Kenya vs Zambia
Kenya vs Zambia: Military spending
Military spending in 2025: 1.07% of GDP in Kenya and 1.26% of GDP in Zambia, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Zambia, by 0.19 percentage points, or 1.18 times that in Kenya.
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Zambia has been higher since 2022, when it overtook Kenya.
- In 2025, Kenya ranked 105 and Zambia ranked 98 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | Kenya | Zambia |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.07 | 1.26 |
| 2024 | 1.04 | 1.33 |
| 2023 | 0.98 | 1.34 |
| 2022 | 1.01 | 1.12 |
| 2021 | 1.08 | 0.98 |
| 2020 | 1.11 | 1.17 |
| 2019 | 1.11 | 1.26 |
| 2018 | 1.21 | 1.44 |
| 2017 | 1.24 | 1.3 |
| 2016 | 1.25 | 1.43 |
| 2015 | 1.2 | 1.75 |
| 2014 | 1.2 | 1.63 |
| 2013 | 1.4 | 1.36 |
| 2012 | 1.49 | 1.36 |
| 2011 | 1.38 | 1.32 |
| 2010 | 1.37 | 1.38 |
| 2009 | 1.37 | 1.73 |
| 2008 | 1.62 | 2.08 |
| 2007 | 1.55 | 2.06 |
| 2006 | 1.46 | 1.74 |
| 2005 | 1.69 | 1.85 |
| 2004 | 1.61 | 1.58 |
| 2003 | 1.65 | – |
| 2002 | 1.63 | – |
| 2001 | 1.51 | – |
| 2000 | 1.31 | – |
| 1999 | 1.19 | 1.65 |
| 1998 | 1.22 | – |
| 1997 | 1.34 | 1.01 |
| 1996 | 1.42 | 1.05 |
| 1995 | 1.65 | 1.45 |
| 1994 | 1.64 | 1.72 |
| 1993 | 1.84 | 1.43 |
| 1992 | 1.9 | 2.71 |
| 1991 | 2.35 | 2.34 |
| 1990 | 2.89 | 3.41 |
| 1989 | 2.74 | 4.2 |
| 1988 | 2.95 | 2.39 |
| 1987 | 3.13 | 3.22 |
| 1986 | 2.5 | 3.66 |
| 1985 | 2.38 | 2.36 |
| 1984 | 3.48 | 3 |
| 1983 | 4.2 | – |
| 1982 | 4.57 | – |
| 1981 | 4.23 | – |
| 1980 | 4.52 | – |
| 1979 | 5.5 | – |
| 1978 | 5.2 | – |
| 1977 | 3.74 | – |
| 1976 | 2.49 | – |
| 1975 | 1.88 | – |
| 1974 | 1.78 | – |
| 1973 | 1.66 | – |
| 1972 | 1.54 | – |
| 1971 | 1.23 | – |
| 1970 | 1.06 | – |
| 1969 | 1.08 | – |
| 1968 | 1.22 | – |
| 1967 | 1.31 | – |
| 1966 | 1.13 | – |
| 1965 | 0.99 | – |
| 1964 | 0.59 | – |
| 1963 | 0.21 | – |
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
Kenya vs Zambia
Health
- Life expectancyKenya: 63.7 years in 2023Zambia: 66.4 years in 2023
- Child mortalityKenya: 3.9 per 100 live births in 2024Zambia: 4.8 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityKenya: 29.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023Zambia: 38.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionKenya: 3.51% in 2017Zambia: 3.64% in 2017
- Suicide rateKenya: 11.1 per 100,000 people in 2017Zambia: 13.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationKenya: 55.3 million people in 2023Zambia: 20.7 million people in 2023
- Population growthKenya: 1.97% a year in 2023Zambia: 2.83% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateKenya: 3.21 births per woman in 2023Zambia: 4.1 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationKenya: 32.2% in 2025Zambia: 45.9% in 2025
- Median ageKenya: 19.5 years in 2023Zambia: 17.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overKenya: 2.9% in 2023Zambia: 1.9% in 2023
- Net migration rateKenya: -0.2 per 1,000 people in 2023Zambia: 0.5 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending in US dollarsKenya: $1.36B in 2025Zambia: $343M in 2025
- Military spending per personKenya: $26 in 2025Zambia: $19 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingKenya: 4.6% of government spending in 2025Zambia: 4.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelKenya: 24,000 people in 2020Zambia: 16,000 people in 2020
- National powerKenya: 0.23% of world capability in 2022Zambia: 0.1% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersKenya: 0.11% of the labour force in 2020Zambia: 0.24% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsKenya: 117 million TIV in 2025Zambia: 1 million TIV in 2024
- Arms exportsKenya: 2 million TIV in 1993Zambia: 2 million TIV in 1990