Military Strength: 
South Sudan vs 
Zambia
South Sudan (ranked #101 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than Zambia (#106) on the ATLAS Index. South Sudan fields 53,000 active troops — 3.3:1 Zambia's 16,000. South Sudan allocates $0.2B to defense compared to $0.3B for Zambia.
ATLAS (Aggregate Total of Land, Air and Sea strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
South SudanWorld #101
14.4
ATLAS Index / 100
South Sudan leads overall, ahead on 1 of 6 pillars
ZambiaWorld #106
13.7
South Sudan
Zambia
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
| South Sudan | Zambia | Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defense budget | $240M | $329M | 🇿🇲 1.4× |
| – share of GDP | 2.0% | 1.3% | 🇸🇸 1.5× |
| Active personnel | 53,000 | 16,000 | 🇸🇸 3.3× |
| Combat aircraft | 0 | 15 | 🇿🇲 |
| Warships | 0 | 0 | — |
| – submarines | 0 | 0 | — |
| Main battle tanks | 30 | 35 | 🇿🇲 1.2× |
| Nuclear warheads | 0 | 0 | — |
Show full breakdown · 11 more rowsHide the 11 extra rows
| Reserve troops | 0 | 3,000 | 🇿🇲 |
| Paramilitary forces | 0 | 1,400 | 🇿🇲 |
| Military aircraft (all types) | 20 | 80 | 🇿🇲 4.0× |
| – helicopters | 15 | 33 | 🇿🇲 2.2× |
| Budget share of govt spending | — | — | — |
| Budget per capita | $20 | $15 | 🇸🇸 1.3× |
| Population | 11.9M | 21.3M | 🇿🇲 1.8× |
| GDP | $12B | $25B | 🇿🇲 2.1× |
| GDP per capita | $1,005 | $1,187 | 🇿🇲 1.2× |
| Land area | 644,329 km² | 743,398 km² | 🇿🇲 1.2× |
| Coastline | 0 km | 0 km | — |
Backbone systems most numerous in service
🇿🇲 ZambiaJL-8 ×15
Defense budget history South Sudan ×1.3 · Zambia ×1.5 since 2020
Military personnel history
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who has more military personnel, South Sudan or Zambia?
South Sudan has approximately 53,000 active military personnel compared to Zambia's 16,000, giving South Sudan a 3.3:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, South Sudan or Zambia?
Zambia operates 15 combat aircraft compared to South Sudan's 0. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Which country spends more on defense, South Sudan or Zambia?
Zambia has a larger defense budget at $329 million compared to South Sudan's $240 million annually.
Do South Sudan and Zambia have nuclear weapons?
Neither South Sudan nor Zambia currently possesses nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of South Sudan and Zambia compare?
Zambia operates 35 main battle tanks compared to South Sudan's 30. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.