FORCETALLY
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NATIONAL FORCES · COMPARISON
China vs South Korea
| Overview | China | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
Active personnel DefinitionFull-time active military personnel; exclude reserves and paramilitary unless explicitly identified. | 2,000,000Estimate · people · 2025Single sourceReported full-time active military personnel, including serving conscripts where present; reserve pools are not added. This is an estimated headcount, not an authorised establishment, mobilisation potential or readiness measure. The figure is explicitly for the People's Liberation Army. People's Armed Police and militia are not added. | 450,000Estimate · people · November 2025 IISS assessmentSingle sourceNational full-time active military personnel; the separately reported reserve, gendarmerie and paramilitary totals are excluded. |
Armed forces personnel DefinitionActive-duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces whose training, organisation, equipment and control allow them to support or replace regular forces. This is not an active-regular-only count. | 2,535,000people · 2020Single source2020 annual observation. Active-duty military personnel, including qualifying paramilitary forces; not an active-regular-only count. | 569,000people · 2020Single source2020 annual observation. Active-duty military personnel, including qualifying paramilitary forces; not an active-regular-only count. |
Combat aircraft DefinitionIn-service fixed-wing combat aircraft; exclude stored, retired and ordered aircraft. In service does not establish readiness. | 2,750Estimate · aircraft · 2025 assessment · published 23 Dec 2025Single sourceEstimated PLAAF and PLAN Aviation fixed-wing combat aircraft in the 2025 U.S. government assessment: fighters including combat-capable trainer variants, plus bombers/attack aircraft. Excludes the larger all-trainer figure, transport/tankers and special-mission aircraft. | 410Estimate · aircraft · Dec 2022Single sourceApproximate South Korean Air Force fixed-wing combat-aircraft force-posture total as of December 2022. The source lists trainers, ISR/C2 aircraft, transport aircraft and rotary-wing aircraft separately. This is a rounded peacetime-force estimate, not a readiness measure or a current exact count. |
Defence spending DefinitionAnnual military expenditure in current US dollars. State fiscal year, coverage and conversion basis in notes. | US$251bnEstimate · USD · 2025 IISS defence budget assessmentSingle sourceSource-reported annual official defence budget/appropriation in current US dollars; it is a budget figure, not an assertion of final expenditure or readiness. Explicit 2025 economic-table year column; USD ε251bn. The table was compiled in the November 2025 IISS assessment; this annual figure is an assessment/estimate and does not assert a final audited outturn. Source coverage/fiscal-year notes: [b] Central Expenditure budget including local militia funding The printed ε marks this cell as estimated. | US$48.2bnEstimate · USD · 2026 IISS defence budget forecast (November 2025 assessment)Single sourceSource-reported annual official defence budget/appropriation in current US dollars; it is a budget figure, not an assertion of final expenditure or readiness. Explicit 2026 economic-table year column; USD 48.2bn. The table was compiled in the November 2025 IISS assessment; this annual figure is an assessment/estimate and does not assert a final audited outturn. The explicit 2026 column is forward-looking relative to the November 2025 assessment and is retained as a forecast, not an observed final outturn. |
GDP DefinitionAnnual nominal GDP in current US dollars, not purchasing-power parity. | US$20.7tnEstimate · USD · 2026 IISS nominal GDP forecast (November 2025 assessment)Single sourceAnnual nominal GDP at current market prices, in source-reported current US dollars. Excludes purchasing-power-parity GDP and real GDP growth. Explicit 2026 economic-table year column; USD 20.7trn. The table was compiled in the November 2025 IISS assessment; this annual figure is an assessment/estimate and does not assert a final audited outturn. The explicit 2026 column is forward-looking relative to the November 2025 assessment and is retained as a forecast, not an observed final outturn. | US$1.94tnEstimate · USD · 2026 IISS nominal GDP forecast (November 2025 assessment)Single sourceAnnual nominal GDP at current market prices, in source-reported current US dollars. Excludes purchasing-power-parity GDP and real GDP growth. Explicit 2026 economic-table year column; USD 1.94trn. The table was compiled in the November 2025 IISS assessment; this annual figure is an assessment/estimate and does not assert a final audited outturn. The explicit 2026 column is forward-looking relative to the November 2025 assessment and is retained as a forecast, not an observed final outturn. |
