China vs Nicaragua: Armed forces personnel as a share of total population
China
0.2%
in 2020
Nicaragua
0.2%
in 2020
China rank
133rd
Nicaragua rank
131st
Armed forces personnel as a share of total population over time
- China
- Nicaragua
How they compare
Nicaragua currently reports 0.2% against 0.2% in China, a difference of 0.0%.
The two have swapped places 8 times across 33 shared years of data; in 1985 it was Nicaragua ahead.
China ranks 133rd and Nicaragua ranks 131st of 173 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, China averaged higher in 2 and Nicaragua in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Nicaragua | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.4% | 1.6% | 1.3% | Nicaragua |
| 1990s | 0.3% | 0.4% | 0.1% | Nicaragua |
| 2000s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.0% | China |
| 2010s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.0% | China |
| 2020s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.0% | Nicaragua |
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 Nicaragua?
- Nicaragua, 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 Nicaragua?
- 0.0%, with Nicaragua ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Nicaragua?
- 33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
- How do China and Nicaragua rank globally for armed forces personnel as a share of total population?
- China ranks 133rd and Nicaragua ranks 131st 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.