Armed forces personnel in South Sudan
South Sudan: Armed forces personnel was 53,000 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel in South Sudan, 2010–2020
Source: The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel in South Sudan is 53,000, measured 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 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.
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 reference data data for South Sudan
- Summer temperature anomalies 2.51 °C (2026)
- Spring temperature anomalies -2.16 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month -0.2213 °C (2026)
- Chief executive of the government is elected 0 (2025)
- Annual precipitation 690.12 millimeters (2025)
- Consumer price index 41,281 2010 = 100 (2024)
- Precipitation anomalies -323.89 millimeters (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Democracy 0 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel in South Sudan?
- Armed forces personnel in South Sudan was 53,000 in 2020, according to The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel recorded in South Sudan?
- The highest recorded value was 210,000 in 2011.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in South Sudan?
- The lowest recorded value was 53,000 in 2020.
- How does South Sudan rank for armed forces personnel?
- South Sudan ranks 67th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel 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, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Armed forces personnel. 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 their training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces.