China vs United States: Military personnel
China
2.04 million
in 2022
United States
1.36 million
in 2022
China rank
1st
United States rank
3rd
Military personnel over time
- China
- United States
How they compare
China currently reports 2.04 million against 1.36 million in United States, a difference of 675,000.
That makes China's figure about 1.5 times United States's.
The two have swapped places 12 times across 163 shared years of data; in 1860 it was China ahead.
China ranks 1st and United States ranks 3rd of 194 countries.
Across the 17 decades both report, China averaged higher in 15 and United States in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1860s | 1.00 million | 424,300 | 575,700 | China |
| 1870s | 1.00 million | 40,800 | 959,200 | China |
| 1880s | 1.00 million | 38,500 | 961,500 | China |
| 1890s | 1.00 million | 66,100 | 933,900 | China |
| 1900s | 1.00 million | 116,400 | 883,600 | China |
| 1910s | 829,300 | 582,500 | 246,800 | China |
| 1920s | 1.63 million | 276,200 | 1.36 million | China |
| 1930s | 1.63 million | 275,700 | 1.35 million | China |
| 1940s | 3.49 million | 4.64 million | 1.15 million | United States |
| 1950s | 3.18 million | 2.85 million | 335,400 | China |
| 1960s | 2.63 million | 2.89 million | 262,300 | United States |
| 1970s | 3.84 million | 2.28 million | 1.56 million | China |
| 1980s | 4.13 million | 2.20 million | 1.93 million | China |
| 1990s | 2.90 million | 1.75 million | 1.16 million | China |
| 2000s | 2.29 million | 1.46 million | 835,900 | China |
| 2010s | 2.24 million | 1.46 million | 779,900 | China |
| 2020s | 2.04 million | 1.37 million | 663,333 | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military personnel, China or United States?
- China, at 2.04 million against 1.36 million in United States as of 2022.
- What is the difference in military personnel between China and United States?
- 675,000, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States?
- 163 years are reported by both, from 1860 to 2022.
- How do China and United States rank globally for military personnel?
- China ranks 1st and United States ranks 3rd of 194 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Our World in Data, published as Military personnel. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.