Military Strength: Ethiopia vs South Sudan
Ethiopia (ranked #66 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than South Sudan (#95) on the Global Military Index. Ethiopia fields 138,000 active troops — 2.6x South Sudan's 53,000. South Sudan's $2B defense budget is 2.2x that of Ethiopia ($0.9B). In the air, Ethiopia operates 99 aircraft including 34 combat jets, while South Sudan fields 20 with 0 fighters. On the ground, Ethiopia deploys 338 main battle tanks vs 30 for South Sudan. Neither Ethiopia nor South Sudan possesses nuclear weapons.
| Global Military Index | 40.1 (#66) ◉ |
| 🪖 Military personnel | 138,000 ◉ |
| – Reserve troops | 0 ◉ |
| – Paramilitary forces | 0 ◉ |
| 🛩️ Military aircraft | 99 ◉ |
| – incl. combat aircraft | 34 ◉ |
| – incl. bombers | 0 ◉ |
| – incl. helicopters | 31 ◉ |
| ⚓️ Military ships | 0 ◉ |
| – incl. aircraft carriers | 0 ◉ |
| – incl. submarines | 0 ◉ |
| 🚛 Main battle tanks | 338 ◉ |
| 💥 Nuclear warheads | 0 ◉ |
| Global Military Index | 31.0 (#95) ◉ |
| 🪖 Military personnel | 53,000 ◉ |
| – Reserve troops | 0 ◉ |
| – Paramilitary forces | 0 ◉ |
| 🛩️ Military aircraft | 20 ◉ |
| – incl. combat aircraft | 0 ◉ |
| – incl. bombers | 0 ◉ |
| – incl. helicopters | 15 ◉ |
| ⚓️ Military ships | 0 ◉ |
| – incl. aircraft carriers | 0 ◉ |
| – incl. submarines | 0 ◉ |
| 🚛 Main battle tanks | 30 ◉ |
| 💥 Nuclear warheads | 0 ◉ |
🇪🇹 Ethiopia Global Military Index
40.1
Global Rank: #66
| 🪖 Manpower (15%) | 81.5 | Active, reserve & paramilitary: 503000 effective |
| 🛡️ Ground Firepower (20%) | 56.2 | Main battle tanks: 338 |
| ⚓ Naval Power (20%) | 0.0 | Weighted by ship type: carriers, submarines, destroyers... |
| ✈️ Air Power (25%) | 48.3 | Weighted by aircraft type: combat, bombers, helicopters... |
| ☢️ Nuclear Deterrent (10%) | 0.0 | No declared nuclear capability |
| 💰 Defense Budget (10%) | 45.6 | $922M annual military spending |
🇸🇸 South Sudan Global Military Index
30.9
Global Rank: #95
| 🪖 Manpower (15%) | 75.2 | Active, reserve & paramilitary: 185000 effective |
| 🛡️ Ground Firepower (20%) | 33.1 | Main battle tanks: 30 |
| ⚓ Naval Power (20%) | 0.0 | Weighted by ship type: carriers, submarines, destroyers... |
| ✈️ Air Power (25%) | 31.8 | Weighted by aircraft type: combat, bombers, helicopters... |
| ☢️ Nuclear Deterrent (10%) | 0.0 | No declared nuclear capability |
| 💰 Defense Budget (10%) | 50.9 | $2028M annual military spending |
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| Population | 128.7 million ◉ |
| GDP | $163.7 billion ◉ |
| GDP per capita | $1,272 ◉ |
| Military Budget | $921.7 million ◉ |
| Share of GDP in Milex | 0.7% ◉ |
| Share of Govt Expenditures | 6.9% ◉ |
| Military spends per capita | $7 ◉ |
| Population | 11.5 million ◉ |
| GDP | $12.0 billion ◉ |
| GDP per capita | $1,045 ◉ |
| Military Budget | $2.0 billion ◉ |
| Share of GDP in Milex | 2.0% ◉ |
| Share of Govt Expenditures | 8.2% ◉ |
| Military spends per capita | $172 ◉ |
Ethiopia Geography
| Land Area | 1,096,630 km² ◉ |
| Coastline Length | 0 km ◉ |
South Sudan Geography
| Land Area | 644,329 km² ◉ |
| Coastline Length | 0 km ◉ |
Military Forces Chart
Economic Metrics Chart
Military Budget Evolution
Military Personnel Evolution
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has more military personnel, Ethiopia or South Sudan?
Ethiopia has approximately 138,000 active military personnel compared to South Sudan's 53,000, giving Ethiopia a 3:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, Ethiopia or South Sudan?
Ethiopia operates 34 combat aircraft compared to South Sudan's 0. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Which country spends more on defense, Ethiopia or South Sudan?
South Sudan has a larger defense budget at $2.0 billion (2:1 more) compared to Ethiopia's $922 million annually.
Do Ethiopia and South Sudan have nuclear weapons?
Neither Ethiopia nor South Sudan currently possesses nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of Ethiopia and South Sudan compare?
Ethiopia operates 338 main battle tanks compared to South Sudan's 30. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.