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Military Strength: Flag of Algeria Algeria vs Flag of South Africa South Africa

Algeria (ranked #18 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than South Africa (#52) on the ATLAS Index. Algeria fields 130,000 active troops vs 65,350 for South Africa, backed by 150,000 reserves and 187,200 paramilitary. Algeria's $22B defense budget is 7.7:1 that of South Africa ($2.8B).

ATLAS (Aggregate Total of Land, Air and Sea strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Flag of Algeria AlgeriaWorld #18 44.9
ATLAS Index / 100

Algeria leads on 5 of 6 pillars

Flag of South Africa South AfricaWorld #52 29.1
  • 54.9130K active troops Manpower10 % 38.265K active troops
  • 59.01,485 battle tanks Ground forces20 % 36.5203 battle tanks
  • 45.393 warships Naval power20 % 36.245 warships
  • 43.3171 combat aircraft Air power25 % 27.625 combat aircraft
  • 0.00 warheads Nuclear deterrent10 % 0.00 warheads
  • 48.2$22B budget Defense budget15 % 23.5$2.8B budget
Algeria South Africa Pillar scores 0–100 (weight under each label) over a headline figure from that domain · each conventional pillar read after its branch's availability proxy · Methodology
Key figures
Algeria South Africa Ratio
Defense budget $22B $2.8B 🇩🇿 7.7×
– share of GDP 8.0% 0.7% 🇩🇿 11×
Active personnel 130,000 65,350 🇩🇿 2.0×
Combat aircraft 171 25 🇩🇿 6.8×
Warships 93 45 🇩🇿 2.1×
– submarines 6 3 🇩🇿 2.0×
Main battle tanks 1,485 203 🇩🇿 7.3×
Nuclear warheads 0 0 —
Show full breakdown · 11 more rowsHide the 11 extra rows
Reserve troops 150,000 15,050 🇩🇿 10.0×
Paramilitary forces 187,200 0 🇩🇿
Military aircraft (all types) 682 194 🇩🇿 3.5×
– helicopters 313 84 🇩🇿 3.7×
Budget share of govt spending — — —
Budget per capita $454 $43 🇩🇿 10×
Population 47.4M 64.7M 🇿🇦 1.4×
GDP $287B $427B 🇿🇦 1.5×
GDP per capita $6,051 $6,598 🇿🇦 1.1×
Land area 2,381,741 km² 1,214,470 km² 🇩🇿 2.0×
Coastline 998 km 2,798 km 🇿🇦 2.8×
Backbone systems most numerous in service
🇩🇿 AlgeriaSu-30 Flanker-C ×72T-90 ×600Improved Kilo-class ×4
🇿🇦 South AfricaJAS 39 Gripen ×25Olifant 1 ×70Heroine-class ×3
Defense budget history Algeria ×2.0 · South Africa ×0.8 since 2020
Military personnel history
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South Africa vsNigeriaMoroccoEgyptTunisiaEthiopia
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Frequently Asked Questions

Who has more military personnel, Algeria or South Africa?
Algeria has approximately 130,000 active military personnel compared to South Africa's 65,350, giving Algeria a 2.0:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, Algeria or South Africa?
Algeria operates 171 combat aircraft compared to South Africa's 25. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Who has the larger navy, Algeria or South Africa?
Algeria has a larger navy with 93 warships compared to South Africa's 45. Algeria operates 6 submarines while South Africa has 3.
Which country spends more on defense, Algeria or South Africa?
Algeria has a larger defense budget at $21.5 billion (7.7:1 more) compared to South Africa's $2.8 billion annually.
Do Algeria and South Africa have nuclear weapons?
Neither Algeria nor South Africa currently possesses nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of Algeria and South Africa compare?
Algeria operates 1,485 main battle tanks compared to South Africa's 203. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.