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Military Strength: Flag of Morocco Morocco vs Flag of South Africa South Africa

Morocco (ranked #40 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than South Africa (#50) on the ARMS Index. Morocco fields 246,000 active troops — 2.8:1 South Africa's 89,000, backed by 150,000 reserves and 50,000 paramilitary. Morocco's $6.4B defense budget is 2.3:1 that of South Africa ($2.8B).

ARMS (Aggregate Rating of Military Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Flag of Morocco MoroccoWorld #40 43.4
ARMS Index / 100

Morocco leads on 5 of 6 pillars

Flag of South Africa South AfricaWorld #50 38.3
  • 75.8246K active troops Manpower15 % 63.089K active troops
  • 66.1903 battle tanks Ground forces20 % 57.5252 battle tanks
  • 42.8137 warships Naval power20 % 38.149 warships
  • 47.592 combat aircraft Air power25 % 42.525 combat aircraft
  • 0.00 warheads Nuclear deterrent10 % 0.00 warheads
  • 48.8$6.4B budget Defense budget10 % 41.6$2.8B budget
Morocco South Africa Pillar scores 0–100 (weight under each label) over a headline figure from that domain · readiness modifier ×0.99 vs ×1.01 · Methodology
Key figures
Morocco South Africa Ratio
Defense budget $6.4B $2.8B 🇲🇦 2.3×
– share of GDP 4.0% 0.7% 🇲🇦 5.7×
Active personnel 246,000 89,000 🇲🇦 2.8×
Combat aircraft 92 25 🇲🇦 3.7×
Warships 137 49 🇲🇦 2.8×
– submarines 0 3 🇿🇦
Main battle tanks 903 252 🇲🇦 3.6×
Nuclear warheads 0 0 —
Show full breakdown · 11 more rowsHide the 11 extra rows
Reserve troops 150,000 15,050 🇲🇦 10.0×
Paramilitary forces 50,000 0 🇲🇦
Military aircraft (all types) 264 192 🇲🇦 1.4×
– helicopters 100 84 🇲🇦 1.2×
Budget share of govt spending — — —
Budget per capita $169 $44 🇲🇦 3.8×
Population 38.1M 64M 🇿🇦 1.7×
GDP $161B $401B 🇿🇦 2.5×
GDP per capita $4,218 $6,267 🇿🇦 1.5×
Land area 446,300 km² 1,214,470 km² 🇿🇦 2.7×
Coastline 2,945 km 2,798 km 🇲🇦 1.1×
Backbone systems most numerous in service
🇲🇦 MoroccoMirage F1 ×25M60A3 TTS Patton ×535Sigma-class ×3
🇿🇦 South AfricaJAS 39 Gripen ×25Olifant 1 ×200Heroine-class ×3
Defense budget history Morocco ×1.2 · South Africa ×0.8 since 2020
Military personnel history

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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 2.8:1 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 137 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 $6.4 billion (2.3:1 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.