Military Strength: Burkina Faso vs South Africa
South Africa (ranked #48 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than Burkina Faso (#131) on the Global Military Index. South Africa fields 89,000 active troops — 8.1x Burkina Faso's 11,000, backed by 15,050 reserves. South Africa's $3B defense budget is 2.8x that of Burkina Faso ($1B). In the air, Burkina Faso operates 26 aircraft including 0 combat jets, while South Africa fields 192 with 25 fighters. South Africa operates a 49-ship naval fleet; Burkina Faso has no navy. On the ground, Burkina Faso deploys 0 main battle tanks vs 252 for South Africa. Neither Burkina Faso nor South Africa possesses nuclear weapons.
| Global Military Index | 21.4 (#131) ◉ |
| 🪖 Military personnel | 11,000 ◉ |
| – Reserve troops | 0 ◉ |
| – Paramilitary forces | 250 ◉ |
| 🛩️ Military aircraft | 26 ◉ |
| – incl. combat aircraft | 0 ◉ |
| – incl. bombers | 0 ◉ |
| – incl. helicopters | 19 ◉ |
| ⚓️ Military ships | 0 ◉ |
| – incl. aircraft carriers | 0 ◉ |
| – incl. submarines | 0 ◉ |
| 🚛 Main battle tanks | 0 ◉ |
| 💥 Nuclear warheads | 0 ◉ |
| Global Military Index | 46.0 (#48) ◉ |
| 🪖 Military personnel | 89,000 ◉ |
| – Reserve troops | 15,050 ◉ |
| – Paramilitary forces | 0 ◉ |
| 🛩️ Military aircraft | 192 ◉ |
| – incl. combat aircraft | 25 ◉ |
| – incl. bombers | 0 ◉ |
| – incl. helicopters | 84 ◉ |
| ⚓️ Military ships | 49 ◉ |
| – incl. aircraft carriers | 0 ◉ |
| – incl. submarines | 3 ◉ |
| 🚛 Main battle tanks | 252 ◉ |
| 💥 Nuclear warheads | 0 ◉ |
🇧🇫 Burkina Faso Global Military Index
21.4
Global Rank: #131
| 🪖 Manpower (15%) | 57.9 | Active, reserve & paramilitary: 11275 effective |
| 🛡️ Ground Firepower (20%) | 0.0 | Main battle tanks: 0 |
| ⚓ Naval Power (20%) | 0.0 | Weighted by ship type: carriers, submarines, destroyers... |
| ✈️ Air Power (25%) | 32.5 | Weighted by aircraft type: combat, bombers, helicopters... |
| ☢️ Nuclear Deterrent (10%) | 0.0 | No declared nuclear capability |
| 💰 Defense Budget (10%) | 46.3 | $1024M annual military spending |
🇿🇦 South Africa Global Military Index
46.0
Global Rank: #48
| 🪖 Manpower (15%) | 69.5 | Active, reserve & paramilitary: 72875 effective |
| 🛡️ Ground Firepower (20%) | 53.4 | Main battle tanks: 252 |
| ⚓ Naval Power (20%) | 43.6 | Weighted by ship type: carriers, submarines, destroyers... |
| ✈️ Air Power (25%) | 43.3 | Weighted by aircraft type: combat, bombers, helicopters... |
| ☢️ Nuclear Deterrent (10%) | 0.0 | No declared nuclear capability |
| 💰 Defense Budget (10%) | 53.1 | $2836M annual military spending |
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| Population | 23.0 million ◉ |
| GDP | $20.3 billion ◉ |
| GDP per capita | $883 ◉ |
| Military Budget | $1.0 billion ◉ |
| Share of GDP in Milex | 4.7% ◉ |
| Share of Govt Expenditures | 17.0% ◉ |
| Military spends per capita | $44 ◉ |
| Population | 63.2 million ◉ |
| GDP | $380.7 billion ◉ |
| GDP per capita | $6,023 ◉ |
| Military Budget | $2.8 billion ◉ |
| Share of GDP in Milex | 0.7% ◉ |
| Share of Govt Expenditures | 2.1% ◉ |
| Military spends per capita | $45 ◉ |
Burkina Faso Geography
| Land Area | 273,602 km² ◉ |
| Coastline Length | 0 km ◉ |
South Africa Geography
| Land Area | 1,214,470 km² ◉ |
| Coastline Length | 2,798 km ◉ |
Military Forces Chart
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Military Budget Evolution
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who has more military personnel, Burkina Faso or South Africa?
South Africa has approximately 89,000 active military personnel compared to Burkina Faso's 11,000, giving South Africa a 8:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, Burkina Faso or South Africa?
South Africa operates 25 combat aircraft compared to Burkina Faso's 0. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Who has the larger navy, Burkina Faso or South Africa?
South Africa has a larger navy with 49 vessels compared to Burkina Faso's 0 ships. Burkina Faso operates 0 submarines while South Africa has 3.
Which country spends more on defense, Burkina Faso or South Africa?
South Africa has a larger defense budget at $2.8 billion (3:1 more) compared to Burkina Faso's $1.0 billion annually.
Do Burkina Faso and South Africa have nuclear weapons?
Neither Burkina Faso nor South Africa currently possesses nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of Burkina Faso and South Africa compare?
South Africa operates 252 main battle tanks compared to Burkina Faso's 0. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.