India vs United States: Military personnel
India
1.46 million people
in 2022
United States
1.36 million people
in 2022
India rank
2nd
United States rank
3rd
Military personnel over time
- India
- United States
How they compare
India currently reports 1.46 million people against 1.36 million people in United States, a difference of 100,000 people.
That makes India's figure about 1.1 times United States's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 76 shared years of data; in 1947 it was United States ahead.
India ranks 2nd and United States ranks 3rd of 194 countries.
Across the 9 decades both report, India averaged higher in 1 and United States in 8.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | India | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 321,000 people | 1.55 million people | 1.23 million people | United States |
| 1950s | 406,600 people | 2.85 million people | 2.44 million people | United States |
| 1960s | 1.14 million people | 2.89 million people | 1.75 million people | United States |
| 1970s | 1.49 million people | 2.28 million people | 788,500 people | United States |
| 1980s | 1.20 million people | 2.20 million people | 1.01 million people | United States |
| 1990s | 1.27 million people | 1.75 million people | 477,000 people | United States |
| 2000s | 1.30 million people | 1.46 million people | 154,000 people | United States |
| 2010s | 1.36 million people | 1.46 million people | 104,100 people | United States |
| 2020s | 1.46 million people | 1.37 million people | 87,000 people | India |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military personnel, India or United States?
- India, at 1.46 million people against 1.36 million people in United States as of 2022.
- What is the difference in military personnel between India and United States?
- 100,000 people, with India ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for India and United States?
- 76 years are reported by both, from 1947 to 2022.
- How do India and United States rank globally for military personnel?
- India ranks 2nd and United States ranks 3rd of 194 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Military personnel. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Troops under the command of the national government, intended for use against foreign adversaries, and held ready for combat as of January 1 of the given year.