Kenya vs South Sudan
Kenya vs South Sudan: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 24,000 people in Kenya and 53,000 people in South Sudan, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in South Sudan, by 29,000 people, or 2.21 times that in Kenya.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- South Sudan has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2010.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | Kenya | South Sudan | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 24,000 | 53,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 29,000 | 185,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 29,100 | 185,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 29,000 | 185,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 29,100 | 185,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 29,100 | 185,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 29,100 | 185,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 29,100 | 185,000 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 29,100 | 210,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 29,100 | 210,000 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 29,120 | 140,000 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 29,120 | – | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 29,000 | – | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 29,000 | – | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | – | – | 27 million |
| 2005 | 29,000 | – | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 29,000 | – | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 29,100 | – | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 29,400 | – | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 29,400 | – | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 27,200 | – | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 29,200 | – | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 29,200 | – | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 29,200 | – | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 29,200 | – | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 29,200 | – | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 22,000 | – | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 24,000 | – | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 24,000 | – | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 20,000 | – | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 20,000 | – | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 20,000 | – | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 13,700 | – | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 19,000 | – | – |
| 1983 | 18,000 | – | – |
| 1982 | 19,000 | – | – |
| 1981 | 17,000 | – | – |
| 1980 | 13,000 | – | – |
| 1979 | 13,000 | – | – |
| 1978 | 13,000 | – | – |
| 1977 | 13,000 | – | – |
| 1976 | 9,000 | – | – |
| 1975 | 9,000 | – | – |
| 1974 | 9,000 | – | – |
| 1973 | 8,000 | – | – |
| 1972 | 7,000 | – | – |
| 1971 | 7,000 | – | – |
| 1970 | 7,000 | – | – |
| 1969 | 7,000 | – | – |
| 1968 | 8,000 | – | – |
| 1967 | 16,000 | – | – |
| 1966 | 17,000 | – | – |
| 1965 | 16,000 | – | – |
| 1964 | 15,000 | – | – |
| 1963 | 3,000 | – | – |
- 12.3Estimates, Correlates of War
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Active-duty military personnel, with paramilitary forces where they are trained and equipped like soldiers, by the IISS Military Balance.
- Source: IISS, The Military Balance, via the World Bank.
- Before 1985: Correlates of War Project, National Material Capabilities v7.0; Singer, Bremer and Stuckey (1972), “Capability Distribution, Uncertainty, and Major Power War, 1820–1965”, in Bruce Russett (ed.), Peace, War, and Numbers, Sage, 19–48.
- Ranks count the 170 countries with a value in 2020, highest first.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Kenya vs South Sudan
Health
- Life expectancyKenya: 63.7 years in 2023South Sudan: 57.6 years in 2023
- Child mortalityKenya: 3.9 per 100 live births in 2024South Sudan: 9.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityKenya: 29.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Sudan: 63.8 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionKenya: 3.51% in 2017South Sudan: 3.7% in 2017
- Suicide rateKenya: 11.1 per 100,000 people in 2017South Sudan: 12 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationKenya: 55.3 million people in 2023South Sudan: 11.5 million people in 2023
- Population growthKenya: 1.97% a year in 2023South Sudan: 5.86% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateKenya: 3.21 births per woman in 2023South Sudan: 3.86 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationKenya: 32.2% in 2025South Sudan: 21.7% in 2025
- Median ageKenya: 19.5 years in 2023South Sudan: 18 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overKenya: 2.9% in 2023South Sudan: 2.9% in 2023
- Net migration rateKenya: -0.2 per 1,000 people in 2023South Sudan: 39.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingKenya: 1.07% of GDP in 2025South Sudan: 3.43% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsKenya: $1.36B in 2025South Sudan: $103M in 2025
- Military spending per personKenya: $26 in 2025South Sudan: $15 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingKenya: 4.6% of government spending in 2025South Sudan: 18.4% of government spending in 2025
- National powerKenya: 0.23% of world capability in 2022South Sudan: 0.08% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersKenya: 0.11% of the labour force in 2020South Sudan: 1.18% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsKenya: 117 million TIV in 2025South Sudan: 10 million TIV in 2022