Objective To establish the operating force database of Chinese young males and provide basis information for the design of operating force in working place. Methods Anthropometric parameters of 843 Chinese young males from northeast, north, northwest, southwest, southeast, central and south China were collected, including the back force, hand twisting force, arm forces in four exerting directions and with various elbow angles. The data were statistically analyzed and compared with related researches in China and abroad. Results For arm forces in four exerting directions, the pushing force was greater than the pulling force, and the inward force was greater than the outward force. The pushing force was the largest and the outside outward force was the smallest. With the increase of the elbow angle, the pushing and pulling forces were increased significantly, while the inward and outward forces were decreased significantly. A significant correlation existed among the operating forces. There was significant correlation between the operating force and body weight, while weak correlation was found between the operating forces and anthropometric parameters. Operating forces of Chinese young males were relatively smaller than those of the Westerns. Conclusions By sampling on a national scale, the operating force database was established for Chinese young males. This study provides the basic data for the design of operating force in man-machine system and could be also used as reference for ergonomics researchers, occupational health workers and rehabilitation researchers.