Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Zambia
Zambia: Armed forces personnel as a share of total population was 0.1% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Zambia, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Zambia is 0.1%, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 33 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.9% on the previous year and down 28.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Zambia peaked at 0.3% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 2020.
That places Zambia 156th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 33 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 0.2% | — |
| 1989 | 0.2% | -6.2% |
| 1990 | 0.2% | -8.3% |
| 1991 | 0.2% | -2.4% |
| 1992 | 0.2% | -2.4% |
| 1993 | 0.2% | -2.4% |
| 1994 | 0.2% | -2.4% |
| 1995 | 0.3% | +40.3% |
| 1996 | 0.3% | -2.4% |
| 1997 | 0.2% | -2.5% |
| 1998 | 0.2% | -2.6% |
| 1999 | 0.2% | -2.6% |
| 2000 | 0.2% | -2.8% |
| 2001 | 0.2% | -3.0% |
| 2002 | 0.2% | -3.0% |
| 2003 | 0.2% | -17.8% |
| 2004 | 0.1% | -20.5% |
| 2005 | 0.1% | -3.2% |
| 2006 | 0.1% | -3.4% |
| 2007 | 0.1% | -3.5% |
| 2008 | 0.1% | -3.5% |
| 2009 | 0.1% | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 0.1% | -3.4% |
| 2011 | 0.1% | -3.3% |
| 2012 | 0.1% | -3.2% |
| 2013 | 0.1% | -3.2% |
| 2014 | 0.1% | -3.1% |
| 2015 | 0.1% | -3.1% |
| 2016 | 0.1% | -3.0% |
| 2017 | 0.1% | -6.0% |
| 2018 | 0.1% | -2.4% |
| 2019 | 0.1% | -3.5% |
| 2020 | 0.1% | -2.9% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 0.1% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.2%, 38% of the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 0.1% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.1%, 65% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Zambia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | +40.3% | 0.2% | 0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 2 |
| 1990s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More reference data data for Zambia
- Exchange rate, new LCU per USD extended backward, period average 18.94 (2026)
- Exchange rate, old LCU per USD extended forward, period average 18.94 (2026)
- Official exchange rate, LCU per USD, period average 18.94 (2026)
- Global number of reported disasters by size, gaps filled 0 events (2025)
- Annual precipitation, annual growth rate 40.84 % change on previous year (2025)
- Free country, gaps filled 1 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, gaps filled 4 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Consumer price index 483.32 2010 = 100 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Zambia?
- Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Zambia was 0.1% in 2020, according to The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel as a share of total population recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 0.3% in 1995.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel as a share of total population recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 2020.
- How does Zambia rank for armed forces personnel as a share of total population?
- Zambia ranks 156th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel as a share of total population rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.9%. 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, via World Bank (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Armed forces personnel as a share of total population. 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 their training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces.