South Sudan vs Zambia
South Sudan vs Zambia: Military share of state spending
Military share of state spending in 2025: 18.4% of government spending in South Sudan and 4.5% of government spending in Zambia, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Sudan, by 13.9 percentage points, or 4.09 times that in Zambia.
% of government spending · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- South Sudan has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2011.
- In 2025, South Sudan ranked 8 and Zambia ranked 88 of 150 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of government spending · SIPRI
| Year | South Sudan | Zambia |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 18.4 | 4.5 |
| 2024 | 35.1 | 5.2 |
| 2023 | 10.8 | 4.9 |
| 2022 | 5.7 | 4 |
| 2021 | 3.4 | 3.2 |
| 2020 | 5.5 | 3.4 |
| 2019 | 7.9 | 4.2 |
| 2018 | 9.8 | 5.2 |
| 2017 | 6.2 | 5.2 |
| 2016 | 9 | 6 |
| 2015 | 26 | 6.3 |
| 2014 | 23.7 | 6.7 |
| 2013 | 25.9 | 5.7 |
| 2012 | 27.7 | 6.2 |
| 2011 | 29 | 6.7 |
| 2010 | – | 7.7 |
| 2009 | – | 8.1 |
| 2008 | – | 8 |
| 2007 | – | 8.3 |
| 2006 | – | 8.2 |
| 2005 | – | 7.5 |
| 2004 | – | 6.8 |
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
South Sudan vs Zambia
Health
- Life expectancySouth Sudan: 57.6 years in 2023Zambia: 66.4 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySouth Sudan: 9.7 per 100 live births in 2024Zambia: 4.8 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySouth Sudan: 63.8 per 1,000 live births in 2023Zambia: 38.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionSouth Sudan: 3.7% in 2017Zambia: 3.64% in 2017
- Suicide rateSouth Sudan: 12 per 100,000 people in 2017Zambia: 13.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSouth Sudan: 11.5 million people in 2023Zambia: 20.7 million people in 2023
- Population growthSouth Sudan: 5.86% a year in 2023Zambia: 2.83% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSouth Sudan: 3.86 births per woman in 2023Zambia: 4.1 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSouth Sudan: 21.7% in 2025Zambia: 45.9% in 2025
- Median ageSouth Sudan: 18 years in 2023Zambia: 17.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSouth Sudan: 2.9% in 2023Zambia: 1.9% in 2023
- Net migration rateSouth Sudan: 39.6 per 1,000 people in 2023Zambia: 0.5 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSouth Sudan: 3.43% of GDP in 2025Zambia: 1.26% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSouth Sudan: $103M in 2025Zambia: $343M in 2025
- Military spending per personSouth Sudan: $15 in 2025Zambia: $19 in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSouth Sudan: 53,000 people in 2020Zambia: 16,000 people in 2020
- National powerSouth Sudan: 0.08% of world capability in 2022Zambia: 0.1% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSouth Sudan: 1.18% of the labour force in 2020Zambia: 0.24% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSouth Sudan: 10 million TIV in 2022Zambia: 1 million TIV in 2024