Uganda vs Zambia
Uganda vs Zambia: Military spending
Military spending in 2025: 1.96% of GDP in Uganda and 1.26% of GDP in Zambia, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Uganda, by 0.7 percentage points, or 1.55 times that in Zambia.
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Uganda has been higher since 2019, when it overtook Zambia.
- In 2025, Uganda ranked 64 and Zambia ranked 98 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | Uganda | Zambia |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.96 | 1.26 |
| 2024 | 1.97 | 1.33 |
| 2023 | 1.88 | 1.34 |
| 2022 | 1.85 | 1.12 |
| 2021 | 2.34 | 0.98 |
| 2020 | 2.47 | 1.17 |
| 2019 | 1.72 | 1.26 |
| 2018 | 1.15 | 1.44 |
| 2017 | 1.04 | 1.3 |
| 2016 | 1 | 1.43 |
| 2015 | 0.99 | 1.75 |
| 2014 | 0.92 | 1.63 |
| 2013 | 0.94 | 1.36 |
| 2012 | 1.18 | 1.36 |
| 2011 | 2.54 | 1.32 |
| 2010 | 2.46 | 1.38 |
| 2009 | 1.43 | 1.73 |
| 2008 | 1.35 | 2.08 |
| 2007 | 1.39 | 2.06 |
| 2006 | 1.5 | 1.74 |
| 2005 | 1.68 | 1.85 |
| 2004 | 1.77 | 1.58 |
| 2003 | 1.69 | – |
| 2002 | 1.64 | – |
| 2001 | 1.68 | – |
| 2000 | 1.77 | – |
| 1999 | 2.66 | 1.65 |
| 1998 | 2.44 | – |
| 1997 | 2.12 | 1.01 |
| 1996 | 2.21 | 1.05 |
| 1995 | 2.1 | 1.45 |
| 1994 | 2.02 | 1.72 |
| 1993 | 1.93 | 1.43 |
| 1992 | 1.66 | 2.71 |
| 1991 | 2.51 | 2.34 |
| 1990 | 2.97 | 3.41 |
| 1989 | 2.73 | 4.2 |
| 1988 | 2.46 | 2.39 |
| 1987 | 2.59 | 3.22 |
| 1986 | 2.91 | 3.66 |
| 1985 | 2.66 | 2.36 |
| 1984 | 2.63 | 3 |
| 1983 | 2.22 | – |
| 1982 | 1.98 | – |
| 1981 | 1.89 | – |
| 1980 | 2.22 | – |
| 1979 | 1.69 | – |
| 1978 | 1.97 | – |
| 1977 | 2.04 | – |
| 1976 | 3.19 | – |
| 1975 | 2.82 | – |
| 1974 | 3.63 | – |
| 1973 | 3.5 | – |
| 1972 | 4.06 | – |
| 1971 | 3.47 | – |
| 1970 | 1.97 | – |
| 1969 | 1.83 | – |
| 1968 | 1.79 | – |
| 1967 | 1.62 | – |
| 1966 | 1.44 | – |
| 1965 | 1.13 | – |
| 1964 | 0.65 | – |
| 1963 | 0.37 | – |
| 1962 | 0.11 | – |
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
Uganda vs Zambia
Health
- Life expectancyUganda: 68.3 years in 2023Zambia: 66.4 years in 2023
- Child mortalityUganda: 4.9 per 100 live births in 2024Zambia: 4.8 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityUganda: 28.8 per 1,000 live births in 2023Zambia: 38.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionUganda: 4.92% in 2017Zambia: 3.64% in 2017
- Suicide rateUganda: 11.5 per 100,000 people in 2017Zambia: 13.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationUganda: 48.7 million people in 2023Zambia: 20.7 million people in 2023
- Population growthUganda: 2.78% a year in 2023Zambia: 2.83% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateUganda: 4.28 births per woman in 2023Zambia: 4.1 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationUganda: 31.9% in 2025Zambia: 45.9% in 2025
- Median ageUganda: 16.5 years in 2023Zambia: 17.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overUganda: 2.2% in 2023Zambia: 1.9% in 2023
- Net migration rateUganda: -2.6 per 1,000 people in 2023Zambia: 0.5 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending in US dollarsUganda: $1.2B in 2025Zambia: $343M in 2025
- Military spending per personUganda: $26 in 2025Zambia: $19 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingUganda: 9% of government spending in 2025Zambia: 4.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelUganda: 46,000 people in 2020Zambia: 16,000 people in 2020
- National powerUganda: 0.2% of world capability in 2022Zambia: 0.1% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersUganda: 0.24% of the labour force in 2020Zambia: 0.24% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsUganda: 2 million TIV in 2025Zambia: 1 million TIV in 2024
- Arms exportsUganda: 4 million TIV in 2016Zambia: 2 million TIV in 1990