s | 3.54 million | 2.93 million | 4.13 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.51 million | 2.88 million | 3.91 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.83 million | 2.54 million | 2.99 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.54 million | 2.54 million | 2.54 million | 1 |
Countries ranked near China
- 1 India 3.07 million compare
- 3 North Korea 1.47 million compare
- 4 Russia 1.45 million compare
- 5 United States 1.40 million compare
More public sector data for China
- Democracy, annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (1949)
- Universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected, annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (1949)
- Democracy 0 (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected 0 (2025)
- Elected parliament 0 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
- Competitive elections 0 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in China?
- Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in China was 2.54 million in 2020, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 4.13 million in 1996.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.54 million in 2019.
- How does China rank for armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled?
- China ranks 2nd out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
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.
Computed from
- Armed forces personnel, total The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
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.