Zambia vs Zimbabwe
Zambia vs Zimbabwe: Forest area
Forest area in 2024: 60.5% in Zambia and 35.7% in Zimbabwe, by FAO estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Zambia, by 24.8 percentage points, or 1.69 times that in Zimbabwe.
% of land · FAO
What the numbers say
- Zambia has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1990.
- In 2024, Zambia ranked 31 and Zimbabwe ranked 93 of 209 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of land · FAO
| Year | Zambia | Zimbabwe | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 60.5 | 35.7 | – |
| 2023 | 60.6 | 35.9 | 31.1 |
| 2022 | 60.8 | 36 | 31.1 |
| 2021 | 60.9 | 36.1 | 31.2 |
| 2020 | 61 | 36.3 | 31.2 |
| 2019 | 61.1 | 36.4 | 31.2 |
| 2018 | 61.2 | 36.6 | 31.3 |
| 2017 | 61.3 | 36.7 | 31.3 |
| 2016 | 61.4 | 36.8 | 31.3 |
| 2015 | 61.6 | 37 | 31.4 |
| 2014 | 61.8 | 37.1 | 31.4 |
| 2013 | 62.1 | 37.3 | 31.4 |
| 2012 | 62.3 | 37.4 | 31.5 |
| 2011 | 62.6 | 37.6 | 31.9 |
| 2010 | 62.8 | 37.7 | 32 |
| 2009 | 62.9 | 38 | 32 |
| 2008 | 62.9 | 38.3 | 32 |
| 2007 | 63 | 38.6 | 32.1 |
| 2006 | 63 | 38.8 | 32.1 |
| 2005 | 63.1 | 39.1 | 32.1 |
| 2004 | 63.1 | 39.4 | 32.2 |
| 2003 | 63.2 | 39.7 | 32.3 |
| 2002 | 63.2 | 39.9 | 32.3 |
| 2001 | 63.3 | 40.2 | 32.3 |
| 2000 | 63.3 | 40.5 | 32.4 |
| 1999 | 63.3 | 40.8 | 32.5 |
| 1998 | 63.4 | 41 | 32.5 |
| 1997 | 63.4 | 41.3 | 32.6 |
| 1996 | 63.5 | 41.6 | 32.7 |
| 1995 | 63.5 | 41.8 | 32.7 |
| 1994 | 63.6 | 42.1 | 32.8 |
| 1993 | 63.6 | 42.4 | 32.8 |
| 1992 | 63.7 | 42.7 | 33 |
| 1991 | 63.7 | 42.9 | – |
| 1990 | 63.8 | 43.2 | – |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The share of land under trees at least 5 metres tall, natural or planted, leaving out orchards and city parks.
- Source: FAO, via the World Bank.
- Ranks count the 209 countries with a value in 2024, 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
- 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