South Sudan vs Zambia
South Sudan vs Zambia: Military spending
Military spending in 2025: 3.43% of GDP in South Sudan and 1.26% of GDP in Zambia, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Sudan, by 2.17 percentage points, or 2.72 times that in Zambia.
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- South Sudan has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2008.
- In 2025, South Sudan ranked 15 and Zambia ranked 98 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | South Sudan | Zambia |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3.43 | 1.26 |
| 2024 | 6.55 | 1.33 |
| 2023 | 2.38 | 1.34 |
| 2022 | 1.58 | 1.12 |
| 2021 | 1.51 | 0.98 |
| 2020 | 1.87 | 1.17 |
| 2019 | 3.8 | 1.26 |
| 2018 | 4.77 | 1.44 |
| 2017 | 3.99 | 1.3 |
| 2016 | 4.85 | 1.43 |
| 2015 | 8.6 | 1.75 |
| 2014 | 8.58 | 1.63 |
| 2013 | 6.57 | 1.36 |
| 2012 | 8.77 | 1.36 |
| 2011 | 6.09 | 1.32 |
| 2010 | 4.14 | 1.38 |
| 2009 | 4.97 | 1.73 |
| 2008 | 5.76 | 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 | – | 4.2 |
| 1988 | – | 2.39 |
| 1987 | – | 3.22 |
| 1986 | – | 3.66 |
| 1985 | – | 2.36 |
| 1984 | – | 3 |
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
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 spending in US dollarsSouth Sudan: $103M in 2025Zambia: $343M in 2025
- Military spending per personSouth Sudan: $15 in 2025Zambia: $19 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSouth Sudan: 18.4% of government spending in 2025Zambia: 4.5% of government spending 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