Burkina Faso vs Zambia
Burkina Faso vs Zambia: Military spending
Military spending in 2025: 3.3% of GDP in Burkina Faso and 1.26% of GDP in Zambia, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Burkina Faso, by 2.04 percentage points, or 2.62 times that in Zambia.
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Burkina Faso has been higher since 2017, when it overtook Zambia.
- In 2025, Burkina Faso ranked 17 and Zambia ranked 98 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | Burkina Faso | Zambia |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3.3 | 1.26 |
| 2024 | 4.39 | 1.33 |
| 2023 | 4.08 | 1.34 |
| 2022 | 2.98 | 1.12 |
| 2021 | 2.33 | 0.98 |
| 2020 | 2.11 | 1.17 |
| 2019 | 2.21 | 1.26 |
| 2018 | 1.93 | 1.44 |
| 2017 | 1.36 | 1.3 |
| 2016 | 1.17 | 1.43 |
| 2015 | 1.25 | 1.75 |
| 2014 | 1.27 | 1.63 |
| 2013 | 1.24 | 1.36 |
| 2012 | 1.18 | 1.36 |
| 2011 | 1.15 | 1.32 |
| 2010 | 1.23 | 1.38 |
| 2009 | 1.35 | 1.73 |
| 2008 | 1.24 | 2.08 |
| 2007 | 1.42 | 2.06 |
| 2006 | 1.11 | 1.74 |
| 2005 | 1.2 | 1.85 |
| 2004 | 1.21 | 1.58 |
| 2003 | 1.07 | – |
| 2002 | 1.18 | – |
| 2001 | 1.16 | – |
| 2000 | 1.24 | – |
| 1999 | 1.23 | 1.65 |
| 1998 | 1.28 | – |
| 1997 | 1.42 | 1.01 |
| 1996 | 1.29 | 1.05 |
| 1995 | 1.38 | 1.45 |
| 1994 | 1.42 | 1.72 |
| 1993 | 1.86 | 1.43 |
| 1992 | 2.05 | 2.71 |
| 1991 | 2.17 | 2.34 |
| 1990 | 2.71 | 3.41 |
| 1989 | 2.74 | 4.2 |
| 1988 | 2.31 | 2.39 |
| 1987 | 2.25 | 3.22 |
| 1986 | 2.62 | 3.66 |
| 1985 | 1.84 | 2.36 |
| 1984 | 3.02 | 3 |
| 1983 | 2.93 | – |
| 1982 | 3 | – |
| 1981 | 2.84 | – |
| 1980 | 2.75 | – |
| 1979 | 2.7 | – |
| 1978 | 3.28 | – |
| 1977 | 3.04 | – |
| 1976 | 3.12 | – |
| 1975 | 2.81 | – |
| 1974 | 1.15 | – |
| 1973 | 1.24 | – |
| 1972 | 1.14 | – |
| 1971 | 1.18 | – |
| 1970 | 1.17 | – |
| 1969 | 1.25 | – |
| 1968 | 1.18 | – |
| 1967 | 1.33 | – |
| 1966 | 1.65 | – |
| 1965 | 1.53 | – |
| 1964 | 2.61 | – |
| 1963 | 2.38 | – |
| 1962 | 2.35 | – |
| 1961 | 0.83 | – |
| 1960 | 0.68 | – |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the country spends on its armed forces and defence, as a share of its economy, 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 151 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 spending in US dollarsBurkina Faso: $844M in 2025Zambia: $343M in 2025
- Military spending per personBurkina Faso: $37 in 2025Zambia: $19 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingBurkina Faso: 13.2% of government spending in 2025Zambia: 4.5% of government spending 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