China vs Russia: Cumulative number of people who have been to space
China
11 people
in 2021
Russia
124 people
in 2021
China rank
3rd
Russia rank
2nd
Cumulative number of people who have been to space over time
- China
- Russia
How they compare
Russia currently reports 124 people against 11 people in China, a difference of 113 people.
That makes Russia's figure about 11.3 times China's.
Across all 61 years both countries report, Russia has been ahead every year.
China ranks 3rd and Russia ranks 2nd of 39 countries.
Russia has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Russia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0 people | 9.67 people | 9.67 people | Russia |
| 1970s | 0 people | 33.6 people | 33.6 people | Russia |
| 1980s | 0 people | 58.3 people | 58.3 people | Russia |
| 1990s | 0 people | 80.2 people | 80.2 people | Russia |
| 2000s | 2.3 people | 97.8 people | 95.5 people | Russia |
| 2010s | 9.4 people | 116.6 people | 107.2 people | Russia |
| 2020s | 11 people | 123.5 people | 112.5 people | Russia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher cumulative number of people who have been to space, China or Russia?
- Russia, at 124 people against 11 people in China as of 2021.
- What is the difference in cumulative number of people who have been to space between China and Russia?
- 113 people, with Russia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Russia?
- 61 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2021.
- How do China and Russia rank globally for cumulative number of people who have been to space?
- China ranks 3rd and Russia ranks 2nd of 39 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- CSIS Aerospace Security Project (2022) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Cumulative number of people who have been to space. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.