Country A
China
#2 global · #1 in Asia
70.1Military Strength Score / 100
2026 MILITARY DATA COMPARISON
China vs Russia Military Power
A structured comparison across 27 available indicators. Country A is always cyan; Country B is always amber. Larger inventories are not predictions of combat outcomes.
Country B
Russia
#3 global · #1 in Europe
67.0Military Strength Score / 100
MSS gap3.1 pointsChina has the higher score
Reported values higherA 13 · B 140 tied; “higher” does not always mean “better”
Global positionsA #2 · B #3of 145 country profiles
Change the two countries
Military expenditure trend
Nominal current US dollars from World Bank WDI indicator MS.MIL.XPND.CD. The underlying series is attributed to SIPRI and may differ from the inventory-edition budget above.
A · ChinaB · Russia
A · 2024$313.7B
B · 2024$149.0B
A
ChinaCYAN COLUMN
B
RussiaAMBER COLUMN
Country context
PopulationChina +1,263,071,672
A · China1,406,585,000World Bank 2025
B · Russia143,513,328World Bank 2025
Nominal GDPChina +$16.94T
A · China$19.50TWorld Bank 2025
B · Russia$2.56TWorld Bank 2025
Land areaRussia +6,988,660 km²
A · China9,388,210 km²World Bank 2023
B · Russia16,376,870 km²World Bank 2023
Defense budget per residentRussia +$1.3K
A · China$215.4Derived · population 2025
B · Russia$1.5KDerived · population 2025
Active troops per 1,000 residentsRussia +7.75
A · China1.45Derived · population 2025
B · Russia9.20Derived · population 2025
Manpower
Active troopsChina +715,000
A · China2,035,000
B · Russia1,320,000
Reserve troopsRussia +1,490,000
A · China510,000
B · Russia2,000,000
ParamilitaryChina +375,000
A · China625,000
B · Russia250,000
Air force
Total aircraftRussia +708
A · China3,529
B · Russia4,237
Fighter aircraftChina +582
A · China1,443
B · Russia861
Attack aircraftRussia +327
A · China371
B · Russia698
Transport aircraftRussia +327
A · China708
B · Russia1,035
HelicoptersRussia +636
A · China1,007
B · Russia1,643
Attack helicoptersRussia +275
A · China281
B · Russia556
Navy
Total naval assetsChina +117
A · China403
B · Russia286
Aircraft carriersChina +2
A · China3
B · Russia1
DestroyersChina +40
A · China53
B · Russia13
SubmarinesRussia +5
A · China61
B · Russia66
FrigatesChina +34
A · China46
B · Russia12
Army and ground forces
TanksChina +240
A · China5,870
B · Russia5,630
Armored vehiclesChina +25,528
A · China152,040
B · Russia126,512
Self-propelled artilleryRussia +663
A · China2,940
B · Russia3,603
Towed artilleryRussia +4,520
A · China1,400
B · Russia5,920
Multiple-launch rocket systemsChina +284
A · China2,770
B · Russia2,486
Financial and strategic
Defense budgetChina +$90.4B
A · China$303.0B
B · Russia$212.6B
Defense budget share of GDPRussia +2.6%
A · China0.9%
B · Russia3.5%
Estimated nuclear warheadsRussia +4,800
A · China620
B · Russia5,420
What this comparison cannot tell you
A larger reported inventory or MSS score is not a prediction of military success. Readiness, training, maintenance, geography, logistics, technology quality, alliances, doctrine and objectives sit outside this table.
Review sources, weights and limitations →Country inventory baseline: 2026 edition. Population, GDP, land-area context and military-expenditure trends: World Bank WDI, with the observation year shown at the decision point. Nuclear totals: FAS beginning-of-2026 estimates. Source links and structure reviewed August 25, 2026.