Armed forces personnel, total in South Sudan
South Sudan: Armed forces personnel, total was 53,000 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel, total in South Sudan, 2010–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Analysis
South Sudan recorded 53,000 for armed forces personnel, total in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 11 years on record.
The figure is down 71.4% on the previous year and down 62.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total in South Sudan peaked at 210,000 in 2011 and was at its lowest, 53,000, in 2020.
South Sudan ranks 67th of 173 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 11 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel, total in South Sudan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 140,000 | — |
| 2011 | 210,000 | +50.0% |
| 2012 | 210,000 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 185,000 | -11.9% |
| 2014 | 185,000 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 185,000 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 185,000 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 185,000 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 185,000 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 185,000 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 53,000 | -71.4% |
South Sudan compared with similar countries
- South Sudan's 53,000 is above the median for low income countries, which is 35,000, 1.5× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- South Sudan's 53,000 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 16,000, 3.3× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 185,500 | 140,000 | 210,000 | 10 |
| 2020s | 53,000 | 53,000 | 53,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near South Sudan
More public sector data for South Sudan
- Universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Democracy 0 (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected 0 (2025)
- Elected parliament 0 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
- Competitive elections 0 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Universal right to vote in practice 0 (2025)
- Arms imports 10.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel, total in South Sudan?
- Armed forces personnel, total in South Sudan was 53,000 in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total recorded in South Sudan?
- The highest recorded value was 210,000 in 2011.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total recorded in South Sudan?
- The lowest recorded value was 53,000 in 2020.
- How does South Sudan rank for armed forces personnel, total?
- South Sudan ranks 67th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total rising or falling in South Sudan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 62.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Sudan data come from?
- The figures come from The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies, published as part of Armed forces personnel, total. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if the training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces.