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% |
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 Korea, Democratic People's Republic of 1.47 million compare
- 4 Russian Federation 1.45 million compare
- 5 United States of America 1.40 million 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, 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.