GlobalMilitary.net Open-source military intelligence Updated daily
Head-to-head

Military Strength: Flag of Mali Mali vs Flag of Senegal Senegal

Mali (ranked #109 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than Senegal (#129) on the ATLAS Index. Mali fields 41,000 active troops — 2.2:1 Senegal's 19,000, backed by 20,000 paramilitary. Mali's $1.2B defense budget is 2.2:1 that of Senegal ($0.5B).

ATLAS (Aggregate Total of Land, Air and Sea strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Flag of Mali MaliWorld #109 13.3
ATLAS Index / 100

Mali leads on 3 of 6 pillars

Flag of Senegal SenegalWorld #129 9.9
  • 27.841K active troops Manpower10 % 26.519K active troops
  • 16.910 battle tanks Ground forces20 % 0.00 battle tanks
  • 0.00 warships Naval power20 % 0.00 warships
  • 16.812 combat aircraft Air power25 % 16.30 combat aircraft
  • 0.00 warheads Nuclear deterrent10 % 0.00 warheads
  • 18.8$1.2B budget Defense budget15 % 20.5$525M budget
Mali Senegal 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
Mali Senegal Ratio
Defense budget $1.2B $525M 🇲🇱 2.2×
– share of GDP 4.3% 1.6% 🇲🇱 2.7×
Active personnel 41,000 19,000 🇲🇱 2.2×
Combat aircraft 12 0 🇲🇱
Warships 0 0 —
– submarines 0 0 —
Main battle tanks 10 0 🇲🇱
Nuclear warheads 0 0 —
Show full breakdown · 11 more rowsHide the 11 extra rows
Reserve troops 0 0 —
Paramilitary forces 20,000 5,000 🇲🇱 4.0×
Military aircraft (all types) 43 40 🇲🇱 1.1×
– helicopters 10 20 🇸🇳 2.0×
Budget share of govt spending — — —
Budget per capita $47 $28 🇲🇱 1.7×
Population 24.5M 18.5M 🇲🇱 1.3×
GDP $27B $33B 🇸🇳 1.2×
GDP per capita $1,095 $1,773 🇸🇳 1.6×
Land area 1,220,190 km² 192,530 km² 🇲🇱 6.3×
Coastline 0 km 531 km 🇸🇳
Backbone systems most numerous in service
🇲🇱 MaliMiG-21 Fishbed ×9
Defense budget history Mali ×1.9 · Senegal ×1.4 since 2020
Military personnel history
Explore this matchup
Go deeper · same matchup, other lenses
Air forces
Change opponent
Mali vsAngolaZimbabweZambiaMauritaniaSouth Sudan
Senegal vsGuineaTogoBurkina FasoEquatorial GuineaBurundi
Related comparisons & rankings
Strongest militaries in the world (2026) Coalition Builder: compare alliances & blocs

Frequently Asked Questions

Who has more military personnel, Mali or Senegal?
Mali has approximately 41,000 active military personnel compared to Senegal's 19,000, giving Mali a 2.2:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, Mali or Senegal?
Mali operates 12 combat aircraft compared to Senegal's 0. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Which country spends more on defense, Mali or Senegal?
Mali has a larger defense budget at $1.2 billion (2.2:1 more) compared to Senegal's $525 million annually.
Do Mali and Senegal have nuclear weapons?
Neither Mali nor Senegal currently possesses nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of Mali and Senegal compare?
Mali operates 10 main battle tanks compared to Senegal's 0. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.