What is military personnel in China?

Military personnel in China was 2.04 million people in 2022, according to Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.

What is the highest military personnel recorded in China?

The highest recorded value was 4.78 million people in 1945.

What is the lowest military personnel recorded in China?

The lowest recorded value was 450,000 people in 1912.

How does China rank for military personnel?

China ranks 1st out of 194 countries with data for 2022.

Is military personnel rising or falling in China?

Over the last ten years it is down 10.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this China data come from?

The figures come from Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military personnel. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Military personnel in China

Name: Military personnel in China
Creator: Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

China: Military personnel was 2.04 million people in 2022. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2022)

2.04 million people

Change on year

unchanged

World rank

1st

of 194 countries

All-time high

4.78 million people

in 1945

All-time low

450,000 people

in 1912

Years of data

163

1860–2022

Military personnel in China, 1860–2022

Source: Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.

Analysis

The most recent figure for military personnel in China is 2.04 million people, measured in 2022.

That represents a change of down 10.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, military personnel in China peaked at 4.78 million people in 1945 and was at its lowest, 450,000 people, in 1912.

That places China 1st out of 194 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1860s	1.00 million people	1.00 million people	1.00 million people	10
1870s	1.00 million people	1.00 million people	1.00 million people	10
1880s	1.00 million people	1.00 million people	1.00 million people	10
1890s	1.00 million people	1.00 million people	1.00 million people	10
1900s	1.00 million people	1.00 million people	1.00 million people	10
1910s	829,300 people	450,000 people	1.38 million people	10
1920s	1.63 million people	1.44 million people	1.70 million people	10
1930s	1.63 million people	900,000 people	2.00 million people	10
1940s	3.49 million people	2.04 million people	4.78 million people	10
1950s	3.18 million people	3.00 million people	4.00 million people	10
1960s	2.63 million people	2.20 million people	3.23 million people	10
1970s	3.84 million people	2.85 million people	4.60 million people	10
1980s	4.13 million people	3.53 million people	4.75 million people	10
1990s	2.90 million people	2.40 million people	3.50 million people	10
2000s	2.29 million people	2.10 million people	2.81 million people	10
2010s	2.24 million people	2.04 million people	2.33 million people	10
2020s	2.04 million people	2.04 million people	2.04 million people	3

Countries ranked near China

2 India 1.46 million people compare
3 United States 1.36 million people compare
4 North Korea 1.28 million people compare

See the full ranking of 194 places →

More reference data data for China

Spring temperature anomalies 1.66 °C (2026)
Summer temperature anomalies 0.0991 °C (2026)
Temperature anomalies by month 1.15 °C (2026)
Universal right to vote in practice 0 (2025)
Autumn temperature anomalies 1.34 °C (2025)
Winter temperature anomalies 2.06 °C (2025)
Consumer price index 132.6 2010 = 100 (2025)
Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
Competitive elections 0 (2025)
Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is military personnel in China?: Military personnel in China was 2.04 million people in 2022, according to Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest military personnel recorded in China?: The highest recorded value was 4.78 million people in 1945.
What is the lowest military personnel recorded in China?: The lowest recorded value was 450,000 people in 1912.
How does China rank for military personnel?: China ranks 1st out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
Is military personnel rising or falling in China?: Over the last ten years it is down 10.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this China data come from?: The figures come from Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military personnel. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 163 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator: Military personnel
Unit: people
Source: Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 194 places, 15,765 data points, 1816–2022
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

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.