Zambia vs Zimbabwe
Zambia vs Zimbabwe: Armed forces, share of workers
Armed forces, share of workers in 2020: 0.24% of the labour force in Zambia and 0.88% of the labour force in Zimbabwe, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Zimbabwe, by 0.64 percentage points, or 3.61 times that in Zambia.
% of the labour force · IISS
What the numbers say
- Zimbabwe has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1990.
- In 2020, Zambia ranked 150 and Zimbabwe ranked 78 of 168 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 0.79% of the labour force in 2020.
Every year
% of the labour force · IISS
| Year | Zambia | Zimbabwe | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 0.24 | 0.88 | 0.79 |
| 2019 | 0.26 | 0.88 | 0.79 |
| 2018 | 0.27 | 0.9 | 0.8 |
| 2017 | 0.28 | 0.92 | 0.8 |
| 2016 | 0.3 | 0.93 | 0.81 |
| 2015 | 0.31 | 0.95 | 0.82 |
| 2014 | 0.32 | 0.96 | 0.82 |
| 2013 | 0.34 | 0.98 | 0.83 |
| 2012 | 0.35 | 0.99 | 0.87 |
| 2011 | 0.36 | 1 | 0.88 |
| 2010 | 0.37 | 1.01 | 0.89 |
| 2009 | 0.39 | 1.02 | 0.89 |
| 2008 | 0.39 | 1.04 | 0.89 |
| 2007 | 0.4 | 1.05 | 0.89 |
| 2006 | 0.42 | 1.06 | 0.95 |
| 2005 | 0.44 | 1.07 | 0.96 |
| 2004 | 0.45 | 1.06 | 0.94 |
| 2003 | 0.57 | 1.08 | 0.98 |
| 2002 | 0.69 | 1.25 | 1 |
| 2001 | 0.72 | 1.33 | 1.01 |
| 2000 | 0.74 | 1.36 | 1.07 |
| 1999 | 0.76 | 1.36 | 1.09 |
| 1998 | 0.79 | 1.4 | 1.13 |
| 1997 | 0.81 | 1.44 | 1.15 |
| 1996 | 0.83 | 1.59 | 1.18 |
| 1995 | 0.85 | 1.71 | 1.2 |
| 1994 | 0.6 | 1.11 | 0.94 |
| 1993 | 0.62 | 1.25 | 0.98 |
| 1992 | 0.63 | 1.26 | 1.03 |
| 1991 | 0.65 | 1.21 | 1.03 |
| 1990 | 0.67 | 1.25 | 1.11 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Active-duty military personnel as a share of everyone working or looking for work, by the IISS Military Balance.
- Source: IISS, The Military Balance, via the World Bank.
- Ranks count the 168 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
- Armed forces personnelZambia: 16,000 people in 2020Zimbabwe: 51,000 people in 2020
- National powerZambia: 0.1% of world capability in 2022Zimbabwe: 0.08% of world capability in 2022
- Arms importsZambia: 1 million TIV in 2024Zimbabwe: 20 million TIV in 2023
- Arms exportsZambia: 2 million TIV in 1990Zimbabwe: 4 million TIV in 2001