Here are the top 20 most powerful countries in Africa, with their Power Index (PwrIndx) score as of 2015.
12) Democratic Republic of Congo (PwrIndx: 2.6642)
Active Personnel: 144,000
The population of Democratic Republic of Congo is 75,507,308. The nation covers 2,344,858 sq km. Its defense budget is $162,000,000.
11) Sudan (PwrIndx: 2.3465)
Active Personnel: 109,300
Sudan covers an area of 1,861,484 sq km and has a coastline of 853 km. The nation’s defense budget is $2,470,000,000. It has 360 tanks and 168 aircraft.
10) Libya (PwrIndx: 2.3353)
Active Personnel: 76,000
Libya has a population of 6,244,174. It covers 1,759,540 sq km and has a coastline of 1,770 km. The nation’s defense budget is $3 billion. Libya has 400 tanks and 46 aircraft.
9) Angola (PwrIndx: 2.2599)
Active Personnel: 107,000
Angola’s population is 18,565,269. It has 107,000 active frontline personnel and 3,039,089 people are fit for service. Angola has one of the largest air forces in Africa. Angola has 140 tanks and 270 aircraft.
8) Tunisia (PwrIndx: 1.8635)
Active Personnel: 35,800
Tunisia’s defense budget is $550,000,000. It covers an area of 163,610 sq km and a coastline of 1,148 km. The nation has 350 tanks and 139 aircraft. Total naval strength is 150.
7) Morocco (PwrIndx: 1.8499)
Active Personnel: 195,800
The population of Morocco is 32,649,130 and the defense budget is $3.4 billion. Morocco covers an area of 446,550 sq km and has a coastline of 1,835. It has 1,348 tanks and 323 aircraft.
6) Kenya (PwrIndx: 1.7689)
Active Personnel: 24,120
Kenya covers an area of 580,367 sq km and a coastline of 536 km. The nation’s defense budget is $595 million. Kenya has 24,120 active frontline personnel and 12,168,138 people are fit for service.
5) Nigeria (PwrIndx: 1.5261)
Active Personnel: 80,000
Population of Nigeria is 174,507,539. The country’s defense budget is $2.33 billion. It has 363 tanks and 96 aircraft. Nigeria’s total naval strength is 75. It covers 923,768 sq km and has a coastline of 853 km.
4) South Africa (PwrIndx: 1.3467)
Active Personnel: 62,082
South Africa covers 1,219,090 sq km and has a coastline of 2,798 km. Defense budget of South Africa is $4.61 billion. The nation has 191 tanks, 213 aircraft, and its total naval strength is 30.
3) Ethiopia (PwrIndx: 1.3229)
Active Personnel: 138,000
The population of Ethiopia is 93,877,025. It has 182,500 active frontline personnel. The nation covers 1,104,300 sq km. Ethiopia’s defense budget is $340 million. It has 560 tanks and 81 aircraft.
2) Algeria (PwrIndx: 1.1698)
Active Personnel: 130,000
Algeria covers an area of 2,381,741 sq km and has a coastline of 998 km. The nation’s defense budget is $10.57 billion.
1) Egypt (PwrIndx: 0.6122)
Active Personnel: 438,500
Egypt is the most powerful nation in Africa. It has 4,767 tanks and 1,100 aircraft. Its total naval strength is 237. As of 2011 the Egyptian Armed forces have more than 438,500 active personnel, in addition to 800,000 personnel available in reserve and over 400,000 paramilitary personnel making it one of the largest armies in the world. At $7.85 billion, it also has one of the largest defense budgets in the world.
