Somalia vs Zambia
Somalia vs Zambia: Military spending
Military spending in 2025: 1.54% of GDP in Somalia and 1.26% of GDP in Zambia, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Somalia, by 0.28 percentage points, or 1.22 times that in Zambia.
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Somalia has been higher since 2024, when it overtook Zambia.
- In 2025, Somalia ranked 83 and Zambia ranked 98 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | Somalia | Zambia |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.54 | 1.26 |
| 2024 | 1.66 | 1.33 |
| 2023 | 1.27 | 1.34 |
| 2022 | 1.16 | 1.12 |
| 2021 | 1.17 | 0.98 |
| 2020 | 1.14 | 1.17 |
| 2019 | 0.83 | 1.26 |
| 2018 | 0.97 | 1.44 |
| 2017 | 0.75 | 1.3 |
| 2016 | 0.65 | 1.43 |
| 2015 | 0.68 | 1.75 |
| 2014 | 0.94 | 1.63 |
| 2013 | 0.44 | 1.36 |
| 2012 | – | 1.36 |
| 2011 | – | 1.32 |
| 2010 | – | 1.38 |
| 2009 | – | 1.73 |
| 2008 | – | 2.08 |
| 2007 | – | 2.06 |
| 2006 | – | 1.74 |
| 2005 | – | 1.85 |
| 2004 | – | 1.58 |
| 1999 | – | 1.65 |
| 1997 | – | 1.01 |
| 1996 | – | 1.05 |
| 1995 | – | 1.45 |
| 1994 | – | 1.72 |
| 1993 | – | 1.43 |
| 1992 | – | 2.71 |
| 1991 | – | 2.34 |
| 1990 | – | 3.41 |
| 1989 | 1.53 | 4.2 |
| 1988 | 17.44 | 2.39 |
| 1987 | 16.96 | 3.22 |
| 1986 | 28.95 | 3.66 |
| 1985 | 0.05 | 2.36 |
| 1984 | 0.14 | 3 |
| 1983 | 0.24 | – |
| 1982 | 0.29 | – |
| 1981 | 0.61 | – |
| 1980 | 0.55 | – |
| 1979 | 0.97 | – |
| 1978 | 1 | – |
| 1977 | 0.46 | – |
| 1976 | 0.52 | – |
| 1975 | 0.52 | – |
| 1974 | 0.73 | – |
| 1973 | 0.51 | – |
| 1972 | 0.45 | – |
| 1971 | 0.48 | – |
| 1970 | 0.5 | – |
| 1969 | 0.42 | – |
| 1968 | 0.41 | – |
| 1967 | 0.39 | – |
| 1966 | 0.35 | – |
| 1965 | 0.3 | – |
| 1964 | 0.33 | – |
| 1963 | 0.29 | – |
| 1962 | 0.25 | – |
| 1961 | 0.23 | – |
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
Somalia vs Zambia
Health
- Life expectancySomalia: 58.8 years in 2023Zambia: 66.4 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySomalia: 10.1 per 100 live births in 2024Zambia: 4.8 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySomalia: 66.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023Zambia: 38.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionSomalia: 3.79% in 2017Zambia: 3.64% in 2017
- Suicide rateSomalia: 9.9 per 100,000 people in 2017Zambia: 13.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSomalia: 18.4 million people in 2023Zambia: 20.7 million people in 2023
- Population growthSomalia: 3.57% a year in 2023Zambia: 2.83% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSomalia: 6.13 births per woman in 2023Zambia: 4.1 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSomalia: 55.1% in 2025Zambia: 45.9% in 2025
- Median ageSomalia: 15.5 years in 2023Zambia: 17.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSomalia: 2.6% in 2023Zambia: 1.9% in 2023
- Net migration rateSomalia: 2.5 per 1,000 people in 2023Zambia: 0.5 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending in US dollarsSomalia: $193M in 2025Zambia: $343M in 2025
- Military spending per personSomalia: $10 in 2025Zambia: $19 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSomalia: 20.8% of government spending in 2025Zambia: 4.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSomalia: 14,000 people in 2020Zambia: 16,000 people in 2020
- National powerSomalia: 0.13% of world capability in 2022Zambia: 0.1% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSomalia: 0.47% of the labour force in 2020Zambia: 0.24% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSomalia: 2 million TIV in 2025Zambia: 1 million TIV in 2024