Navy comparison: 
China vs 
India
China's 1033-ship navy outnumbers India's 357 vessels (2.9:1 advantage). Of these, 1005 and 353 are in active service respectively.
SEAS (Sea Equipment Aggregate Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
China
India
Bars: weighted contribution to the SEAS Index (hulls × category weight × size, era and propulsion factors, minor vessels capped at 30 % of the combatant points; the air-wing, sustainment, armament and availability multipliers apply on top) · figures: active hulls at each side's latest inventory year · Methodology
Key figures as of 2026
| China | India | Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official name | People's Liberation Army Navy | Indian Navy | |
| Total ships | 1,033 | 357 | 🇨🇳 2.9× |
| Active ships | 1,005 | 353 | 🇨🇳 2.8× |
| Submarines | 62 | 19 | 🇨🇳 3.3× |
| Principal surface combatants | 121 | 33 | 🇨🇳 3.7× |
| Aircraft carriers | 3 | 2 | 🇨🇳 1.5× |
| Amphibious ships | 81 | 5 | 🇨🇳 16× |
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
| Corvettes | 50 | 24 | 🇨🇳 2.1× |
| Patrol boats | 86 | 144 | 🇮🇳 1.7× |
| Mine warfare | 37 | 0 | 🇨🇳 |
| Coastal boats | 8 | 0 | 🇨🇳 |
| Auxiliaries | 523 | 126 | 🇨🇳 4.2× |
Backbone classes one per tier held
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Analyst Assessment
Verdict
Edge: China
China's PLA Navy holds a decisive overall advantage over the Indian Navy, fielding roughly three times the hulls, 121 principal surface combatants against 33, and 62 submarines against 19, backed by a shipbuilding base that launches destroyers and frigates in series. India retains a credible two-carrier force and real blue-water experience in the Indian Ocean, but is outmatched in mass, modern escort quality and sustainment.
Domain by domain
Surface combatants
Edge: China
🇨🇳 China121 principal combatants: 62 destroyers led by 35 Type 052D, 47 Type 054A frigates and 50 Type 056 corvettes. Large, uniform, VLS-equipped classes built in continuous series for area air defence.
🇮🇳 India33 principal combatants: 13 destroyers including 4 Visakhapatnam-class, 20 frigates with 8 Talwar-class, 23 corvettes. Capable Brahmos-armed ships, but small numbers and mixed Russian, Western and indigenous lineage.
Submarines
Edge: China
🇨🇳 China62 boats, with 18 Type 039A air-independent-propulsion diesel-electrics forming the backbone, plus nuclear attack and ballistic-missile submarines supporting a growing sea-based deterrent.
🇮🇳 India19 boats, backbone 6 Kilo-class, augmented by Scorpene-class diesel-electrics and a small indigenous nuclear force. Quality is respectable; fleet size and availability constrain persistent presence.
Carriers & naval aviation
Edge: China
🇨🇳 China3 carriers, including the catapult-equipped Type 003 Fujian, with a larger embarked fighter pool and expanding shipborne early warning ambitions.
🇮🇳 India2 carriers, Vikramaditya and Vikrant, both ski-jump STOBAR operating MiG-29K, with long institutional experience of carrier operations but smaller air wings and no catapults.
Shipbuilding & sustainment
Edge: China
🇨🇳 ChinaYards deliver escorts and amphibians at industrial scale; 442 support ships and 27 cargo hulls underwrite deployed logistics far from home waters.
🇮🇳 India117 support ships and improving indigenous construction, but slower delivery cycles, import dependence for propulsion and sensors, and a narrower replenishment train.
Bases & reach
Even
🇨🇳 China15 bases on file spanning Qingdao, Ningbo, Lüshun, South China Sea reef facilities and the Djibouti support base, giving expanding but still thin overseas footing.
🇮🇳 India15 bases on file across the peninsula and Andaman and Nicobar chain, giving interior lines astride the Indian Ocean chokepoints the PLAN must transit.
Wildcards
- Indian Ocean geography India operates on interior lines near the Malacca, Sunda and Lombok approaches, while PLAN deployments there depend on long transits and a single overseas support base, narrowing the gap in that theatre.
- Amphibious imbalance China fields 81 amphibious hulls including 15 Type 072A against India's 5, a disparity that matters for littoral and expeditionary tasks far more than for open-ocean sea denial.
- Partnerships and access India's Quad and bilateral exercise programme offers logistics access and interoperability with Western navies; China's access rests on bilateral arrangements such as Djibouti and Ream, which are fewer and more contested.
Analysis generated by a language model from the figures on this page and public sources; it is an informed reading, not a military assessment or a prediction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which country has more naval ships, China or India?
China has a larger navy with 1,033 ships compared to India's 357 ships.
Which navy has more submarines, China or India?
China operates more submarines with 85 compared to India's 20.
Which country has more aircraft carriers, China or India?
China has 3 aircraft carrier(s) compared to India's 2.
Which navy has more destroyers, China or India?
China operates 66 destroyers compared to India's 13.
Which navy has more frigates, China or India?
China operates 59 frigates compared to India's 23.
How do the China and India navies compare in size?
China's navy is 2.9 times larger than India's in terms of total ships (1,033 vs 357).