Namibia vs Zambia
Namibia vs Zambia: Armed forces, share of workers
Armed forces, share of workers in 2020: 1.67% of the labour force in Namibia and 0.24% of the labour force in Zambia, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Namibia, by 1.42 percentage points, or 6.84 times that in Zambia.
% of the labour force · IISS
What the numbers say
- Namibia has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1991.
- In 2020, Namibia ranked 36 and Zambia ranked 150 of 168 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 0.79% of the labour force in 2020.
Every year
% of the labour force · IISS
| Year | Namibia | Zambia | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1.67 | 0.24 | 0.79 |
| 2019 | 1.63 | 0.26 | 0.79 |
| 2018 | 1.66 | 0.27 | 0.8 |
| 2017 | 1.69 | 0.28 | 0.8 |
| 2016 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 0.81 |
| 2015 | 1.66 | 0.31 | 0.82 |
| 2014 | 1.7 | 0.32 | 0.82 |
| 2013 | 1.73 | 0.34 | 0.83 |
| 2012 | 1.9 | 0.35 | 0.87 |
| 2011 | 1.95 | 0.36 | 0.88 |
| 2010 | 2 | 0.37 | 0.89 |
| 2009 | 2.05 | 0.39 | 0.89 |
| 2008 | 2.08 | 0.39 | 0.89 |
| 2007 | 2.14 | 0.4 | 0.89 |
| 2006 | 2.2 | 0.42 | 0.95 |
| 2005 | 2.27 | 0.44 | 0.96 |
| 2004 | 2.33 | 0.45 | 0.94 |
| 2003 | 2.39 | 0.57 | 0.98 |
| 2002 | 2.46 | 0.69 | 1 |
| 2001 | 2.53 | 0.72 | 1.01 |
| 2000 | 1.58 | 0.74 | 1.07 |
| 1999 | 1.63 | 0.76 | 1.09 |
| 1998 | 1.68 | 0.79 | 1.13 |
| 1997 | 1.12 | 0.81 | 1.15 |
| 1996 | 1.59 | 0.83 | 1.18 |
| 1995 | 1.6 | 0.85 | 1.2 |
| 1994 | 1.61 | 0.6 | 0.94 |
| 1993 | 1.67 | 0.62 | 0.98 |
| 1992 | 1.72 | 0.63 | 1.03 |
| 1991 | 1.78 | 0.65 | 1.03 |
| 1990 | – | 0.67 | 1.11 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Active-duty military personnel as a share of everyone working or looking for work, by the IISS Military Balance.
- Source: IISS, The Military Balance, via the World Bank.
- Ranks count the 168 countries with a value in 2020, highest first.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Namibia vs Zambia
Health
- Life expectancyNamibia: 67.4 years in 2023Zambia: 66.4 years in 2023
- Child mortalityNamibia: 4 per 100 live births in 2024Zambia: 4.8 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityNamibia: 27.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023Zambia: 38.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionNamibia: 3.46% in 2017Zambia: 3.64% in 2017
- Suicide rateNamibia: 11.8 per 100,000 people in 2017Zambia: 13.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationNamibia: 2.96 million people in 2023Zambia: 20.7 million people in 2023
- Population growthNamibia: 2.37% a year in 2023Zambia: 2.83% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateNamibia: 3.21 births per woman in 2023Zambia: 4.1 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationNamibia: 50.9% in 2025Zambia: 45.9% in 2025
- Median ageNamibia: 21 years in 2023Zambia: 17.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overNamibia: 3.6% in 2023Zambia: 1.9% in 2023
- Net migration rateNamibia: 3.9 per 1,000 people in 2023Zambia: 0.5 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingNamibia: 2.77% of GDP in 2025Zambia: 1.26% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsNamibia: $386M in 2025Zambia: $343M in 2025
- Military spending per personNamibia: $134 in 2025Zambia: $19 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingNamibia: 7% of government spending in 2025Zambia: 4.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelNamibia: 16,000 people in 2020Zambia: 16,000 people in 2020
- National powerNamibia: 0.02% of world capability in 2022Zambia: 0.1% of world capability in 2022
- Arms importsNamibia: 0 TIV in 2025Zambia: 1 million TIV in 2024