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

Libya (ranked #84 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than South Sudan (#102) on the ATLAS Index. South Sudan fields 53,000 active troops — 7.6:1 Libya's 7,000. Libya's $1.6B defense budget is 6.6:1 that of South Sudan ($0.2B).

ATLAS (Aggregate Total of Land, Air and Sea strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Flag of Libya LibyaWorld #84 19.3
ATLAS Index / 100

Libya leads on 4 of 6 pillars

Flag of South Sudan South SudanWorld #102 14.4
  • 31.37,000 active troops Manpower10 % 46.653K active troops
  • 24.243 battle tanks Ground forces20 % 21.230 battle tanks
  • 17.34 warships Naval power20 % 0.00 warships
  • 18.520 combat aircraft Air power25 % 13.80 combat aircraft
  • 0.00 warheads Nuclear deterrent10 % 0.00 warheads
  • 20.3$1.6B budget Defense budget15 % 12.7$240M budget
Libya South Sudan 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
Libya South Sudan Ratio
Defense budget $1.6B $240M 🇱🇾 6.6×
– share of GDP 5.3% 2.0% 🇱🇾 2.6×
Active personnel 7,000 53,000 🇸🇸 7.6×
Combat aircraft 20 0 🇱🇾
Warships 4 0 🇱🇾
– submarines 0 0 —
Main battle tanks 43 30 🇱🇾 1.4×
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) 80 20 🇱🇾 4.0×
– helicopters 17 15 🇱🇾 1.1×
Budget share of govt spending 5.5% — 🇱🇾
Budget per capita $217 $20 🇱🇾 11×
Population 7.4M 11.9M 🇸🇸 1.6×
GDP $48B $12B 🇱🇾 4.0×
GDP per capita $6,569 $1,005 🇱🇾 6.5×
Land area 1,759,540 km² 644,329 km² 🇱🇾 2.7×
Coastline 1,770 km 0 km 🇱🇾
Backbone systems most numerous in service
🇱🇾 LibyaMiG-21 Fishbed ×11Project 1159-class ×1
Defense budget history Libya ×2.6 · South Sudan ×2.0 since 2006
Military personnel history
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Air forces
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Libya vsEritreaCongo Democratic RepublicKenyaUgandaSudan
South Sudan vsChadZambiaTanzaniaAngolaUganda
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Frequently Asked Questions

Who has more military personnel, Libya or South Sudan?
South Sudan has approximately 53,000 active military personnel compared to Libya's 7,000, giving South Sudan a 7.6:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, Libya or South Sudan?
Libya operates 20 combat aircraft compared to South Sudan's 0. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Who has the larger navy, Libya or South Sudan?
Libya has a larger navy with 4 vessels compared to South Sudan's 0 ships.
Which country spends more on defense, Libya or South Sudan?
Libya has a larger defense budget at $1.6 billion (6.6:1 more) compared to South Sudan's $240 million annually.
Do Libya and South Sudan have nuclear weapons?
Neither Libya nor South Sudan currently possesses nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of Libya and South Sudan compare?
Libya operates 43 main battle tanks compared to South Sudan's 30. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.