Indicator	Value
Military expenditure (% GDP)	1.96 %SIPRI via World Bank WDI [2024]
Military expenditure	2,030,000,000 US$SIPRI via World Bank WDI [2024]
Armed forces personnel	53,000 peopleWorld Bank WDI [2020]
Arms imports	10,000,000 US$SIPRI via World Bank WDI [2022]
Arms exports	No authoritative open source found
Military & security forces	South Sudan People’s Defense Force (SSPDF): Land Forces (includes Presidential Guard), Air Forces, Marine (Riverine) Forces, Reserve Forces; National (or Necessary) Unified Forces (NUF)Ministry of Interior: South Sudan National Police Service (SSNPS) (2025); note: note 1: the NUF are being formed by retraining rebel and pro-government militia fighters into military, police, and other government security forces; the first operational NUF deployed in November 2023note 2: numerous irregular forces operate in the country with official knowledge, including militias operated by the National Security Service (an internal security force under the Ministry of National Security) and proxy forcesCIA World Factbook [2025] · 2026 archive
Military service age & obligation	18 (legal minimum age)-35 for voluntary military service for men and women; 12-24 months service (2025); note: the UN reports that there are thousands of child soldiers in South Sudan serving in the SSPDF and militia forces although the South Sudanese Government has pledged to end the practiceCIA World Factbook [2025] · 2026 archive
Arms imports (USD)	10,000,000 US$SIPRI via World Bank WDI [2022]
Arms exports (USD)	No authoritative open source found
Military spending (% of GDP)	1.96 %SIPRI via World Bank WDI [2024]
Military spending (USD)	2,030,000,000 US$SIPRI via World Bank WDI [2024]