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

Military Strength: Flag of Mali Mali vs Flag of Niger Niger

Mali (ranked #98 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than Niger (#138) on the ARMS Index. Mali fields 41,000 active troops — 4.1:1 Niger's 10,000, backed by 20,000 paramilitary. Mali's $1.2B defense budget is 2.6:1 that of Niger ($0.4B).

ARMS (Aggregate Rating of Military Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Flag of Mali MaliWorld #98 21.4
ARMS Index / 100

Mali leads on 4 of 6 pillars

Flag of Niger NigerWorld #138 13.1
  • 51.441K active troops Manpower15 % 43.910K active troops
  • 26.610 battle tanks Ground forces20 % 0.00 battle tanks
  • 0.00 warships Naval power20 % 0.00 warships
  • 27.112 combat aircraft Air power25 % 20.02 combat aircraft
  • 0.00 warheads Nuclear deterrent10 % 0.00 warheads
  • 34.4$1.2B budget Defense budget10 % 27.2$437M budget
Mali Niger Pillar scores 0–100 (weight under each label) over a headline figure from that domain · readiness modifier ×1.06 vs ×1.05 · Methodology
Key figures
Mali Niger Ratio
Defense budget $1.2B $437M 🇲🇱 2.6×
– share of GDP 4.3% 2.2% 🇲🇱 2.0×
Active personnel 41,000 10,000 🇲🇱 4.1×
Combat aircraft 12 2 🇲🇱 6.0×
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 7,500 🇲🇱 2.7×
Military aircraft (all types) 43 25 🇲🇱 1.7×
– helicopters 10 12 🇳🇪 1.2×
Budget share of govt spending — — —
Budget per capita $47 $16 🇲🇱 2.9×
Population 24.5M 27M 🇳🇪 1.1×
GDP $27B $20B 🇲🇱 1.3×
GDP per capita $1,095 $735 🇲🇱 1.5×
Land area 1,220,190 km² 1,266,700 km² 🇳🇪 ≈
Coastline 0 km 0 km —
Backbone systems most numerous in service
🇲🇱 MaliMiG-21 Fishbed ×9
🇳🇪 NigerSu-25 Frogfoot ×2
Defense budget history Mali ×1.9 · Niger ×1.6 since 2020
Military personnel history

Wargame Simulation

Run the Mali vs Niger simulation →
Explore this matchup
Go deeper · same matchup, other lenses
Air forces Wargame simulator
Change opponent
Mali vsZambiaAngolaEritreaMozambiqueChad
Niger vsGabonMadagascarGhanaDjiboutiSenegal
Related comparisons & rankings
Strongest militaries in the world (2026) Coalition Builder: compare alliances & blocs

Frequently Asked Questions

Who has more military personnel, Mali or Niger?
Mali has approximately 41,000 active military personnel compared to Niger's 10,000, giving Mali a 4.1:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, Mali or Niger?
Mali operates 12 combat aircraft compared to Niger's 2. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Which country spends more on defense, Mali or Niger?
Mali has a larger defense budget at $1.2 billion (2.6:1 more) compared to Niger's $437 million annually.
Do Mali and Niger have nuclear weapons?
Neither Mali nor Niger currently possesses nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of Mali and Niger compare?
Mali operates 10 main battle tanks compared to Niger's 0. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.