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

Nigeria (ranked #58 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than South Sudan (#102) on the ATLAS Index. Nigeria fields 223,000 active troops — 4.2:1 South Sudan's 53,000, backed by 80,000 paramilitary. Nigeria's $1.5B defense budget is 6.3:1 that of South Sudan ($0.2B).

ATLAS (Aggregate Total of Land, Air and Sea strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Flag of Nigeria NigeriaWorld #58 26.3
ATLAS Index / 100

Nigeria leads on 5 of 6 pillars

Flag of South Sudan South SudanWorld #102 14.4
  • 47.1223K active troops Manpower10 % 46.653K active troops
  • 34.1330 battle tanks Ground forces20 % 21.230 battle tanks
  • 22.9147 warships Naval power20 % 0.00 warships
  • 24.636 combat aircraft Air power25 % 13.80 combat aircraft
  • 0.00 warheads Nuclear deterrent10 % 0.00 warheads
  • 24.8$1.5B budget Defense budget15 % 12.7$240M budget
Nigeria 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
Nigeria South Sudan Ratio
Defense budget $1.5B $240M 🇳🇬 6.3×
– share of GDP 0.6% 2.0% 🇸🇸 3.3×
Active personnel 223,000 53,000 🇳🇬 4.2×
Combat aircraft 36 0 🇳🇬
Warships 147 0 🇳🇬
– submarines 0 0 —
Main battle tanks 330 30 🇳🇬 11×
Nuclear warheads 0 0 —
Show full breakdown · 11 more rowsHide the 11 extra rows
Reserve troops 0 0 —
Paramilitary forces 80,000 0 🇳🇬
Military aircraft (all types) 182 20 🇳🇬 9.1×
– helicopters 73 15 🇳🇬 4.9×
Budget share of govt spending — — —
Budget per capita $7 $20 🇸🇸 3.1×
Population 232.7M 11.9M 🇳🇬 19×
GDP $252B $12B 🇳🇬 21×
GDP per capita $1,084 $1,005 🇳🇬 1.1×
Land area 910,768 km² 644,329 km² 🇳🇬 1.4×
Coastline 853 km 0 km 🇳🇬
Backbone systems most numerous in service
🇳🇬 NigeriaAlpha Jet ×13Vickers Mk.3 ×172
Defense budget history Nigeria ×0.6 · 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, Nigeria or South Sudan?
Nigeria has approximately 223,000 active military personnel compared to South Sudan's 53,000, giving Nigeria a 4.2:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, Nigeria or South Sudan?
Nigeria operates 36 combat aircraft compared to South Sudan's 0. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Who has the larger navy, Nigeria or South Sudan?
Nigeria has a larger navy with 147 vessels compared to South Sudan's 0 ships.
Which country spends more on defense, Nigeria or South Sudan?
Nigeria has a larger defense budget at $1.5 billion (6.3:1 more) compared to South Sudan's $240 million annually.
Do Nigeria and South Sudan have nuclear weapons?
Neither Nigeria nor South Sudan currently possesses nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of Nigeria and South Sudan compare?
Nigeria operates 330 main battle tanks compared to South Sudan's 30. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.