China - Armed forces personnel, total

The value for Armed forces personnel, total in China was 2,535,000 as of 2019. As the graph below shows, over the past 34 years this indicator reached a maximum value of 4,135,000 in 1996 and a minimum value of 2,535,000 in 2019.

Definition: Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if the training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces.

Source: International Institute for Strategic Studies, The Military Balance.

See also:

Year Value
1985 3,900,000
1989 3,900,000
1990 3,500,000
1991 3,200,000
1992 3,160,000
1993 3,030,000
1994 2,930,000
1995 4,130,000
1996 4,135,000
1997 3,640,000
1998 3,820,000
1999 3,820,000
2000 3,910,000
2001 3,810,000
2002 3,770,000
2003 3,750,000
2004 3,755,000
2005 3,755,000
2006 3,605,000
2007 2,885,000
2008 2,885,000
2009 2,945,000
2010 2,945,000
2011 2,945,000
2012 2,993,000
2013 2,993,000
2014 2,993,000
2015 2,843,000
2016 2,695,000
2017 2,695,000
2018 2,695,000
2019 2,535,000

Development Relevance: Although national defense is an important function of government and security from external threats that contributes to economic development, high military expenditures for defense or civil conflicts burden the economy and may impede growth. Data on military expenditures are a rough indicator of the portion of national resources used for military activities and of the burden on the economy. Comparisons of military spending among countries should take into account the many factors that influence perceptions of vulnerability and risk, including historical and cultural traditions, the length of borders that need defending, the quality of relations with neighbors, and the role of the armed forces in the body politic.

Limitations and Exceptions: Data excludes personnel not on active duty, therefore it underestimates the share of the labor force working for the defense establishment. The cooperation of governments of all countries listed in “The Military Balance” has been sought by IISS and, in many cases, received. However, some data in “The Military Balance” is estimated.

Statistical Concept and Methodology: Military data on manpower represent quantitative assessment of the personnel strengths of the world's armed forces. The IISS collects the data from a wide variety of sources. The numbers are based on the most accurate data available to, or on the best estimate that can be made by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) at the time of its annual publication. The current WDI indicator includes active armed forces and active paramilitary (but not reservists). Armed forces personnel comprise all servicemen and women on full-time duty, including conscripts and long-term assignments from the Reserves (“Reserve” describes formations and units not fully manned or operational in peacetime, but which can be mobilized by recalling reservists in an emergency). The indicator includes paramilitary forces. The source of the data (IISS) reports armed forces and paramilitary forces separately, however these figures are added for the purpose of computing this series. Home Guard units are counted as paramilitary.

Aggregation method: Sum

Periodicity: Annual

General Comments: Data for some countries are based on partial or uncertain data or rough estimates.

Classification

Topic: Public Sector Indicators

Sub-Topic: Defense & arms trade