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

South Africa (ranked #52 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than Tunisia (#67) on the ATLAS Index. Tunisia fields 35,800 active troops vs 65,350 for South Africa, backed by 15,050 reserves. South Africa's $2.8B defense budget is 2.2:1 that of Tunisia ($1.3B).

ATLAS (Aggregate Total of Land, Air and Sea strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Flag of Tunisia TunisiaWorld #67 23.1
ATLAS Index / 100

South Africa leads on 5 of 6 pillars

Flag of South Africa South AfricaWorld #52 29.1
  • 32.535K active troops Manpower10 % 38.265K active troops
  • 29.890 battle tanks Ground forces20 % 36.5203 battle tanks
  • 26.956 warships Naval power20 % 36.245 warships
  • 21.513 combat aircraft Air power25 % 27.625 combat aircraft
  • 0.00 warheads Nuclear deterrent10 % 0.00 warheads
  • 19.3$1.3B budget Defense budget15 % 23.5$2.8B budget
Tunisia 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
Tunisia South Africa Ratio
Defense budget $1.3B $2.8B 🇿🇦 2.2×
– share of GDP 2.5% 0.7% 🇹🇳 3.6×
Active personnel 35,800 65,350 🇿🇦 1.8×
Combat aircraft 13 25 🇿🇦 1.9×
Warships 56 45 🇹🇳 1.2×
– submarines 0 3 🇿🇦
Main battle tanks 90 203 🇿🇦 2.3×
Nuclear warheads 0 0 —
Show full breakdown · 11 more rowsHide the 11 extra rows
Reserve troops 0 15,050 🇿🇦
Paramilitary forces 12,000 0 🇹🇳
Military aircraft (all types) 176 194 🇿🇦 1.1×
– helicopters 116 84 🇹🇳 1.4×
Budget share of govt spending — — —
Budget per capita $104 $43 🇹🇳 2.4×
Population 12.3M 64.7M 🇿🇦 5.2×
GDP $58B $427B 🇿🇦 7.4×
GDP per capita $4,657 $6,598 🇿🇦 1.4×
Land area 155,360 km² 1,214,470 km² 🇿🇦 7.8×
Coastline 1,148 km 2,798 km 🇿🇦 2.4×
Backbone systems most numerous in service
🇹🇳 TunisiaF-5E Tiger II ×13M60A3 TTS Patton ×90
🇿🇦 South AfricaJAS 39 Gripen ×25Olifant 1 ×70Heroine-class ×3
Defense budget history Tunisia ×1.0 · South Africa ×0.8 since 2020
Military personnel history
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South Africa vsNigeriaMoroccoEgyptEthiopiaAlgeria
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Frequently Asked Questions

Who has more military personnel, Tunisia or South Africa?
South Africa has approximately 65,350 active military personnel compared to Tunisia's 35,800, giving South Africa a 1.8:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, Tunisia or South Africa?
South Africa operates 25 combat aircraft compared to Tunisia's 13. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Who has the larger navy, Tunisia or South Africa?
Tunisia has a larger navy with 56 warships compared to South Africa's 45. Tunisia operates 0 submarines while South Africa has 3.
Which country spends more on defense, Tunisia or South Africa?
South Africa has a larger defense budget at $2.8 billion (2.2:1 more) compared to Tunisia's $1.3 billion annually.
Do Tunisia and South Africa have nuclear weapons?
Neither Tunisia nor South Africa currently possesses nuclear weapons.
How do the tank forces of Tunisia and South Africa compare?
South Africa operates 203 main battle tanks compared to Tunisia's 90. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.