Military Strength: Morocco vs South Africa
Morocco (ranked #30 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than South Africa (#48) on the Global Military Index. Morocco fields 246,000 active troops — 2.8x South Africa's 89,000, backed by 150,000 reserves and 50,000 paramilitary. Morocco allocates $6B to defense compared to $3B for South Africa. In the air, Morocco operates 256 aircraft including 92 combat jets, while South Africa fields 192 with 25 fighters. At sea, Morocco's 122-ship navy outnumbers South Africa's 49 vessels, including 0 and 3 submarines respectively. On the ground, Morocco deploys 903 main battle tanks vs 252 for South Africa. Neither Morocco nor South Africa possesses nuclear weapons.
| Global Military Index | 54.3 (#30) ◉ |
| 🪖 Military personnel | 246,000 ◉ |
| – Reserve troops | 150,000 ◉ |
| – Paramilitary forces | 50,000 ◉ |
| 🛩️ Military aircraft | 256 ◉ |
| – incl. combat aircraft | 92 ◉ |
| – incl. bombers | 0 ◉ |
| – incl. helicopters | 100 ◉ |
| ⚓️ Military ships | 122 ◉ |
| – incl. aircraft carriers | 0 ◉ |
| – incl. submarines | 0 ◉ |
| 🚛 Main battle tanks | 903 ◉ |
| 💥 Nuclear warheads | 0 ◉ |
| Global Military Index | 46.0 (#48) ◉ |
| 🪖 Military personnel | 89,000 ◉ |
| – Reserve troops | 15,050 ◉ |
| – Paramilitary forces | 0 ◉ |
| 🛩️ Military aircraft | 192 ◉ |
| – incl. combat aircraft | 25 ◉ |
| – incl. bombers | 0 ◉ |
| – incl. helicopters | 84 ◉ |
| ⚓️ Military ships | 49 ◉ |
| – incl. aircraft carriers | 0 ◉ |
| – incl. submarines | 3 ◉ |
| 🚛 Main battle tanks | 252 ◉ |
| 💥 Nuclear warheads | 0 ◉ |
🇲🇦 Morocco Global Military Index
54.3
Global Rank: #30
| 🪖 Manpower (15%) | 77.9 | Active, reserve & paramilitary: 285800 effective |
| 🛡️ Ground Firepower (20%) | 65.7 | Main battle tanks: 903 |
| ⚓ Naval Power (20%) | 46.4 | Weighted by ship type: carriers, submarines, destroyers... |
| ✈️ Air Power (25%) | 57.7 | Weighted by aircraft type: combat, bombers, helicopters... |
| ☢️ Nuclear Deterrent (10%) | 0.0 | No declared nuclear capability |
| 💰 Defense Budget (10%) | 57.6 | $5518M annual military spending |
🇿🇦 South Africa Global Military Index
46.0
Global Rank: #48
| 🪖 Manpower (15%) | 69.5 | Active, reserve & paramilitary: 72875 effective |
| 🛡️ Ground Firepower (20%) | 53.4 | Main battle tanks: 252 |
| ⚓ Naval Power (20%) | 43.6 | Weighted by ship type: carriers, submarines, destroyers... |
| ✈️ Air Power (25%) | 43.3 | Weighted by aircraft type: combat, bombers, helicopters... |
| ☢️ Nuclear Deterrent (10%) | 0.0 | No declared nuclear capability |
| 💰 Defense Budget (10%) | 53.1 | $2836M annual military spending |
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| Population | 37.7 million ◉ |
| GDP | $144.4 billion ◉ |
| GDP per capita | $3,829 ◉ |
| Military Budget | $5.5 billion ◉ |
| Share of GDP in Milex | 3.5% ◉ |
| Share of Govt Expenditures | 10.7% ◉ |
| Military spends per capita | $146 ◉ |
| Population | 63.2 million ◉ |
| GDP | $380.7 billion ◉ |
| GDP per capita | $6,023 ◉ |
| Military Budget | $2.8 billion ◉ |
| Share of GDP in Milex | 0.7% ◉ |
| Share of Govt Expenditures | 2.1% ◉ |
| Military spends per capita | $45 ◉ |
Morocco Geography
| Land Area | 446,300 km² ◉ |
| Coastline Length | 2,945 km ◉ |
South Africa Geography
| Land Area | 1,214,470 km² ◉ |
| Coastline Length | 2,798 km ◉ |
Military Forces Chart
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Military Budget Evolution
Military Personnel Evolution
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has more military personnel, Morocco or South Africa?
Morocco has approximately 246,000 active military personnel compared to South Africa's 89,000, giving Morocco a 3:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, Morocco or South Africa?
Morocco operates 92 combat aircraft compared to South Africa's 25. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Who has the larger navy, Morocco or South Africa?
Morocco has a larger navy with 122 vessels compared to South Africa's 49 ships. Morocco operates 0 submarines while South Africa has 3.
Which country spends more on defense, Morocco or South Africa?
Morocco has a larger defense budget at $5.5 billion (1.9:1 more) compared to South Africa's $2.8 billion annually.
Do Morocco and South Africa have nuclear weapons?
Neither Morocco nor South Africa currently possesses nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of Morocco and South Africa compare?
Morocco operates 903 main battle tanks compared to South Africa's 252. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.