Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) in Zambia
Zambia: Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) was 4.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Military expenditure in Zambia, 2004–2025
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in % of general government expenditure.
Analysis
The most recent figure for military expenditure in Zambia is 4.5%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 13.6% on the previous year and down 29.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in Zambia peaked at 8.3% in 2007 and was at its lowest, 3.2%, in 2021.
That places Zambia 100th out of 164 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 22 years of available data.
Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % of general government expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 6.8% | — |
| 2005 | 7.5% | +9.8% |
| 2006 | 8.2% | +9.9% |
| 2007 | 8.3% | +1.2% |
| 2008 | 8.0% | -3.8% |
| 2009 | 8.1% | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 7.7% | -5.5% |
| 2011 | 6.7% | -11.8% |
| 2012 | 6.2% | -7.9% |
| 2013 | 5.7% | -8.9% |
| 2014 | 6.7% | +18.7% |
| 2015 | 6.3% | -5.6% |
| 2016 | 6.0% | -5.8% |
| 2017 | 5.2% | -12.8% |
| 2018 | 5.2% | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 4.2% | -18.8% |
| 2020 | 3.4% | -18.7% |
| 2021 | 3.2% | -6.0% |
| 2022 | 4.0% | +23.0% |
| 2023 | 4.9% | +23.4% |
| 2024 | 5.2% | +6.4% |
| 2025 | 4.5% | -13.6% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 4.5% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5.8%, 77% of the median. (39 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 4.5% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.9%, 77% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 7.8% | 6.8% | 8.3% | 6 |
| 2010s | 6.0% | 4.2% | 7.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.2% | 3.2% | 5.2% | 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 4.5% 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 8.3% in 2007.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.2% in 2021.
- How does Zambia rank for military expenditure?
- Zambia ranks 100th out of 164 countries with data for 2025.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 29.1%. 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 general government expenditure). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Military expenditure expressed as a percentage of general government expenditure