Ghana vs Zambia
Ghana vs Zambia: Military spending
Military spending in 2025: 0.48% of GDP in Ghana and 1.26% of GDP in Zambia, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Zambia, by 0.78 percentage points, or 2.64 times that in Ghana.
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Zambia has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1984.
- In 2025, Ghana ranked 141 and Zambia ranked 98 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | Ghana | Zambia |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.48 | 1.26 |
| 2024 | 0.35 | 1.33 |
| 2023 | 0.4 | 1.34 |
| 2022 | 0.34 | 1.12 |
| 2021 | 0.38 | 0.98 |
| 2020 | 0.35 | 1.17 |
| 2019 | 0.34 | 1.26 |
| 2018 | 0.33 | 1.44 |
| 2017 | 0.31 | 1.3 |
| 2016 | 0.29 | 1.43 |
| 2015 | 0.39 | 1.75 |
| 2014 | 0.49 | 1.63 |
| 2013 | 0.4 | 1.36 |
| 2012 | 0.59 | 1.36 |
| 2011 | 0.44 | 1.32 |
| 2010 | 0.28 | 1.38 |
| 2009 | 0.34 | 1.73 |
| 2008 | 0.29 | 2.08 |
| 2007 | 0.37 | 2.06 |
| 2006 | 0.26 | 1.74 |
| 2005 | 0.26 | 1.85 |
| 2004 | 0.28 | 1.58 |
| 2003 | 0.3 | – |
| 2002 | 0.26 | – |
| 2001 | 0.26 | – |
| 2000 | 0.44 | – |
| 1999 | 0.33 | 1.65 |
| 1998 | 0.33 | – |
| 1997 | 0.29 | 1.01 |
| 1996 | 0.29 | 1.05 |
| 1995 | 0.34 | 1.45 |
| 1994 | 0.43 | 1.72 |
| 1993 | 0.42 | 1.43 |
| 1992 | 0.38 | 2.71 |
| 1991 | 0.37 | 2.34 |
| 1990 | 0.28 | 3.41 |
| 1989 | 0.43 | 4.2 |
| 1988 | 0.44 | 2.39 |
| 1987 | 0.89 | 3.22 |
| 1986 | 0.9 | 3.66 |
| 1985 | 1 | 2.36 |
| 1984 | 0.59 | 3 |
| 1983 | 0.34 | – |
| 1982 | 0.54 | – |
| 1981 | 0.74 | – |
| 1980 | 0.77 | – |
| 1979 | 0.65 | – |
| 1978 | 0.85 | – |
| 1977 | 1.25 | – |
| 1976 | 1.57 | – |
| 1975 | 1.72 | – |
| 1974 | 1.58 | – |
| 1973 | 1.37 | – |
| 1972 | 1.43 | – |
| 1971 | 1.7 | – |
| 1970 | 2.12 | – |
| 1969 | 2.5 | – |
| 1968 | 2.66 | – |
| 1966 | 2.23 | – |
| 1965 | 1.73 | – |
| 1964 | 1.92 | – |
| 1963 | 2.02 | – |
| 1962 | 2 | – |
| 1961 | 2.1 | – |
| 1960 | 1.71 | – |
| 1959 | 1.03 | – |
| 1958 | 1 | – |
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
Ghana vs Zambia
Health
- Life expectancyGhana: 65.5 years in 2023Zambia: 66.4 years in 2023
- Child mortalityGhana: 3.6 per 100 live births in 2024Zambia: 4.8 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityGhana: 30.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023Zambia: 38.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionGhana: 3.4% in 2017Zambia: 3.64% in 2017
- Suicide rateGhana: 9.7 per 100,000 people in 2017Zambia: 13.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationGhana: 33.8 million people in 2023Zambia: 20.7 million people in 2023
- Population growthGhana: 1.9% a year in 2023Zambia: 2.83% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateGhana: 3.4 births per woman in 2023Zambia: 4.1 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationGhana: 58.9% in 2025Zambia: 45.9% in 2025
- Median ageGhana: 20.9 years in 2023Zambia: 17.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overGhana: 3.6% in 2023Zambia: 1.9% in 2023
- Net migration rateGhana: -0.3 per 1,000 people in 2023Zambia: 0.5 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending in US dollarsGhana: $385M in 2025Zambia: $343M in 2025
- Military spending per personGhana: $15 in 2025Zambia: $19 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingGhana: 2.4% of government spending in 2025Zambia: 4.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelGhana: 16,000 people in 2020Zambia: 16,000 people in 2020
- National powerGhana: 0.17% of world capability in 2022Zambia: 0.1% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersGhana: 0.13% of the labour force in 2020Zambia: 0.24% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsGhana: 5 million TIV in 2025Zambia: 1 million TIV in 2024
- Arms exportsGhana: 19 million TIV in 2005Zambia: 2 million TIV in 1990