Military expenditure (% of GDP) in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Military expenditure (% of GDP) was 0.6% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Military expenditure in Zimbabwe, 1964–2025
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for military expenditure in Zimbabwe is 0.6%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 60.8% on the previous year and down 70.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in Zimbabwe peaked at 8.5% in 1979 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 2023.
Zimbabwe ranks 151st of 167 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Military expenditure (% of GDP) in Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | 1.0% | — |
| 1965 | 1.2% | +14.5% |
| 1966 | 1.3% | +11.2% |
| 1967 | 1.4% | +2.8% |
| 1968 | 2.1% | +52.1% |
| 1969 | 2.4% | +17.1% |
| 1970 | 2.4% | +0.7% |
| 1971 | 2.3% | -6.2% |
| 1972 | 2.2% | -4.6% |
| 1973 | 2.6% | +20.3% |
| 1974 | 3.0% | +13.4% |
| 1975 | 3.4% | +14.2% |
| 1976 | 4.6% | +36.1% |
| 1977 | 6.5% | +41.3% |
| 1978 | 8.0% | +22.2% |
| 1979 | 8.5% | +6.6% |
| 1980 | 6.6% | -22.2% |
| 1981 | 4.9% | -26.6% |
| 1982 | 5.1% | +5.3% |
| 1983 | 5.6% | +8.6% |
| 1984 | 5.7% | +2.1% |
| 1985 | 5.5% | -3.4% |
| 1986 | 5.5% | +0.3% |
| 1987 | 5.8% | +5.8% |
| 1988 | 5.2% | -10.6% |
| 1989 | 4.9% | -5.3% |
| 1990 | 4.1% | -16.8% |
| 1991 | 4.0% | -3.0% |
| 1992 | 3.8% | -4.4% |
| 1993 | 3.3% | -13.2% |
| 1994 | 3.1% | -5.6% |
| 1995 | 3.2% | +2.1% |
| 1996 | 2.9% | -9.4% |
| 1997 | 3.0% | +4.0% |
| 1998 | 2.5% | -15.6% |
| 1999 | 2.2% | -11.5% |
| 2000 | 3.1% | +36.4% |
| 2001 | 2.5% | -16.5% |
| 2002 | 6.3% | +147.3% |
| 2003 | 2.0% | -67.7% |
| 2004 | 2.7% | +33.0% |
| 2005 | 1.5% | -46.3% |
| 2006 | 2.0% | +36.7% |
| 2010 | 0.8% | -58.9% |
| 2011 | 1.4% | +72.4% |
| 2012 | 1.9% | +32.1% |
| 2013 | 1.9% | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 1.9% | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 1.9% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 1.7% | -7.7% |
| 2017 | 1.5% | -15.5% |
| 2018 | 1.2% | -19.9% |
| 2019 | 0.7% | -44.6% |
| 2020 | 1.0% | +49.3% |
| 2021 | 1.6% | +60.8% |
| 2022 | 1.0% | -36.5% |
| 2023 | 0.2% | -78.9% |
| 2024 | 0.4% | +67.4% |
| 2025 | 0.6% | +60.8% |
Zimbabwe compared with similar countries
- Zimbabwe's 0.6% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.5%, 39% of the median. (40 countries reporting)
- Zimbabwe's 0.6% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.3%, 44% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Military expenditure (% of GDP) in Zimbabwe changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | +147.3% | 2.5% | 6.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.6% | 1.0% | 2.4% | 6 |
| 1970s | 4.4% | 2.2% | 8.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.5% | 4.9% | 6.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.2% | 2.2% | 4.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.9% | 1.5% | 6.3% | 7 |
| 2010s | 1.5% | 0.7% | 1.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.8% | 0.2% | 1.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
More public sector data for Zimbabwe
- 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 20.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2023)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 1.22 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2023)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0006 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2006)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure in Zimbabwe?
- Military expenditure in Zimbabwe was 0.6% in 2025, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest military expenditure recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 8.5% in 1979.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 2023.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for military expenditure?
- Zimbabwe ranks 151st out of 167 countries with data for 2025.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 70.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zimbabwe 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