Malaysia vs Sudan: Armed forces personnel
Malaysia
136,000
in 2020
Sudan
144,000
in 2020
Malaysia rank
45th
Sudan rank
43rd
Armed forces personnel over time
- Malaysia
- Sudan
How they compare
Sudan currently reports 144,000 against 136,000 in Malaysia, a difference of 8,000.
That makes Sudan's figure about 1.1 times Malaysia's.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 32 shared years of data; in 1985 it was Malaysia ahead.
Malaysia ranks 45th and Sudan ranks 43rd of 173 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Malaysia averaged higher in 3 and Sudan in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Malaysia | Sudan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 112,500 | 60,800 | 51,700 | Malaysia |
| 1990s | 128,340 | 92,760 | 35,580 | Malaysia |
| 2000s | 127,500 | 122,978 | 4,522 | Malaysia |
| 2010s | 134,320 | 194,490 | 60,170 | Sudan |
| 2020s | 136,000 | 144,000 | 8,000 | Sudan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel, Malaysia or Sudan?
- Sudan, at 144,000 against 136,000 in Malaysia as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel between Malaysia and Sudan?
- 8,000, with Sudan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Malaysia and Sudan?
- 32 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
- How do Malaysia and Sudan rank globally for armed forces personnel?
- Malaysia ranks 45th and Sudan ranks 43rd of 173 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Armed forces personnel. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if their training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces.