India vs Russia: Armed forces personnel
India
3.07 million
in 2020
Russia
1.45 million
in 2020
India rank
1st
Russia rank
4th
Armed forces personnel over time
- India
- Russia
How they compare
India currently reports 3.07 million against 1.45 million in Russia, a difference of 1.61 million.
That makes India's figure about 2.1 times Russia's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 29 shared years of data; in 1992 it was Russia ahead.
India ranks 1st and Russia ranks 4th of 173 countries.
India has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | India | Russia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.87 million | 1.65 million | 214,300 | India |
| 2000s | 2.56 million | 1.44 million | 1.12 million | India |
| 2010s | 2.84 million | 1.40 million | 1.44 million | India |
| 2020s | 3.07 million | 1.45 million | 1.61 million | India |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel, India or Russia?
- India, at 3.07 million against 1.45 million in Russia as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel between India and Russia?
- 1.61 million, with India ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for India and Russia?
- 29 years are reported by both, from 1992 to 2020.
- How do India and Russia rank globally for armed forces personnel?
- India ranks 1st 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.