China vs India: Armed forces personnel
China
2.54 million
in 2020
India
3.07 million
in 2020
China rank
2nd
India rank
1st
Armed forces personnel over time
- China
- India
How they compare
India currently reports 3.07 million against 2.54 million in China, a difference of 533,000.
That makes India's figure about 1.2 times China's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 33 shared years of data; in 1985 it was China ahead.
China ranks 2nd and India ranks 1st of 173 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, China averaged higher in 3 and India in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | India | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 3.90 million | 1.26 million | 2.64 million | China |
| 1990s | 3.54 million | 1.75 million | 1.79 million | China |
| 2000s | 3.51 million | 2.56 million | 950,631 | China |
| 2010s | 2.83 million | 2.84 million | 5,119 | India |
| 2020s | 2.54 million | 3.07 million | 533,000 | India |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel, China or India?
- India, at 3.07 million against 2.54 million in China as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel between China and India?
- 533,000, with India ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and India?
- 33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
- How do China and India rank globally for armed forces personnel?
- China ranks 2nd and India ranks 1st of 173 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Our World in Data, published as Armed forces personnel. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.