Military Strength: 
South Sudan vs 
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe (ranked #105 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than South Sudan (#113) on the ARMS Index. South Sudan fields 53,000 active troops vs 51,000 for Zimbabwe. South Sudan allocates $0.2B to defense compared to $0.2B for Zimbabwe.
ARMS (Aggregate Rating of Military Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
South SudanWorld #113
17.5
ARMS Index / 100
Zimbabwe leads overall, ahead on 1 of 6 pillars
ZimbabweWorld #105
19.2
South Sudan
Zimbabwe
Pillar scores 0–100 (weight under each label) over a headline figure from that domain · readiness modifier ×0.80 vs ×0.87 · Methodology
Key figures
| South Sudan | Zimbabwe | Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defense budget | $240M | $166M | 🇸🇸 1.4× |
| – share of GDP | 2.0% | 0.4% | 🇸🇸 5.0× |
| Active personnel | 53,000 | 51,000 | 🇸🇸 ≈ |
| Combat aircraft | 0 | 21 | 🇿🇼 |
| Warships | 0 | 0 | — |
| – submarines | 0 | 0 | — |
| Main battle tanks | 30 | 15 | 🇸🇸 2.0× |
| Nuclear warheads | 0 | 0 | — |
Show full breakdown · 11 more rowsHide the 11 extra rows
| Reserve troops | 0 | 0 | — |
| Paramilitary forces | 0 | 21,800 | 🇿🇼 |
| Military aircraft (all types) | 20 | 94 | 🇿🇼 4.7× |
| – helicopters | 15 | 28 | 🇿🇼 1.9× |
| Budget share of govt spending | — | — | — |
| Budget per capita | $20 | $10 | 🇸🇸 2.0× |
| Population | 11.9M | 16.6M | 🇿🇼 1.4× |
| GDP | $12B | $42B | 🇿🇼 3.5× |
| GDP per capita | $1,005 | $2,497 | 🇿🇼 2.5× |
| Land area | 644,329 km² | 386,847 km² | 🇸🇸 1.7× |
| Coastline | 0 km | 0 km | — |
Backbone systems most numerous in service
🇿🇼 ZimbabweJL-8 ×10
Defense budget history South Sudan ×1.3 · Zimbabwe ×0.6 since 2020
Military personnel history
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who has more military personnel, South Sudan or Zimbabwe?
South Sudan has approximately 53,000 active military personnel compared to Zimbabwe's 51,000.
Which country has more combat aircraft, South Sudan or Zimbabwe?
Zimbabwe operates 21 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 Zimbabwe?
South Sudan has a larger defense budget at $240 million compared to Zimbabwe's $166 million annually.
Do South Sudan and Zimbabwe have nuclear weapons?
Neither South Sudan nor Zimbabwe currently possesses nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of South Sudan and Zimbabwe compare?
South Sudan operates 30 main battle tanks compared to Zimbabwe's 15. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.