China vs Ireland: Armed forces personnel as a share of total population
China
0.2%
in 2020
Ireland
0.2%
in 2020
China rank
133rd
Ireland rank
132nd
Armed forces personnel as a share of total population over time
- China
- Ireland
How they compare
Ireland currently reports 0.2% against 0.2% in China, a difference of 0.0%.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 33 shared years of data; in 1985 it was Ireland ahead.
China ranks 133rd and Ireland ranks 132nd of 173 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, China averaged higher in 2 and Ireland in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Ireland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.0% | Ireland |
| 1990s | 0.3% | 0.4% | 0.1% | Ireland |
| 2000s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.0% | China |
| 2010s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.0% | China |
| 2020s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.0% | Ireland |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel as a share of total population, China or Ireland?
- Ireland, at 0.2% against 0.2% in China as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel as a share of total population between China and Ireland?
- 0.0%, with Ireland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Ireland?
- 33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
- How do China and Ireland rank globally for armed forces personnel as a share of total population?
- China ranks 133rd and Ireland ranks 132nd of 173 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Armed forces personnel as a share of total population. 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 their training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces.