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Military Strength: Flag of Ethiopia Ethiopia vs Flag of South Sudan South Sudan

Ethiopia (ranked #76 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than South Sudan (#113) on the ARMS Index. Ethiopia fields 138,000 active troops — 2.6:1 South Sudan's 53,000. Ethiopia's $1B defense budget is 4.4:1 that of South Sudan ($0.2B).

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Flag of Ethiopia EthiopiaWorld #76 28.3
ARMS Index / 100

Ethiopia leads on 4 of 6 pillars

Flag of South Sudan South SudanWorld #113 17.5
  • 81.3138K active troops Manpower15 % 71.653K active troops
  • 67.1338 battle tanks Ground forces20 % 35.330 battle tanks
  • 0.00 warships Naval power20 % 0.00 warships
  • 37.534 combat aircraft Air power25 % 17.40 combat aircraft
  • 0.00 warheads Nuclear deterrent10 % 0.00 warheads
  • 42.0$1B budget Defense budget10 % 23.0$240M budget
Ethiopia South Sudan Pillar scores 0–100 (weight under each label) over a headline figure from that domain · readiness modifier ×0.80 vs ×0.80 · Methodology
Key figures
Ethiopia South Sudan Ratio
Defense budget $1B $240M 🇪🇹 4.4×
– share of GDP 0.7% 2.0% 🇸🇸 2.9×
Active personnel 138,000 53,000 🇪🇹 2.6×
Combat aircraft 34 0 🇪🇹
Warships 0 0 —
– submarines 0 0 —
Main battle tanks 338 30 🇪🇹 11×
Nuclear warheads 0 0 —
Show full breakdown · 11 more rowsHide the 11 extra rows
Reserve troops 0 0 —
Paramilitary forces 0 0 —
Military aircraft (all types) 99 20 🇪🇹 5.0×
– helicopters 31 15 🇪🇹 2.1×
Budget share of govt spending — — —
Budget per capita $8 $20 🇸🇸 2.5×
Population 132.1M 11.9M 🇪🇹 11×
GDP $150B $12B 🇪🇹 12×
GDP per capita $1,134 $1,005 🇪🇹 1.1×
Land area 1,096,630 km² 644,329 km² 🇪🇹 1.7×
Coastline 0 km 0 km —
Backbone systems most numerous in service
🇪🇹 EthiopiaSu-27 Flanker ×20T-54 / T-55 / TM-800 ×1,190
Defense budget history Ethiopia ×1.9 · South Sudan ×1.3 since 2020
Military personnel history

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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 2.6:1 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?
Ethiopia has a larger defense budget at $1 billion (4.4:1 more) compared to South Sudan's $240 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.