Main battle tanks DefinitionIn-service main battle tanks; exclude storage and orders. | 4,700Estimate · vehicles · 2025 edition; census date not statedSingle sourcePLA main battle tank fleet as classified by IISS; excludes the separately listed 1,250 light tanks and 1,200 wheeled assault guns. | 2,210Estimate · vehicles · 2025 edition; census date not statedSingle sourceNational MBT holdings: Army 2,110 plus Marines 100. Army and Marine Corps equipment are separately enumerated; neither is omitted or counted twice. |
Major surface combatants DefinitionCommissioned cruisers, destroyers and frigates. Exclude patrol craft and support vessels. | 100Estimate · vessels · 2025 assessment · published 23 Dec 2025Single sourceEstimated national naval cruisers, destroyers and frigates in the 2025 U.S. government Taiwan Strait force-balance assessment. Excludes aircraft carriers, corvettes, patrol, amphibious, Coast Guard and support vessels. Reported fleet quantity, not mission readiness. | 30Estimate · vessels · 10 Feb 2025Single sourceCommissioned cruisers, destroyers and frigates in the national fleet; excludes aircraft carriers, corvettes, patrol, amphibious and support vessels. Fleet count, not immediately deployable strength. |
Population DefinitionTotal resident population; retain the source's reference year. | 1,406,585,000people · 2025Single source2025 annual observation. Midyear resident population estimate. | 51,684,564people · 2025Single source2025 annual observation. Midyear resident population estimate. |
Reserve personnel DefinitionReported reserve personnel, with mobilisation and training definitions stated in notes. | 510,000Estimate · people · 2026 source edition; census date not statedSingle sourceMilitary reserve personnel in the 2026 IISS source edition cited by this Wikipedia row. Reservists are not normally kept under arms and are available for mobilisation. Excludes the separately reported Active military and Paramilitary columns. This is the cited edition year, not an exact census date. | 3,100,000Estimate · people · November 2025 IISS assessmentSingle sourceNational military reserve pool; excludes the separately reported active and paramilitary personnel. Training/mobilisation definitions remain source-specific. |
Submarines DefinitionCommissioned submarines; exclude vessels on order and decommissioned vessels. | 58Estimate · vessels · 2025 assessment · published 23 Dec 2025Single sourceEstimated PLAN submarine force in the 2025 U.S. government assessment, China Total column: conventional attack, nuclear attack and ballistic-missile submarines. Report publication date is used; this is not a 2026 census. | 21Estimate · vessels · 10 Feb 2025Single sourceCommissioned military submarines in the national fleet; excludes orders, construction and uncommissioned trial boats. Fleet count, not immediately deployable strength. |
Transport aircraft DefinitionIn-service dedicated fixed-wing military transport aircraft; exclude trainers and orders. | 289Estimate · aircraft · 8 Oct 2024Single sourceNational in-service fixed-wing military transport aircraft classified as Transport by FlightGlobal/Cirium, summing the Active column across all military services listed for the country. Includes strategic, tactical and light liaison/utility transport aircraft; excludes the separately classified trainers, special-mission aircraft, tankers and helicopters, as well as aircraft in storage, undergoing or awaiting upgrades, and orders. This is the directory's active-role inventory estimate, not a measure of immediate availability. | 50Estimate · aircraft · Dec 2022Single sourceApproximate South Korean Air Force fixed-wing transport-aircraft force-posture total as of December 2022. Uses the Republic of Korea column; the source lists trainers and rotary-wing aircraft separately. This is a rounded peacetime-force estimate, not a readiness measure or a current exact count. |
Nuclear warheads DefinitionWarheads in the military stockpile, deployed or in reserve; exclude retired warheads awaiting dismantlement. Independent estimates, labelled as such. | 620Estimate · warheads · 2026 estimateSingle sourceWarheads in the military stockpile: in the custody of the military and earmarked for use by military forces, deployed or in reserve. Excludes retired warheads awaiting dismantlement. | —Not yet documented |
EQUIPMENT & WEAPONS
Equipment listed in inventory and operator sources, grouped by force and category. Sourced quantities retain their date, variant coverage and inventory status. Equipment without a documented count is listed by type.
