Armed forces personnel, total in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Armed forces personnel, total was 51,000 in 2020. ▬ Flat
Armed forces personnel, total in Zimbabwe, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel, total in Zimbabwe is 51,000, measured in 2020.
That represents a change of up 0.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total in Zimbabwe peaked at 67,800 in 1995 and was at its lowest, 41,000, in 1985.
That places Zimbabwe 69th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
Armed forces personnel, total in Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 41,000 | — |
| 1989 | 51,000 | +24.4% |
| 1990 | 45,000 | -11.8% |
| 1991 | 45,000 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 48,000 | +6.7% |
| 1993 | 48,000 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 43,000 | -10.4% |
| 1995 | 67,800 | +57.7% |
| 1996 | 64,800 | -4.4% |
| 1997 | 60,800 | -6.2% |
| 1998 | 60,800 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 60,800 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 61,800 | +1.6% |
| 2001 | 60,800 | -1.6% |
| 2002 | 57,800 | -4.9% |
| 2003 | 50,800 | -12.1% |
| 2004 | 50,000 | -1.6% |
| 2005 | 51,000 | +2.0% |
| 2006 | 51,000 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 51,000 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 51,000 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 50,800 | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 50,800 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 50,800 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 50,800 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 50,800 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 50,800 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 50,800 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 50,800 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 51,000 | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 51,000 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 51,000 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 51,000 | +0.0% |
Zimbabwe compared with similar countries
- Zimbabwe's 51,000 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 23,000, 2.2× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Zimbabwe's 51,000 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 16,000, 3.2× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 46,000 | 41,000 | 51,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 54,400 | 43,000 | 67,800 | 10 |
| 2000s | 53,600 | 50,000 | 61,800 | 10 |
| 2010s | 50,860 | 50,800 | 51,000 | 10 |
| 2020s | 51,000 | 51,000 | 51,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
More public sector data for Zimbabwe
- Democracy, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote in practice, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Elected parliament, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Democracy 3 (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected 1 (2025)
- Elected parliament 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel, total in Zimbabwe?
- Armed forces personnel, total in Zimbabwe was 51,000 in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 67,800 in 1995.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 41,000 in 1985.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for armed forces personnel, total?
- Zimbabwe ranks 69th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Zimbabwe 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.