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

South Africa (ranked #50 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than Tunisia (#66) on the ARMS Index. Tunisia fields 48,000 active troops vs 89,000 for South Africa, backed by 15,050 reserves. South Africa's $2.8B defense budget is 2.2:1 that of Tunisia ($1.3B).

ARMS (Aggregate Rating of Military Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Flag of Tunisia TunisiaWorld #66 32.2
ARMS Index / 100

South Africa leads on 5 of 6 pillars

Flag of South Africa South AfricaWorld #50 38.3
  • 57.648K active troops Manpower15 % 63.089K active troops
  • 53.190 battle tanks Ground forces20 % 57.5252 battle tanks
  • 24.866 warships Naval power20 % 38.149 warships
  • 36.213 combat aircraft Air power25 % 42.525 combat aircraft
  • 0.00 warheads Nuclear deterrent10 % 0.00 warheads
  • 35.3$1.3B budget Defense budget10 % 41.6$2.8B budget
Tunisia South Africa Pillar scores 0–100 (weight under each label) over a headline figure from that domain · readiness modifier ×1.00 vs ×1.01 · 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 48,000 89,000 🇿🇦 1.9×
Combat aircraft 13 25 🇿🇦 1.9×
Warships 66 49 🇹🇳 1.3×
– submarines 0 3 🇿🇦
Main battle tanks 90 252 🇿🇦 2.8×
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) 169 192 🇿🇦 1.1×
– helicopters 116 84 🇹🇳 1.4×
Budget share of govt spending — — —
Budget per capita $105 $44 🇹🇳 2.4×
Population 12.3M 64M 🇿🇦 5.2×
GDP $51B $401B 🇿🇦 7.8×
GDP per capita $4,181 $6,267 🇿🇦 1.5×
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 ×10M60A3 TTS Patton ×90
🇿🇦 South AfricaJAS 39 Gripen ×25Olifant 1 ×200Heroine-class ×3
Defense budget history Tunisia ×1.0 · South Africa ×0.8 since 2020
Military personnel history

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who has more military personnel, Tunisia or South Africa?
South Africa has approximately 89,000 active military personnel compared to Tunisia's 48,000, giving South Africa a 1.9:1 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 66 vessels compared to South Africa's 49 ships. 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 252 main battle tanks compared to Tunisia's 90. Tank numbers reflect both active inventory and reserves.