Rwanda vs Zambia
Rwanda vs Zambia: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 35,000 people in Rwanda and 16,000 people in Zambia, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Rwanda, by 19,000 people, or 2.19 times that in Zambia.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- Rwanda has been higher since 1991, when it overtook Zambia.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | Rwanda | Zambia | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 35,000 | 16,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 35,000 | 16,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 35,000 | 16,100 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 35,000 | 16,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 35,000 | 16,500 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 35,000 | 16,500 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 35,000 | 16,500 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 35,000 | 16,500 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 35,000 | 16,500 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 35,000 | 16,500 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 35,000 | 16,500 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 35,000 | 16,500 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 35,000 | 16,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 35,000 | 16,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | – | 16,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 53,000 | 16,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 53,000 | 16,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 61,000 | 19,500 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 80,000 | 23,000 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 79,000 | 23,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 76,000 | 23,000 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 54,000 | 23,000 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 54,000 | 23,000 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 62,000 | 23,000 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 40,000 | 23,000 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 47,000 | 23,000 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 30,000 | 16,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 30,000 | 16,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 30,000 | 16,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 30,000 | 16,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 6,000 | 16,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 6,000 | 17,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 5,200 | 16,200 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 5,000 | 16,000 | – |
| 1983 | 5,000 | 16,000 | – |
| 1982 | 5,000 | 16,000 | – |
| 1981 | 5,000 | 17,000 | – |
| 1980 | 5,000 | 15,000 | – |
| 1979 | 4,000 | 14,000 | – |
| 1978 | 4,000 | 14,000 | – |
| 1977 | 4,000 | 20,000 | – |
| 1976 | 4,000 | 17,000 | – |
| 1975 | 4,000 | 16,000 | – |
| 1974 | 4,000 | 16,000 | – |
| 1973 | 4,000 | 16,000 | – |
| 1972 | 4,000 | 14,000 | – |
| 1971 | 4,000 | 13,000 | – |
| 1970 | 4,000 | 12,000 | – |
| 1969 | 4,000 | 11,000 | – |
| 1968 | 4,000 | 11,000 | – |
| 1967 | 3,000 | 10,000 | – |
| 1966 | 3,000 | 11,000 | – |
| 1965 | 2,000 | 9,000 | – |
| 1964 | 2,000 | 9,000 | – |
| 1963 | 1,000 | – | – |
| 1962 | 1,000 | – | – |
- 12.3Estimates, Correlates of War
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Active-duty military personnel, with paramilitary forces where they are trained and equipped like soldiers, by the IISS Military Balance.
- Source: IISS, The Military Balance, via the World Bank.
- Before 1985: Correlates of War Project, National Material Capabilities v7.0; Singer, Bremer and Stuckey (1972), “Capability Distribution, Uncertainty, and Major Power War, 1820–1965”, in Bruce Russett (ed.), Peace, War, and Numbers, Sage, 19–48.
- Ranks count the 170 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
Rwanda vs Zambia
Health
- Life expectancyRwanda: 67.8 years in 2023Zambia: 66.4 years in 2023
- Child mortalityRwanda: 3.8 per 100 live births in 2024Zambia: 4.8 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityRwanda: 27.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023Zambia: 38.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionRwanda: 3.87% in 2017Zambia: 3.64% in 2017
- Suicide rateRwanda: 11 per 100,000 people in 2017Zambia: 13.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationRwanda: 14 million people in 2023Zambia: 20.7 million people in 2023
- Population growthRwanda: 2.18% a year in 2023Zambia: 2.83% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateRwanda: 3.7 births per woman in 2023Zambia: 4.1 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationRwanda: 30.9% in 2025Zambia: 45.9% in 2025
- Median ageRwanda: 19.4 years in 2023Zambia: 17.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overRwanda: 3.8% in 2023Zambia: 1.9% in 2023
- Net migration rateRwanda: -0.6 per 1,000 people in 2023Zambia: 0.5 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingRwanda: 1.29% of GDP in 2025Zambia: 1.26% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsRwanda: $194M in 2025Zambia: $343M in 2025
- Military spending per personRwanda: $13 in 2025Zambia: $19 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingRwanda: 4.7% of government spending in 2025Zambia: 4.5% of government spending in 2025
- National powerRwanda: 0.07% of world capability in 2022Zambia: 0.1% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersRwanda: 0.7% of the labour force in 2020Zambia: 0.24% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsRwanda: 37 million TIV in 2023Zambia: 1 million TIV in 2024