China vs Russia: Armed forces personnel
China
2.54 million
in 2020
Russia
1.45 million
in 2020
China rank
2nd
Russia rank
4th
Armed forces personnel over time
- China
- Russia
How they compare
China currently reports 2.54 million against 1.45 million in Russia, a difference of 1.08 million.
That makes China's figure about 1.7 times Russia's.
Across all 29 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 2nd and Russia ranks 4th of 173 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Russia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.58 million | 1.65 million | 1.93 million | China |
| 2000s | 3.51 million | 1.44 million | 2.07 million | China |
| 2010s | 2.83 million | 1.40 million | 1.43 million | China |
| 2020s | 2.54 million | 1.45 million | 1.08 million | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel, China or Russia?
- China, at 2.54 million against 1.45 million in Russia as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel between China and Russia?
- 1.08 million, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Russia?
- 29 years are reported by both, from 1992 to 2020.
- How do China and Russia rank globally for armed forces personnel?
- China ranks 2nd and Russia ranks 4th of 173 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Armed forces personnel. 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.