Burkina Faso vs Zambia
Burkina Faso vs Zambia: Military share of state spending
Military share of state spending in 2025: 13.2% of government spending in Burkina Faso and 4.5% of government spending in Zambia, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Burkina Faso, by 8.7 percentage points, or 2.94 times that in Zambia.
% of government spending · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Burkina Faso has been higher since 2018, when it overtook Zambia.
- In 2025, Burkina Faso ranked 19 and Zambia ranked 88 of 150 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of government spending · SIPRI
| Year | Burkina Faso | Zambia |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 13.2 | 4.5 |
| 2024 | 15.9 | 5.2 |
| 2023 | 14 | 4.9 |
| 2022 | 9.2 | 4 |
| 2021 | 8.4 | 3.2 |
| 2020 | 8.8 | 3.4 |
| 2019 | 9.5 | 4.2 |
| 2018 | 7.9 | 5.2 |
| 2017 | 5.2 | 5.2 |
| 2016 | 5.4 | 6 |
| 2015 | 6.1 | 6.3 |
| 2014 | 6.1 | 6.7 |
| 2013 | 4.9 | 5.7 |
| 2012 | 5.2 | 6.2 |
| 2011 | 5.6 | 6.7 |
| 2010 | 5.7 | 7.7 |
| 2009 | 6.3 | 8.1 |
| 2008 | 6.7 | 8 |
| 2007 | 6.2 | 8.3 |
| 2006 | 5.1 | 8.2 |
| 2005 | 5.9 | 7.5 |
| 2004 | 6 | 6.8 |
| 2003 | 6.1 | – |
| 2002 | 6.1 | – |
| 2001 | 5.9 | – |
| 2000 | 6.2 | – |
| 1999 | 5.8 | – |
| 1998 | 6.3 | – |
| 1997 | 7 | – |
| 1996 | 6.5 | – |
| 1995 | 7.1 | – |
| 1994 | 8 | – |
| 1993 | 9.4 | – |
| 1992 | 11.3 | – |
| 1991 | 11.6 | – |
| 1990 | 13.1 | – |
| 1989 | 16 | – |
| 1988 | 12 | – |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The part of everything the government spends that goes on its armed forces and defence, by SIPRI’s count.
- Source: Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Military Expenditure Database, https://doi.org/10.55163/CQGC9685.
- Ranks count the 150 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Burkina Faso vs Zambia
Health
- Life expectancyBurkina Faso: 61.1 years in 2023Zambia: 66.4 years in 2023
- Child mortalityBurkina Faso: 7.5 per 100 live births in 2024Zambia: 4.8 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityBurkina Faso: 52.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023Zambia: 38.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionBurkina Faso: 3.69% in 2017Zambia: 3.64% in 2017
- Suicide rateBurkina Faso: 13.2 per 100,000 people in 2017Zambia: 13.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationBurkina Faso: 23 million people in 2023Zambia: 20.7 million people in 2023
- Population growthBurkina Faso: 2.26% a year in 2023Zambia: 2.83% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateBurkina Faso: 4.19 births per woman in 2023Zambia: 4.1 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationBurkina Faso: 28.9% in 2025Zambia: 45.9% in 2025
- Median ageBurkina Faso: 17.3 years in 2023Zambia: 17.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overBurkina Faso: 2.6% in 2023Zambia: 1.9% in 2023
- Net migration rateBurkina Faso: -1.1 per 1,000 people in 2023Zambia: 0.5 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingBurkina Faso: 3.3% of GDP in 2025Zambia: 1.26% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsBurkina Faso: $844M in 2025Zambia: $343M in 2025
- Military spending per personBurkina Faso: $37 in 2025Zambia: $19 in 2025
- Armed forces personnelBurkina Faso: 11,000 people in 2020Zambia: 16,000 people in 2020
- National powerBurkina Faso: 0.09% of world capability in 2022Zambia: 0.1% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersBurkina Faso: 0.12% of the labour force in 2020Zambia: 0.24% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsBurkina Faso: 34 million TIV in 2025Zambia: 1 million TIV in 2024