Military Strength: 
South Sudan vs 
Zimbabwe
South Sudan (ranked #103 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than Zimbabwe (#110) on the ATLAS Index. South Sudan fields 185,000 active troops — 6.4:1 Zimbabwe's 29,000. South Sudan allocates $0.2B to defense compared to $0.2B for Zimbabwe.
ATLAS (Aggregate Total of Land, Air and Sea strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
South SudanWorld #103
14.4
ATLAS Index / 100
South Sudan leads on 3 of 6 pillars
ZimbabweWorld #110
13.1
South Sudan
Zimbabwe
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 | Zimbabwe | Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defense budget | $240M | $166M | 🇸🇸 1.4× |
| – share of GDP | 2.0% | 0.4% | 🇸🇸 5.0× |
| Active personnel | 185,000 | 29,000 | 🇸🇸 6.4× |
| 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 | 95 | 🇿🇼 4.8× |
| – helicopters | 15 | 29 | 🇿🇼 1.9× |
| Budget share of govt spending | — | — | — |
| Budget per capita | $20 | $10 | 🇸🇸 2.0× |
| Population | 12.2M | 17M | 🇿🇼 1.4× |
| GDP | $12B | $51B | 🇿🇼 4.3× |
| GDP per capita | $984 | $3,021 | 🇿🇼 3.1× |
| Land area | 644,329 km² | 386,847 km² | 🇸🇸 1.7× |
| Coastline | 0 km | 0 km | — |
Backbone systems most numerous in service
🇿🇼 ZimbabweJ-7 Fishcan ×11
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 185,000 active military personnel compared to Zimbabwe's 29,000, giving South Sudan a 6.4:1 numerical advantage.
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.