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

South Africa (ranked #52 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than Sudan (#73) on the ATLAS Index. Sudan fields 104,300 active troops vs 65,350 for South Africa, backed by 60,000 paramilitary. South Africa's $2.8B defense budget is 7.5:1 that of Sudan ($0.4B).

ATLAS (Aggregate Total of Land, Air and Sea strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Flag of Sudan SudanWorld #73 21.7
ATLAS Index / 100

South Africa leads on 3 of 6 pillars

Flag of South Africa South AfricaWorld #52 29.1
  • 42.0104K active troops Manpower10 % 38.265K active troops
  • 45.1940 battle tanks Ground forces20 % 36.5203 battle tanks
  • 0.00 warships Naval power20 % 36.245 warships
  • 24.399 combat aircraft Air power25 % 27.625 combat aircraft
  • 0.00 warheads Nuclear deterrent10 % 0.00 warheads
  • 14.2$375M budget Defense budget15 % 23.5$2.8B budget
Sudan South Africa 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
Sudan South Africa Ratio
Defense budget $375M $2.8B 🇿🇦 7.5×
– share of GDP 0.9% 0.7% 🇸🇩 1.3×
Active personnel 104,300 65,350 🇸🇩 1.6×
Combat aircraft 99 25 🇸🇩 4.0×
Warships 0 45 🇿🇦
– submarines 0 3 🇿🇦
Main battle tanks 940 203 🇸🇩 4.6×
Nuclear warheads 0 0 —
Show full breakdown · 11 more rowsHide the 11 extra rows
Reserve troops 0 15,050 🇿🇦
Paramilitary forces 60,000 0 🇸🇩
Military aircraft (all types) 192 194 🇿🇦 ≈
– helicopters 70 84 🇿🇦 1.2×
Budget share of govt spending 9.5% — 🇸🇩
Budget per capita $8 $43 🇿🇦 5.5×
Population 51.7M 64.7M 🇿🇦 1.3×
GDP $60B $427B 🇿🇦 7.1×
GDP per capita $1,165 $6,598 🇿🇦 5.7×
Land area 1,731,671 km² 1,214,470 km² 🇸🇩 1.4×
Coastline 853 km 2,798 km 🇿🇦 3.3×
Backbone systems most numerous in service
🇸🇩 SudanJL-8 ×23T-54 / T-55 / TM-800 ×400
🇿🇦 South AfricaJAS 39 Gripen ×25Olifant 1 ×70Heroine-class ×3
Defense budget history
Military personnel history
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Air forces Armies
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Sudan vsEthiopiaKenyaTunisiaEritreaNigeria
South Africa vsNigeriaMoroccoEgyptTunisiaAlgeria
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Frequently Asked Questions

Who has more military personnel, Sudan or South Africa?
Sudan has approximately 104,300 active military personnel compared to South Africa's 65,350, giving Sudan a 1.6:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, Sudan or South Africa?
Sudan operates 99 combat aircraft compared to South Africa's 25. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Who has the larger navy, Sudan or South Africa?
South Africa has a larger navy with 45 warships compared to Sudan's 0. Sudan operates 0 submarines while South Africa has 3.
Which country spends more on defense, Sudan or South Africa?
South Africa has a larger defense budget at $2.8 billion (7.5:1 more) compared to Sudan's $375 million annually.
Do Sudan and South Africa have nuclear weapons?
Neither Sudan nor South Africa currently possesses nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of Sudan and South Africa compare?
Sudan operates 940 main battle tanks compared to South Africa's 203. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.