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

South Sudan (ranked #103 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than Mali (#109) on the ATLAS Index. South Sudan fields 185,000 active troops — 14:1 Mali's 13,000. Mali's $1.2B defense budget is 4.8:1 that of South Sudan ($0.2B).

ATLAS (Aggregate Total of Land, Air and Sea strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Flag of Mali MaliWorld #109 13.4
ATLAS Index / 100

South Sudan leads overall, ahead on 2 of 6 pillars

Flag of South Sudan South SudanWorld #103 14.4
  • 27.813K active troops Manpower10 % 46.6185K active troops
  • 16.810 battle tanks Ground forces20 % 21.030 battle tanks
  • 0.00 warships Naval power20 % 0.00 warships
  • 17.012 combat aircraft Air power25 % 13.70 combat aircraft
  • 0.00 warheads Nuclear deterrent10 % 0.00 warheads
  • 18.8$1.2B budget Defense budget15 % 12.7$240M budget
Mali 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
Mali South Sudan Ratio
Defense budget $1.2B $240M 🇲🇱 4.8×
– share of GDP 4.3% 2.0% 🇲🇱 2.1×
Active personnel 13,000 185,000 🇸🇸 14×
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) 44 20 🇲🇱 2.2×
– helicopters 9 15 🇸🇸 1.7×
Budget share of govt spending — — —
Budget per capita $46 $20 🇲🇱 2.3×
Population 25.2M 12.2M 🇲🇱 2.1×
GDP $30B $12B 🇲🇱 2.5×
GDP per capita $1,193 $984 🇲🇱 1.2×
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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South Sudan vsChadZambiaTanzaniaAngolaUganda
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Frequently Asked Questions

Who has more military personnel, Mali or South Sudan?
South Sudan has approximately 185,000 active military personnel compared to Mali's 13,000, giving South Sudan a 14:1 numerical advantage.
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.