Military Strength: 
Burundi vs 
Ghana
Burundi (ranked #130 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than Ghana (#134) on the ARMS Index. Burundi fields 31,000 active troops vs 16,000 for Ghana, backed by 21,000 paramilitary. Ghana's $0.3B defense budget is 3.1:1 that of Burundi ($0.1B).
ARMS (Aggregate Rating of Military Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
BurundiWorld #130
14.3
ARMS Index / 100
Burundi leads overall, ahead on 2 of 6 pillars
GhanaWorld #134
13.4
Burundi
Ghana
Pillar scores 0–100 (weight under each label) over a headline figure from that domain · readiness modifier ×0.84 vs ×0.96 · Methodology
Key figures
| Burundi | Ghana | Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defense budget | $108M | $329M | 🇬🇭 3.1× |
| – share of GDP | 3.5% | 0.4% | 🇧🇮 8.8× |
| Active personnel | 31,000 | 16,000 | 🇧🇮 1.9× |
| Combat aircraft | 0 | 4 | 🇬🇭 |
| Warships | 0 | 0 | — |
| – submarines | 0 | 0 | — |
| Main battle tanks | 10 | 0 | 🇧🇮 |
| Nuclear warheads | 0 | 0 | — |
Show full breakdown · 11 more rowsHide the 11 extra rows
| Reserve troops | 0 | 0 | — |
| Paramilitary forces | 21,000 | 0 | 🇧🇮 |
| Military aircraft (all types) | 13 | 20 | 🇬🇭 1.5× |
| – helicopters | 13 | 11 | 🇧🇮 1.2× |
| Budget share of govt spending | — | — | — |
| Budget per capita | $8 | $10 | 🇬🇭 1.2× |
| Population | 14M | 34.4M | 🇬🇭 2.5× |
| GDP | $3.1B | $82B | 🇬🇭 27× |
| GDP per capita | $219 | $2,391 | 🇬🇭 11× |
| Land area | 25,680 km² | 227,533 km² | 🇬🇭 8.9× |
| Coastline | 0 km | 539 km | 🇬🇭 |
Backbone systems most numerous in service
🇬🇭 GhanaJL-8 ×4
Defense budget history Burundi ×1.9 · Ghana ×1.2 since 2020
Military personnel history
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who has more military personnel, Burundi or Ghana?
Burundi has approximately 31,000 active military personnel compared to Ghana's 16,000, giving Burundi a 1.9:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, Burundi or Ghana?
Ghana operates 4 combat aircraft compared to Burundi's 0. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Which country spends more on defense, Burundi or Ghana?
Ghana has a larger defense budget at $329 million (3.1:1 more) compared to Burundi's $108 million annually.
Do Burundi and Ghana have nuclear weapons?
Neither Burundi nor Ghana currently possesses nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of Burundi and Ghana compare?
Burundi operates 10 main battle tanks compared to Ghana's 0. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.