Armed forces personnel, total in Zambia
Zambia: Armed forces personnel, total was 16,000 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel, total in Zambia, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 16,000 for armed forces personnel, total in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 33 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total in Zambia peaked at 23,000 in 1995 and was at its lowest, 16,000, in 1990.
That places Zambia 113th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 33 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel, total in Zambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 16,200 | — |
| 1989 | 17,000 | +4.9% |
| 1990 | 16,000 | -5.9% |
| 1991 | 16,000 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 16,000 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 16,000 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 16,000 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 23,000 | +43.8% |
| 1996 | 23,000 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 23,000 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 23,000 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 23,000 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 23,000 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 23,000 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 23,000 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 19,500 | -15.2% |
| 2004 | 16,000 | -17.9% |
| 2005 | 16,000 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 16,000 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 16,000 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 16,000 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 16,500 | +3.1% |
| 2010 | 16,500 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 16,500 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 16,500 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 16,500 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 16,500 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 16,500 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 16,500 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 16,000 | -3.0% |
| 2018 | 16,100 | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 16,000 | -0.6% |
| 2020 | 16,000 | +0.0% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 16,000 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 23,000, 70% of the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 16,000 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 16,000, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 16,600 | 16,200 | 17,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 19,500 | 16,000 | 23,000 | 10 |
| 2000s | 18,500 | 16,000 | 23,000 | 10 |
| 2010s | 16,360 | 16,000 | 16,500 | 10 |
| 2020s | 16,000 | 16,000 | 16,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More public sector data for Zambia
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Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel, total in Zambia?
- Armed forces personnel, total in Zambia was 16,000 in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 23,000 in 1995.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 16,000 in 1990.
- How does Zambia rank for armed forces personnel, total?
- Zambia ranks 113th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies, published as part of Armed forces personnel, total. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if the training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces.