Military personnel as a share of total population in South Sudan

South Sudan: Military personnel as a share of total population was 0.5% in 2022. ▼ Falling

Latest (2022)
0.5%
Change on year
down 1.4%
World rank
43rd
of 194 countries
All-time high
1.9%
in 2013
All-time low
0.5%
in 2022
Years of data
11
2012–2022

Military personnel as a share of total population in South Sudan, 2012–2022

0.511.522012201720222012: 1.3 %2013: 1.9 %2014: 1.8 %2015: 1.6 %2016: 1.5 %2017: 1.8 %2018: 1.8 %2019: 1.8 %2020: 1.7 %2021: 0.488 %2022: 0.481 %

Source: Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for military personnel as a share of total population in South Sudan is 0.5%, measured in 2022. That is the lowest value across all 11 years on record.

That represents a change of down 1.4% on the previous year and down 62.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, military personnel as a share of total population in South Sudan peaked at 1.9% in 2013 and was at its lowest, 0.5%, in 2022.

That places South Sudan 43rd out of 194 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 11 years of available data.

Military personnel as a share of total population in South Sudan, year by year

Annual values for Military personnel as a share of total population in South Sudan, 2012 to 2022.
Year % Change
2012 1.3%
2013 1.9% +45.5%
2014 1.8% -3.1%
2015 1.6% -14.5%
2016 1.5% -2.9%
2017 1.8% +19.2%
2018 1.8% +1.3%
2019 1.8% -2.9%
2020 1.7% -2.6%
2021 0.5% -71.8%
2022 0.5% -1.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 1.7% 1.3% 1.9% 8
2020s 0.9% 0.5% 1.7% 3

Countries ranked near South Sudan

  1. 40 Belize 0.5% compare
  2. 41 Colombia 0.5% compare
  3. 42 Viet Nam 0.5% compare
  4. 44 Norway 0.5% compare
  5. 45 Cuba 0.4% compare
  6. 46 Iraq 0.4% compare

See the full ranking of 194 places →

More population data for South Sudan

All data for South Sudan →

Frequently asked questions

What is military personnel as a share of total population in South Sudan?
Military personnel as a share of total population in South Sudan was 0.5% in 2022, according to Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest military personnel as a share of total population recorded in South Sudan?
The highest recorded value was 1.9% in 2013.
What is the lowest military personnel as a share of total population recorded in South Sudan?
The lowest recorded value was 0.5% in 2022.
How does South Sudan rank for military personnel as a share of total population?
South Sudan ranks 43rd out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
Is military personnel as a share of total population rising or falling in South Sudan?
Over the last ten years it is down 62.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this South Sudan data come from?
The figures come from Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military personnel as a share of total population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Military personnel as a share of total population in South Sudan. Statizoid, drawing on Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/military-personnel-as-a-share-of-total-population/south-sudan/

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About this data

Indicator
Military personnel as a share of total population
Unit
%
Source
Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
194 places, 15,765 data points, 1816–2022
Last refreshed

Ratio of military personnel to total population, expressed as a percentage.