Military expenditure (% of GDP) in Zambia
Zambia: Military expenditure (% of GDP) was 1.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Military expenditure in Zambia, 1984–2025
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 1.3% for military expenditure in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.9% on the previous year and down 28.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in Zambia peaked at 4.2% in 1989 and was at its lowest, 1.0%, in 2021.
That places Zambia 112th out of 167 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 37 years of available data.
Military expenditure (% of GDP) in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 3.0% | — |
| 1985 | 2.4% | -21.3% |
| 1986 | 3.7% | +55.2% |
| 1987 | 3.2% | -12.1% |
| 1988 | 2.4% | -25.8% |
| 1989 | 4.2% | +75.7% |
| 1990 | 3.4% | -18.7% |
| 1991 | 2.3% | -31.5% |
| 1992 | 2.7% | +15.7% |
| 1993 | 1.4% | -47.2% |
| 1994 | 1.7% | +20.3% |
| 1995 | 1.5% | -15.6% |
| 1996 | 1.1% | -27.5% |
| 1997 | 1.0% | -4.2% |
| 1999 | 1.6% | +63.6% |
| 2004 | 1.6% | -4.1% |
| 2005 | 1.8% | +16.9% |
| 2006 | 1.7% | -5.6% |
| 2007 | 2.1% | +18.3% |
| 2008 | 2.1% | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 1.7% | -16.8% |
| 2010 | 1.4% | -20.2% |
| 2011 | 1.3% | -4.7% |
| 2012 | 1.4% | +3.1% |
| 2013 | 1.4% | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 1.6% | +20.2% |
| 2015 | 1.8% | +7.3% |
| 2016 | 1.4% | -18.5% |
| 2017 | 1.3% | -9.0% |
| 2018 | 1.4% | +10.5% |
| 2019 | 1.3% | -12.6% |
| 2020 | 1.2% | -7.2% |
| 2021 | 1.0% | -15.7% |
| 2022 | 1.1% | +13.7% |
| 2023 | 1.3% | +19.9% |
| 2024 | 1.3% | -1.0% |
| 2025 | 1.3% | -4.9% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 1.3% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.5%, 87% of the median. (40 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 1.3% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.3%, 97% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 3.1% | 2.4% | 4.2% | 6 |
| 1990s | 1.9% | 1.0% | 3.4% | 9 |
| 2000s | 1.8% | 1.6% | 2.1% | 6 |
| 2010s | 1.4% | 1.3% | 1.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.2% | 1.0% | 1.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More public sector data for Zambia
- Democracy, 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)
- Elected parliament, 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)
- Arms imports 1.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 0.0469 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate -80 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure in Zambia?
- Military expenditure in Zambia was 1.3% in 2025, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest military expenditure recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 4.2% in 1989.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.0% in 2021.
- How does Zambia rank for military expenditure?
- Zambia ranks 112th out of 167 countries with data for 2025.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published as part of Military expenditure (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Military expenditure by country as percentage of gross domestic product