Rwanda vs Zambia
Rwanda vs Zambia: Military spending
Military spending in 2025: 1.29% of GDP in Rwanda and 1.26% of GDP in Zambia, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Rwanda, by 0.03 percentage points, or 1.02 times that in Zambia.
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Rwanda has been higher since 2025, when it overtook Zambia.
- In 2025, Rwanda ranked 97 and Zambia ranked 98 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | Rwanda | Zambia |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.29 | 1.26 |
| 2024 | 1.23 | 1.33 |
| 2023 | 1.25 | 1.34 |
| 2022 | 1.33 | 1.12 |
| 2021 | 1.51 | 0.98 |
| 2020 | 1.47 | 1.17 |
| 2019 | 1.2 | 1.26 |
| 2018 | 1.24 | 1.44 |
| 2017 | 1.25 | 1.3 |
| 2016 | 1.24 | 1.43 |
| 2015 | 1.21 | 1.75 |
| 2014 | 1.1 | 1.63 |
| 2013 | 1.06 | 1.36 |
| 2012 | 1.04 | 1.36 |
| 2011 | 1.1 | 1.32 |
| 2010 | 1.22 | 1.38 |
| 2009 | 1.33 | 1.73 |
| 2008 | 1.31 | 2.08 |
| 2007 | 1.37 | 2.06 |
| 2006 | 1.64 | 1.74 |
| 2005 | 1.74 | 1.85 |
| 2004 | 1.97 | 1.58 |
| 2003 | 2.45 | – |
| 2002 | 3.05 | – |
| 2001 | 3.4 | – |
| 2000 | 3.54 | – |
| 1999 | 4.45 | 1.65 |
| 1998 | 4.38 | – |
| 1997 | 4.17 | 1.01 |
| 1996 | 5.33 | 1.05 |
| 1995 | 0.61 | 1.45 |
| 1994 | 3.44 | 1.72 |
| 1993 | 4.54 | 1.43 |
| 1992 | 4.29 | 2.71 |
| 1991 | 5.51 | 2.34 |
| 1990 | 3.73 | 3.41 |
| 1989 | 1.75 | 4.2 |
| 1988 | 1.59 | 2.39 |
| 1987 | 1.68 | 3.22 |
| 1986 | 1.8 | 3.66 |
| 1985 | 1.59 | 2.36 |
| 1984 | 1.6 | 3 |
| 1983 | 1.9 | – |
| 1982 | 2 | – |
| 1981 | 2.04 | – |
| 1980 | 1.88 | – |
| 1979 | 1.75 | – |
| 1978 | 1.59 | – |
| 1977 | 2.15 | – |
| 1976 | 1.61 | – |
| 1975 | 1.63 | – |
| 1974 | 1.47 | – |
| 1973 | 1.89 | – |
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
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 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
- 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