Nigeria vs Zimbabwe
Nigeria vs Zimbabwe: Military spending
Military spending in 2025: 0.91% of GDP in Nigeria and 0.56% of GDP in Zimbabwe, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Nigeria, by 0.34 percentage points, or 1.61 times that in Zimbabwe.
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Nigeria has been higher since 2023, when it overtook Zimbabwe.
- In 2025, Nigeria ranked 115 and Zimbabwe ranked 136 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | Nigeria | Zimbabwe |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.91 | 0.56 |
| 2024 | 0.56 | 0.35 |
| 2023 | 0.84 | 0.21 |
| 2022 | 0.65 | 1 |
| 2021 | 1.01 | 1.57 |
| 2020 | 0.63 | 0.98 |
| 2019 | 0.46 | 0.65 |
| 2018 | 0.51 | 1.18 |
| 2017 | 0.43 | 1.47 |
| 2016 | 0.43 | 1.74 |
| 2015 | 0.42 | 1.89 |
| 2014 | 0.41 | 1.89 |
| 2013 | 0.47 | 1.87 |
| 2012 | 0.5 | 1.86 |
| 2011 | 0.58 | 1.41 |
| 2010 | 0.54 | 0.82 |
| 2009 | 0.51 | – |
| 2008 | 0.49 | – |
| 2007 | 0.37 | – |
| 2006 | 0.35 | 1.99 |
| 2005 | 0.4 | 1.45 |
| 2004 | 0.49 | 2.71 |
| 2003 | 0.57 | 2.04 |
| 2002 | 0.95 | 6.31 |
| 2001 | 0.78 | 2.55 |
| 2000 | 0.54 | 3.05 |
| 1999 | 0.86 | 2.24 |
| 1998 | 0.55 | 2.53 |
| 1997 | 0.44 | 3 |
| 1996 | 0.41 | 2.88 |
| 1995 | 0.48 | 3.18 |
| 1994 | 0.78 | 3.12 |
| 1993 | 0.93 | 3.3 |
| 1992 | 0.56 | 3.8 |
| 1991 | 0.77 | 3.98 |
| 1990 | 0.83 | 4.1 |
| 1989 | 0.58 | 4.93 |
| 1988 | 0.88 | 5.21 |
| 1987 | 0.77 | 5.82 |
| 1986 | 1.31 | 5.5 |
| 1985 | 1.44 | 5.49 |
| 1984 | 1.56 | 5.68 |
| 1983 | 2.22 | 5.56 |
| 1982 | 2.27 | 5.12 |
| 1981 | 2.77 | 4.86 |
| 1980 | 3.3 | 6.63 |
| 1979 | 4.32 | 8.52 |
| 1978 | 5.33 | 7.99 |
| 1977 | 6.02 | 6.54 |
| 1976 | 5.79 | 4.63 |
| 1975 | 8.12 | 3.4 |
| 1974 | 4.34 | 2.98 |
| 1973 | 5.48 | 2.63 |
| 1972 | 5.39 | 2.18 |
| 1971 | 4.39 | 2.29 |
| 1970 | 5.28 | 2.44 |
| 1969 | 10.32 | 2.42 |
| 1968 | 9.16 | 2.07 |
| 1967 | 5.81 | 1.36 |
| 1966 | 1.1 | 1.32 |
| 1965 | 1.4 | 1.19 |
| 1964 | 1.23 | – |
| 1963 | 1.1 | – |
| 1962 | 1.1 | – |
| 1961 | 0.85 | – |
| 1960 | 0.7 | – |
- Estimate
- Highly uncertain
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.
- Marked points are SIPRI’s own: a dot where it gives the figure as its estimate, a ring where it calls the figure highly uncertain.
- 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
Nigeria vs Zimbabwe
Health
- Life expectancyNigeria: 54.5 years in 2023Zimbabwe: 62.8 years in 2023
- Child mortalityNigeria: 11.6 per 100 live births in 2024Zimbabwe: 6.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityNigeria: 69.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023Zimbabwe: 33.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterNigeria: 29% in 2022Zimbabwe: 26.5% in 2022
- DepressionNigeria: 3.92% in 2017Zimbabwe: 3.19% in 2017
- Suicide rateNigeria: 7.5 per 100,000 people in 2017Zimbabwe: 26.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationNigeria: 228 million people in 2023Zimbabwe: 16.3 million people in 2023
- Population growthNigeria: 2.1% a year in 2023Zimbabwe: 1.68% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateNigeria: 4.48 births per woman in 2023Zimbabwe: 3.72 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationNigeria: 63.8% in 2025Zimbabwe: 40.5% in 2025
- Median ageNigeria: 17.8 years in 2023Zimbabwe: 17.8 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overNigeria: 3% in 2023Zimbabwe: 3.6% in 2023
- Net migration rateNigeria: -0.3 per 1,000 people in 2023Zimbabwe: -6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending in US dollarsNigeria: $1.76B in 2025Zimbabwe: $134M in 2025
- Military spending per personNigeria: $9 in 2025Zimbabwe: $10 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingNigeria: 5.9% of government spending in 2025Zimbabwe: 5.3% of government spending in 2005
- Armed forces personnelNigeria: 223,000 people in 2020Zimbabwe: 51,000 people in 2020
- National powerNigeria: 1.16% of world capability in 2022Zimbabwe: 0.08% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersNigeria: 0.23% of the labour force in 2020Zimbabwe: 0.88% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsNigeria: 21 million TIV in 2025Zimbabwe: 20 million TIV in 2023
- Arms exportsNigeria: 4 million TIV in 2022Zimbabwe: 4 million TIV in 2001