Rwanda vs Zambia
Rwanda vs Zambia: Military share of state spending
Military share of state spending in 2025: 4.7% of government spending in Rwanda and 4.5% of government spending in Zambia, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Rwanda, by 0.2 percentage points, or 1.04 times that in Zambia.
% of government spending · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Rwanda has been higher since 2025, when it overtook Zambia.
- In 2025, Rwanda ranked 83 and Zambia ranked 88 of 150 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of government spending · SIPRI
| Year | Rwanda | Zambia |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4.7 | 4.5 |
| 2024 | 4.3 | 5.2 |
| 2023 | 4.6 | 4.9 |
| 2022 | 4.5 | 4 |
| 2021 | 4.8 | 3.2 |
| 2020 | 4.4 | 3.4 |
| 2019 | 4.2 | 4.2 |
| 2018 | 4.7 | 5.2 |
| 2017 | 5 | 5.2 |
| 2016 | 4.9 | 6 |
| 2015 | 4.6 | 6.3 |
| 2014 | 4 | 6.7 |
| 2013 | 4 | 5.7 |
| 2012 | 4.2 | 6.2 |
| 2011 | 4.4 | 6.7 |
| 2010 | 5.1 | 7.7 |
| 2009 | 5.9 | 8.1 |
| 2008 | 5.8 | 8 |
| 2007 | 6.1 | 8.3 |
| 2006 | 8 | 8.2 |
| 2005 | 7.7 | 7.5 |
| 2004 | 9.7 | 6.8 |
| 2003 | 11.4 | – |
| 2002 | 12.7 | – |
| 2001 | 15.2 | – |
| 2000 | 16.3 | – |
| 1999 | 16.8 | – |
| 1998 | 23.1 | – |
| 1997 | 21.1 | – |
| 1996 | 23.7 | – |
| 1995 | 21.3 | – |
| 1994 | 21.4 | – |
| 1993 | 19.8 | – |
| 1992 | 17.8 | – |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The part of everything the government spends that goes on its armed forces and defence, 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 150 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
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
- Armed forces personnelRwanda: 35,000 people in 2020Zambia: 16,000 people in 2020
- 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