China has more ships, but the US fleet is larger: what do military rankings hide?
China leads in the number of military personnel, tanks, and naval units, while the US holds the advantage in military aviation and the total displacement of its navy. Global Firepower's 2026 estimates show that the quantity of military equipment does not fully reflect its combat capabilities.
China has more ships, but the US fleet is larger: what do military rankings hide?
An infographic prepared by Visual Capitalist compares countries based on four criteria — active-duty military personnel, tanks, military aircraft, and the number of ships. Leading positions in each indicator belong to different countries.
Number of soldiers: North Korea is close to the US
According to Global Firepower estimates, China ranks first in the world with 2.04 million military personnel.
One of the notable comparisons concerns the US and North Korea: 1.33 million people serve in the American armed forces, while 1.32 million serve in the DPRK.
North Korea's large army is primarily related to preparations for a potential land war on the Korean Peninsula. Japan's 2026 defense "White Paper" notes that ground forces play a key role in the DPRK's armed forces, with a large portion stationed near the demilitarized zone on the border with South Korea.
The number of tanks does not reflect their quality
China also takes first place in terms of the number of tanks. North Korea ranks third, overtaking the US.
According to the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) of the UK, alongside more modern equipment, the DPRK continues to use tanks built on the basis of Soviet designs from the 1950s–1960s.
Keeping old vehicles in service helps maintain high tank numbers. However, such calculations do not reflect differences in armor, targeting systems, and weaponry. On the battlefield, these very features can be of decisive importance.
Where does the US advantage in aviation come from?
US military aviation has a total of 13,032 aircraft. This is more than the combined total of the next four countries in the ranking.
Such a large difference is not formed solely by combat aircraft. US military operations in various parts of the world require the transport of troops and cargo across oceans, as well as supplying aviation far from bases. This requires numerous transport and aerial refueling aircraft.