Zambia
Military spending in Zambia
Military spending in Zambia: 3% of GDP in 1984 and 1.26% of GDP in 2025, by SIPRI estimates.
- Latest, 2025
- 1.26% of GDP
- Since 1984
- −1.74 percentage points
- Rank, 2025
- 98 of 151
- counting from the highest
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- The highest was 4.2% of GDP in 1989, the lowest 0.98% of GDP in 2021.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | Zambia |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.26 |
| 2024 | 1.33 |
| 2023 | 1.34 |
| 2022 | 1.12 |
| 2021 | 0.98 |
| 2020 | 1.17 |
| 2019 | 1.26 |
| 2018 | 1.44 |
| 2017 | 1.3 |
| 2016 | 1.43 |
| 2015 | 1.75 |
| 2014 | 1.63 |
| 2013 | 1.36 |
| 2012 | 1.36 |
| 2011 | 1.32 |
| 2010 | 1.38 |
| 2009 | 1.73 |
| 2008 | 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 |
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
Zambia in numbers
Every measure for Zambia on one page
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Military
- Military spending in US dollars$343M in 2025
- Military spending per person$19 in 2025
- Military share of state spending4.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnel16,000 people in 2020
- National power0.1% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workers0.24% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms imports1 million TIV in 2024
- Arms exports2 million TIV in 1990