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Military Strength: Flag of China China vs Flag of Cambodia Cambodia

China (ranked #2 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than Cambodia (#83) on the ARMS Index. China fields 2,535,000 active troops — 13:1 Cambodia's 191,000, backed by 510,000 reserves and 1,500,000 paramilitary. China's $281B defense budget is 404:1 that of Cambodia ($0.7B).

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Flag of China ChinaWorld #2 85.1
ARMS Index / 100

China leads on 6 of 6 pillars

Flag of Cambodia CambodiaWorld #83 26.1
  • 98.72.5M active troops Manpower15 % 69.3191K active troops
  • 87.26,800 battle tanks Ground forces20 % 60.3644 battle tanks
  • 100.01,005 warships Naval power20 % 15.521 warships
  • 90.82,043 combat aircraft Air power25 % 20.50 combat aircraft
  • 62.8620 warheads Nuclear deterrent10 % 0.00 warheads
  • 91.8$281B budget Defense budget10 % 30.6$695M budget
China Cambodia Pillar scores 0–100 (weight under each label) over a headline figure from that domain · readiness modifier ×1.09 vs ×0.87 · Methodology
Key figures
China Cambodia Ratio
Defense budget $281B $695M 🇨🇳 404×
– share of GDP 1.5% 1.5% —
Active personnel 2,535,000 191,000 🇨🇳 13×
Combat aircraft 2,043 0 🇨🇳
Warships 1,005 21 🇨🇳 48×
– submarines 62 0 🇨🇳
Main battle tanks 6,800 644 🇨🇳 11×
Nuclear warheads 620 0 🇨🇳
Show full breakdown · 14 more rowsHide the 14 extra rows
Reserve troops 510,000 0 🇨🇳
Paramilitary forces 1,500,000 67,000 🇨🇳 22×
Military aircraft (all types) 3,921 25 🇨🇳 157×
– helicopters 1,019 21 🇨🇳 49×
– bombers 234 0 🇨🇳
Aircraft carriers 3 0 🇨🇳
Deployed warheads 34 0 🇨🇳
Budget share of govt spending — — —
Budget per capita $200 $39 🇨🇳 5.1×
Population 1409M 17.6M 🇨🇳 80×
GDP $18.7T $46B 🇨🇳 404×
GDP per capita $13,303 $2,628 🇨🇳 5.1×
Land area 9,326,410 km² 176,515 km² 🇨🇳 53×
Coastline 14,500 km 443 km 🇨🇳 33×
Backbone systems most numerous in service
🇨🇳 ChinaJ-7 Fishcan ×417Type 96 ×2,500Type 003-class ×1
🇰🇭 CambodiaT-54 / T-55 / TM-800 ×400
Defense budget history China ×1.1 · Cambodia ×0.9 since 2020
Military personnel history

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who has more military personnel, China or Cambodia?
China has approximately 2,535,000 active military personnel compared to Cambodia's 191,000, giving China a 13:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, China or Cambodia?
China operates 2,043 combat aircraft compared to Cambodia's 0. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Who has the larger navy, China or Cambodia?
China has a larger navy with 1005 vessels compared to Cambodia's 21 ships. China operates 62 submarines while Cambodia has 0.
Which country spends more on defense, China or Cambodia?
China has a larger defense budget at $281.2 billion (404:1 more) compared to Cambodia's $695 million annually.
Do China and Cambodia have nuclear weapons?
China possesses nuclear weapons with approximately 620 warheads, while Cambodia does not have nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of China and Cambodia compare?
China operates 6,800 main battle tanks compared to Cambodia's 644. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.