Military Strength: 
Mali vs 
South Sudan
Mali (ranked #98 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than South Sudan (#113) on the ARMS Index. Mali fields 41,000 active troops vs 53,000 for South Sudan. Mali's $1.2B defense budget is 4.8:1 that of South Sudan ($0.2B).
ARMS (Aggregate Rating of Military Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
MaliWorld #98
21.4
ARMS Index / 100
Mali leads overall, ahead on 2 of 6 pillars
South SudanWorld #113
17.5
Mali
South Sudan
Pillar scores 0–100 (weight under each label) over a headline figure from that domain · readiness modifier ×1.06 vs ×0.80 · Methodology
Key figures
| Mali | South Sudan | Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defense budget | $1.2B | $240M | 🇲🇱 4.8× |
| – share of GDP | 4.3% | 2.0% | 🇲🇱 2.1× |
| Active personnel | 41,000 | 53,000 | 🇸🇸 1.3× |
| Combat aircraft | 12 | 0 | 🇲🇱 |
| Warships | 0 | 0 | — |
| – submarines | 0 | 0 | — |
| Main battle tanks | 10 | 30 | 🇸🇸 3.0× |
| Nuclear warheads | 0 | 0 | — |
Show full breakdown · 11 more rowsHide the 11 extra rows
| Reserve troops | 0 | 0 | — |
| Paramilitary forces | 20,000 | 0 | 🇲🇱 |
| Military aircraft (all types) | 43 | 20 | 🇲🇱 2.1× |
| – helicopters | 10 | 15 | 🇸🇸 1.5× |
| Budget share of govt spending | — | — | — |
| Budget per capita | $47 | $20 | 🇲🇱 2.3× |
| Population | 24.5M | 11.9M | 🇲🇱 2.0× |
| GDP | $27B | $12B | 🇲🇱 2.2× |
| GDP per capita | $1,095 | $1,005 | 🇲🇱 1.1× |
| Land area | 1,220,190 km² | 644,329 km² | 🇲🇱 1.9× |
| Coastline | 0 km | 0 km | — |
Backbone systems most numerous in service
🇲🇱 MaliMiG-21 Fishbed ×9
Defense budget history Mali ×1.9 · South Sudan ×1.3 since 2020
Military personnel history
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who has more military personnel, Mali or South Sudan?
South Sudan has approximately 53,000 active military personnel compared to Mali's 41,000.
Which country has more combat aircraft, Mali or South Sudan?
Mali operates 12 combat aircraft compared to South Sudan's 0. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Which country spends more on defense, Mali or South Sudan?
Mali has a larger defense budget at $1.2 billion (4.8:1 more) compared to South Sudan's $240 million annually.
Do Mali and South Sudan have nuclear weapons?
Neither Mali nor South Sudan currently possesses nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of Mali and South Sudan compare?
South Sudan operates 30 main battle tanks compared to Mali's 10. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.