Navy comparison: 
China vs 
Philippines
China's 1033-ship navy outnumbers Philippines's 140 vessels (7.4:1 advantage). Of these, 1005 and 118 are in active service respectively.
SEAS (Sea Equipment Aggregate Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
China
Philippines
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 | Philippines | Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official name | People's Liberation Army Navy | Philippine Navy | |
| Total ships | 1,033 | 140 | 🇨🇳 7.4× |
| Active ships | 1,005 | 118 | 🇨🇳 8.5× |
| On order / planned | 0 | 21 | 🇵🇭 |
| Submarines | 62 | 0 | 🇨🇳 |
| Principal surface combatants | 121 | 4 | 🇨🇳 30× |
| Aircraft carriers | 3 | 0 | 🇨🇳 |
| Amphibious ships | 81 | 11 | 🇨🇳 7.4× |
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
| Corvettes | 50 | 4 | 🇨🇳 12× |
| Patrol boats | 86 | 36 | 🇨🇳 2.4× |
| Mine warfare | 37 | 0 | 🇨🇳 |
| Coastal boats | 8 | 24 | 🇵🇭 3.0× |
| Auxiliaries | 523 | 37 | 🇨🇳 14× |
Backbone classes one per tier held
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Analyst Assessment
Verdict
Edge: China
China's PLA Navy overwhelms the Philippine Navy on every measurable axis: roughly 1,005 active hulls against 118, with 3 carriers, 62 submarines and 121 principal surface combatants facing a Philippine force whose heaviest units are three former US Hamilton-class cutters and two Miguel Malvar-class frigates. The Philippines' navy is a constabulary and maritime-security force built for patrol, presence and littoral resilience, not for a fleet engagement, and its relevance in a contest rests on geography, allied access and asymmetric denial rather than tonnage.
Domain by domain
Surface combatants
Edge: China
🇨🇳 China121 principal combatants: 62 destroyers including 35 Type 052D with VLS-launched HHQ-9 and YJ-18, 59 frigates led by 47 Type 054A, plus 50 Type 056 corvettes for littoral work.
🇵🇭 PhilippinesSeven frigates — three ageing Hamilton-class cutters, Jose Rizal and Miguel Malvar-class units — and four corvettes including Pohang and Jacinto types; light SAM and anti-ship fits, no area air defence.
Submarines
Edge: China
🇨🇳 China62 boats, nuclear and conventional, with 18 Type 039A air-independent-propulsion attack submarines forming the backbone alongside SSNs and SSBNs; sustained undersea presence in the South China Sea.
🇵🇭 PhilippinesNo submarines in service or on order; anti-submarine capability limited to a handful of frigates and helicopters, leaving the undersea domain essentially uncontested.
Carriers & naval aviation
Edge: China
🇨🇳 ChinaThree carriers including the catapult-equipped Type 003 Fujian, supporting fixed-wing air wings and organic airborne early warning; enables air cover beyond shore-based fighter range.
🇵🇭 PhilippinesNo carriers or fixed-wing naval aviation; rotary-wing assets embarked on frigates and Tarlac-class landing docks only, so air cover depends entirely on land-based air force units.
Amphibious & expeditionary
Edge: China
🇨🇳 China81 amphibious hulls including 15 Type 072A landing ships plus Type 071 and Type 075 large-deck units, giving brigade-scale lift and helicopter assault capacity.
🇵🇭 Philippines11 amphibious vessels, chiefly two Tarlac-class landing docks and Bacolod City-class LSTs, sized for inter-island logistics, disaster relief and resupply of occupied features.
Bases & reach
Edge: China
🇨🇳 China15 bases on file, from Qingdao and Ningbo to Longpo on Hainan, reclaimed features at Fiery Cross and Mischief Reef, plus overseas facilities at Djibouti and Ream.
🇵🇭 PhilippinesArchipelagic basing across 7,000-plus islands close to contested waters; short logistics lines and 33 patrol boats plus 24 Andrada coastal craft favour persistent, dispersed presence.
Wildcards
- Alliance access and coverage The Philippines hosts allied rotational access under its US mutual defence treaty and expanding agreements with Japan and Australia, meaning any assessment of a bilateral naval balance may understate the forces actually available in a crisis.
- Industrial depth gap China builds and commissions major combatants at a rate few navies match, with 0 units listed as merely planned. The Philippines' 21 vessels on order — Abukuma destroyers, Miguel Malvar frigates, patrol boats — depend on foreign yards and transfers.
- Geography and dispersal Archipelagic waters, shallow straits and short shore-based missile lines complicate blue-water operations. A force of small patrol craft operating from dispersed islands can sustain presence and complicate targeting far out of proportion to its tonnage.
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 Philippines?
China has a larger navy with 1,033 ships compared to Philippines's 140 ships.
Which navy has more submarines, China or Philippines?
China operates more submarines with 85 compared to Philippines's 2.
Which country has more aircraft carriers, China or Philippines?
China has 3 aircraft carrier(s) compared to Philippines's 0.
Which navy has more destroyers, China or Philippines?
China operates 66 destroyers compared to Philippines's 5.
Which navy has more frigates, China or Philippines?
China operates 59 frigates compared to Philippines's 6.
How do the China and Philippines navies compare in size?
China's navy is 7.4 times larger than Philippines's in terms of total ships (1,033 vs 140).