Military Strength: Laos vs South Sudan
Laos (ranked #94 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than South Sudan (#95) on the Global Military Index. Laos fields 129,000 active troops — 2.4x South Sudan's 53,000, backed by 100,000 paramilitary. South Sudan's $2B defense budget is 89:1 that of Laos ($0B). In the air, Laos operates 32 aircraft including 4 combat jets, while South Sudan fields 20 with 0 fighters. On the ground, Laos deploys 160 main battle tanks vs 30 for South Sudan. Neither Laos nor South Sudan possesses nuclear weapons.
| Global Military Index | 31.5 (#94) ◉ |
| 🪖 Military personnel | 129,000 ◉ |
| – Reserve troops | 0 ◉ |
| – Paramilitary forces | 100,000 ◉ |
| 🛩️ Military aircraft | 32 ◉ |
| – incl. combat aircraft | 4 ◉ |
| – incl. bombers | 0 ◉ |
| – incl. helicopters | 23 ◉ |
| ⚓️ Military ships | 0 ◉ |
| – incl. aircraft carriers | 0 ◉ |
| – incl. submarines | 0 ◉ |
| 🚛 Main battle tanks | 160 ◉ |
| 💥 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 ◉ |
🇱🇦 Laos Global Military Index
31.5
Global Rank: #94
| 🪖 Manpower (15%) | 68.2 | Active, reserve & paramilitary: 59100 effective |
| 🛡️ Ground Firepower (20%) | 49.0 | Main battle tanks: 160 |
| ⚓ Naval Power (20%) | 0.0 | Weighted by ship type: carriers, submarines, destroyers... |
| ✈️ Air Power (25%) | 37.5 | Weighted by aircraft type: combat, bombers, helicopters... |
| ☢️ Nuclear Deterrent (10%) | 0.0 | No declared nuclear capability |
| 💰 Defense Budget (10%) | 21.1 | $23M 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 | 7.6 million ◉ |
| GDP | $15.5 billion ◉ |
| GDP per capita | $2,046 ◉ |
| Military Budget | $22.7 million ◉ |
| Share of GDP in Milex | 0.2% ◉ |
| Share of Govt Expenditures | 0.8% ◉ |
| Military spends per capita | $4 ◉ |
| 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 ◉ |
Laos Geography
| Land Area | 230,800 km² ◉ |
| Coastline Length | 0 km ◉ |
South Sudan Geography
| Land Area | 644,329 km² ◉ |
| Coastline Length | 0 km ◉ |
Military Forces Chart
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Military Budget Evolution
Military Personnel Evolution
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has more military personnel, Laos or South Sudan?
Laos has approximately 129,000 active military personnel compared to South Sudan's 53,000, giving Laos a 2:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, Laos or South Sudan?
Laos operates 4 combat aircraft compared to South Sudan's 0. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Which country spends more on defense, Laos or South Sudan?
South Sudan has a larger defense budget at $2.0 billion (89:1 more) compared to Laos's $23 million annually.
Do Laos and South Sudan have nuclear weapons?
Neither Laos nor South Sudan currently possesses nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of Laos and South Sudan compare?
Laos operates 160 main battle tanks compared to South Sudan's 30. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.