747 matching equipment types
| Equipment | China | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Combat aircraft | ||
| Chengdu J-10 | 132Air Force · 2025 608People's Liberation Army Air Force · 2026Wikipedia | — |
| Chengdu J-20 | 300–350People's Liberation Army Air Force · 2026Wikipedia | — |
| Chengdu J-7 | 4172024 | — |
| F-16 Fighting Falcon | — | 1672024 |
| F-35 Lightning II | — | 39Republic of Korea Air Force · 2025 |
| JF-17 Thunder | 2002026Wikipedia | — |
| KAI KF-21 Boramae | — | 6Republic of Korea Air Force · 2026Wikipedia |
| KAI T-50 Golden Eagle | — | 6Republic of Korea Air Force · 2025 |
| McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle | — | 592026 |
| Northrop F-5 | — | 103Republic of Korea Air Force · 2025 |
| Shenyang J-11 | 50People's Liberation Army Navy Air Force · 2026Wikipedia 245People's Liberation Army Air Force · 2026Wikipedia | — |
| Shenyang J-15 | ≥116People's Liberation Army Navy Air Force · 2026Wikipedia | — |
| Equipment | China | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Tanks | ||
| K1 tank | — | 1,5502025 |
| K2 Black Panther | — | 2602025 |
| M1 Abrams | — | In service |
| M48 Patton | — | 400Republic of Korea Army · 2025 |
| T-62 | — | 17Republic of Korea Army · 2026Wikipedia |
| T-72 | — | In service |
| Type 100 tank | In service | — |
| Type 15 tank | 500Army · 2025 1,000People's Liberation Army Ground Force Aviation · 2026Wikipedia | — |
| Type 59 tank | 4002025 | — |
| Type 63 (tank) | In service | — |
| Type 80/88 main battle tank | 3002025 | — |
| Type 96 tank | 2,5002025 | — |
| Equipment | China | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Air defence | ||
| Crotale (missile) | — | 120Republic of Korea Army · 2026Wikipedia |
| DARDO | — | In service |
| FB-10 | In service | — |
| FK-3000 | In service | — |
| HN-5 | In service | — |
| HQ-11 | ≥4Air Force · 2025 ≥4People's Liberation Army Air Force · 2025 | — |
| HQ-12 | 150Air Force · 2025 150People's Liberation Army Air Force · 2025 | — |
| HQ-16 | 2502025 | — |
| HQ-17 | 200Army · 2025 | — |
| HQ-22 | ≥130Air Force · 2025 ≥130People's Liberation Army Air Force · 2025 | — |
| HQ-6 | 30Army · 2025 24Air Force · 2025 30People's Liberation Army Ground Force Aviation · 2024Wikipedia | — |
| HQ-7 | 2002025 | — |
| Equipment | China | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Small arms | ||
| Accuracy International AW50 | — | In service |
| Accuracy International AWM | — | In service |
| AGS-17 | In service | — |
| AK-47 | In service | In service |
| AK-74 | — | In service |
| AKM | In service | — |
| AMR-2 | In service | — |
| Barrett M82 | — | In service |
| Barrett MRAD | — | In service |
| Beretta 92 | — | In service |
| Beretta Px4 Storm | — | In service |
| Brügger & Thomet MP9 | — | In service |
| Equipment | China | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Radar & sensors | ||
| AN/FPS-117 | — | In service |
| AN/TPQ-36 Firefinder radar | — | 10Republic of Korea Army · 2026Wikipedia |
| AN/TPQ-37 Firefinder radar | — | In service |
| ARTHUR | — | 8Republic of Korea Army · 2026Wikipedia |
| IAI Harpy | In service | In service |
| P-14 radar | In service | — |
| YLC-2 Radar | In service | — |
| Communications & electronic warfare | ||
| AN/PRC-77 Portable Transceiver | — | In service |
| Mark 36 SRBOC | — | In service |
| PRC-999K | — | In service |
| Equipment | China | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Military training and simulation | ||
| Multiple integrated laser engagement system | — | In service |
Coverage is incomplete. “Not documented” means no linked inventory evidence, not zero equipment. Methodology ↗
Points represent sourced observations, including revisions. Revisions on the same effective date are not separate inventory events. Ranges appear in the table and are not plotted as exact points.
| Observation / report period | Value | Source | Claim state |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 2025 IISS population assessment | 1,415,135,431 people | International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) | superseded |
No shared land boundary is represented in the Natural Earth dataset. Approximate separation between the dataset’s country label points: 2,000 km.
Generalized geography from Natural Earth 1:110m, version 5.1.1. Label-point distance is calculated on a sphere and rounded to the nearest 100 km; it is not a capital-to-capital distance, route, border distance or operational range. Dataset boundaries do not imply recognition of territorial claims.
Boundaries: Natural Earth 1:110m, v5.1.1 · Public domain · Research catalogue highlighted
China71.0Ranked #2-0.1South Korea38.5Ranked #7-1.1Scores out of 100 on the ForceTally Index. Each bar splits in proportion to the two scores. A point at the centre of the chart means no sourced figure for that part.
Points represent sourced observations, including revisions. Revisions on the same effective date are not separate inventory events. Ranges appear in the table and are not plotted as exact points.
| Observation / report period | Value | Source | Claim state |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 2025 IISS population assessment | 51,486,343 people | International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) | superseded |