Side-by-side military and economic comparison. White/black is United States, red is China.
🇺🇸 United States
🇨🇳 China
Active Conflicts
2026 Iran War
10,000+ deaths
Venezuela Crisis / US Intervention
500+ deaths
None tracked
Fleet Modernity — Quality, Not Just Count
ADVANCED
✈️ Air Fleet
MIXED
ADVANCED
🛡️ Armor Fleet
MODERN
LIKELY MODERN
⚓ Naval Fleet
LIKELY MODERN
Leads More Categories
★ United States
United States wins 5 of 6 · China wins 1 of 6
Manpower
★ China
Financials
★ United States
Airpower
★ United States
Land Power
★ United States
Naval Power
★ United States
Strategic
★ United States
Manpower
335,000,000
👥 Total Population
1,410,000,000 ★
1,390,000
🪖 Active Personnel
2,035,000 ★
442,000
🎖️ Reserve Personnel
510,000 ★
n/a
👮 Paramilitary Forces
n/a
Financials
★ $877B
💰 Defense Budget
$296B
★ $29,200B
📈 GDP (Nominal)
$18,800B
Airpower
★ 13,250
✈️ Total Aircraft
3,300
★ 1,850
🛩️ Fighter Aircraft
1,200
★ 11,400
🛫 Bombers & Other Aircraft
2,100
★ 5,463
🚁 Helicopters (Total)
n/a
Land Power
★ 4,650
🛡️ Tank Strength
4,600
★ 39,223
🚚 Armored Vehicles
n/a
★ 1,498
💥 Towed Artillery
n/a
Naval Power
440
⚓ Fleet Strength
730 ★
★ 68
🌊 Submarines
66
★ 11
🛳️ Aircraft Carriers
3
Strategic
★ 5,177
☢️ Nuclear Warheads
600
Figures are educated estimates or formula-modeled, not sourced intelligence. Team totals are simple sums. Want a different matchup? Use the interactive Compare tool.