Zambia vs Zimbabwe
Zambia vs Zimbabwe: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 16,000 people in Zambia and 51,000 people in Zimbabwe, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Zimbabwe, by 35,000 people, or 3.19 times that in Zambia.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- Zimbabwe has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1985.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | Zambia | Zimbabwe | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 16,000 | 51,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 16,000 | 51,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 16,100 | 51,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 16,000 | 51,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 16,500 | 50,800 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 16,500 | 50,800 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 16,500 | 50,800 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 16,500 | 50,800 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 16,500 | 50,800 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 16,500 | 50,800 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 16,500 | 50,800 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 16,500 | 50,800 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 16,000 | 51,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 16,000 | 51,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 16,000 | 51,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 16,000 | 51,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 16,000 | 50,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 19,500 | 50,800 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 23,000 | 57,800 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 23,000 | 60,800 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 23,000 | 61,800 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 23,000 | 60,800 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 23,000 | 60,800 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 23,000 | 60,800 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 23,000 | 64,800 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 23,000 | 67,800 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 16,000 | 43,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 16,000 | 48,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 16,000 | 48,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 16,000 | 45,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 16,000 | 45,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 17,000 | 51,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 16,200 | 41,000 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 16,000 | 46,000 | – |
| 1983 | 16,000 | 46,000 | – |
| 1982 | 16,000 | 50,000 | – |
| 1981 | 17,000 | 74,000 | – |
| 1980 | 15,000 | – | – |
| 1979 | 14,000 | – | – |
| 1978 | 14,000 | – | – |
| 1977 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1976 | 17,000 | – | – |
| 1975 | 16,000 | – | – |
| 1974 | 16,000 | – | – |
| 1973 | 16,000 | – | – |
| 1972 | 14,000 | – | – |
| 1971 | 13,000 | – | – |
| 1970 | 12,000 | – | – |
| 1969 | 11,000 | – | – |
| 1968 | 11,000 | – | – |
| 1967 | 10,000 | – | – |
| 1966 | 11,000 | – | – |
| 1965 | 9,000 | – | – |
| 1964 | 9,000 | – | – |
- 12.3Estimates, Correlates of War
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Active-duty military personnel, with paramilitary forces where they are trained and equipped like soldiers, by the IISS Military Balance.
- Source: IISS, The Military Balance, via the World Bank.
- Before 1985: Correlates of War Project, National Material Capabilities v7.0; Singer, Bremer and Stuckey (1972), “Capability Distribution, Uncertainty, and Major Power War, 1820–1965”, in Bruce Russett (ed.), Peace, War, and Numbers, Sage, 19–48.
- Ranks count the 170 countries with a value in 2020, highest first.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Zambia vs Zimbabwe
Health
- Life expectancyZambia: 66.4 years in 2023Zimbabwe: 62.8 years in 2023
- Child mortalityZambia: 4.8 per 100 live births in 2024Zimbabwe: 6.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityZambia: 38.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023Zimbabwe: 33.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionZambia: 3.64% in 2017Zimbabwe: 3.19% in 2017
- Suicide rateZambia: 13.1 per 100,000 people in 2017Zimbabwe: 26.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationZambia: 20.7 million people in 2023Zimbabwe: 16.3 million people in 2023
- Population growthZambia: 2.83% a year in 2023Zimbabwe: 1.68% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateZambia: 4.1 births per woman in 2023Zimbabwe: 3.72 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationZambia: 45.9% in 2025Zimbabwe: 40.5% in 2025
- Median ageZambia: 17.5 years in 2023Zimbabwe: 17.8 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overZambia: 1.9% in 2023Zimbabwe: 3.6% in 2023
- Net migration rateZambia: 0.5 per 1,000 people in 2023Zimbabwe: -6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingZambia: 1.26% of GDP in 2025Zimbabwe: 0.56% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsZambia: $343M in 2025Zimbabwe: $134M in 2025
- Military spending per personZambia: $19 in 2025Zimbabwe: $10 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingZambia: 4.5% of government spending in 2025Zimbabwe: 5.3% of government spending in 2005
- National powerZambia: 0.1% of world capability in 2022Zimbabwe: 0.08% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersZambia: 0.24% of the labour force in 2020Zimbabwe: 0.88% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsZambia: 1 million TIV in 2024Zimbabwe: 20 million TIV in 2023
- Arms exportsZambia: 2 million TIV in 1990Zimbabwe: 4 million TIV in 2001