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

Kenya (ranked #74 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than South Sudan (#113) on the ARMS Index. South Sudan fields 53,000 active troops — 2.2:1 Kenya's 24,000. Kenya's $1.3B defense budget is 5.5:1 that of South Sudan ($0.2B).

ARMS (Aggregate Rating of Military Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Flag of Kenya KenyaWorld #74 29.2
ARMS Index / 100

Kenya leads on 4 of 6 pillars

Flag of South Sudan South SudanWorld #113 17.5
  • 53.924K active troops Manpower15 % 71.653K active troops
  • 47.0188 battle tanks Ground forces20 % 35.330 battle tanks
  • 12.625 warships Naval power20 % 0.00 warships
  • 36.123 combat aircraft Air power25 % 17.40 combat aircraft
  • 0.00 warheads Nuclear deterrent10 % 0.00 warheads
  • 35.5$1.3B budget Defense budget10 % 23.0$240M budget
Kenya South Sudan Pillar scores 0–100 (weight under each label) over a headline figure from that domain · readiness modifier ×1.03 vs ×0.80 · Methodology
Key figures
Kenya South Sudan Ratio
Defense budget $1.3B $240M 🇰🇪 5.5×
– share of GDP 1.1% 2.0% 🇸🇸 1.8×
Active personnel 24,000 53,000 🇸🇸 2.2×
Combat aircraft 23 0 🇰🇪
Warships 25 0 🇰🇪
– submarines 0 0 —
Main battle tanks 188 30 🇰🇪 6.3×
Nuclear warheads 0 0 —
Show full breakdown · 11 more rowsHide the 11 extra rows
Reserve troops 0 0 —
Paramilitary forces 5,000 0 🇰🇪
Military aircraft (all types) 120 20 🇰🇪 6.0×
– helicopters 45 15 🇰🇪 3.0×
Budget share of govt spending — — —
Budget per capita $23 $20 🇰🇪 1.2×
Population 56.4M 11.9M 🇰🇪 4.7×
GDP $120B $12B 🇰🇪 10×
GDP per capita $2,132 $1,005 🇰🇪 2.1×
Land area 569,140 km² 644,329 km² 🇸🇸 1.1×
Coastline 536 km 0 km 🇰🇪
Backbone systems most numerous in service
🇰🇪 KenyaF-5E Tiger II ×18T-72 ×110
Defense budget history Kenya ×1.1 · South Sudan ×1.3 since 2020
Military personnel history

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who has more military personnel, Kenya or South Sudan?
South Sudan has approximately 53,000 active military personnel compared to Kenya's 24,000, giving South Sudan a 2.2:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, Kenya or South Sudan?
Kenya operates 23 combat aircraft compared to South Sudan's 0. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Who has the larger navy, Kenya or South Sudan?
Kenya has a larger navy with 25 vessels compared to South Sudan's 0 ships.
Which country spends more on defense, Kenya or South Sudan?
Kenya has a larger defense budget at $1.3 billion (5.5:1 more) compared to South Sudan's $240 million annually.
Do Kenya and South Sudan have nuclear weapons?
Neither Kenya nor South Sudan currently possesses nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of Kenya and South Sudan compare?
Kenya operates 188 main battle tanks compared to South Sudan's 30. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.