The size of military personnel in each year for the period 1900 to 2022. Military personnel are defined as troops under the command of the national government. Troops in the reserves, colonial troops, irregular forces were not included. Countries are grouped by continent. Data source: NMC (CINC).
Biggest Armies in the World: 1900–2022
This timeline charts the evolution of the largest armies on Earth—by active military personnel—highlighting geopolitical, technological, and demographic shifts that shaped these powerful forces.
Early 20th Century (1900–1945)
1900s–1910s: European empires like the Russian Empire, German Empire, and France maintained huge standing armies, driven by colonial ambitions and territorial rivalries.
World War I (1914–1918): The war saw mass mobilization, with armies swelling into the millions.
Interwar Period: After WWI, many countries downsized their militaries due to economic and political pressures.
World War II Era (1939–1945)
Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union built colossal armies, driven by total war doctrines.
The US Army surged after 1941, becoming one of the largest ever.
China (Republic of China before 1949) also fielded a vast army during the Sino-Japanese War and WWII.
Cold War Build-Up (1945–1991)
Soviet Union and United States competed in an arms race, maintaining enormous forces throughout the Cold War.
China (People’s Liberation Army, PLA) grew into a massive force after 1949’s Communist victory.
European NATO members like France and the UK kept large armies but scaled down compared to WWII.
Post-Cold War (1991–2000)
Russia inherited the bulk of the Soviet military but downsized in the 1990s due to economic turmoil.
The US maintained a sizable but leaner force after the Cold War’s end.
India and Pakistan expanded their armies, driven by regional rivalries.
21st Century Shifts (2000–2022)
China (PLA) remained the largest military by active personnel, consistently above 2 million.
India built one of the largest armies, driven by population growth and national security needs.
US military—while not the largest in personnel—focused on technological superiority and global reach.
North Korea maintained one of the biggest armies relative to its population size.
Russia modernized its forces under Putin but faced demographic challenges.
Other large forces include those of Pakistan, South Korea, and Vietnam.
Key Highlights & Trends
Year Country Estimated Active Troops
1900 Russia, Germany ~1–1.5 million each
1945 USSR, USA, China ~10–12 million (WWII peak)
1980 USSR, China, USA USSR ~4 million, China ~3.5 million
2000 China, India, USA China ~2.5 million, India ~1.1 million
2022 China, India, USA China ~2 million, India ~1.4 million, USA ~1.3 million
Fun Facts & Trivia
North Korea has the highest troop-per-capita ratio in the world!
The US military has the world’s largest defense budget, even if its active personnel numbers are smaller than China’s.
China’s PLA was founded in 1927 as the Red Army during the Chinese Civil War.
India boasts the second-largest standing army in the world by 2022.
Keywords
biggest armies 1900-2022, world’s largest military personnel history, military size timeline, army size evolution, PLA US India army size.
Source: Data Is Beautiful
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