Armed forces personnel in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Armed forces personnel was 51,000 in 2020. ▬ Flat
Latest (2020)
51,000
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
69th
of 173 countries
All-time high
67,800
in 1995
All-time low
41,000
in 1985
Years of data
33
1985–2020
Armed forces personnel in Zimbabwe, 1985–2020
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Zimbabwe recorded 51,000 for armed forces personnel in 2020.
The figure is up 0.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel 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 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 reference data data for Zimbabwe
- Spring temperature anomalies -0.1903 (2026)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.2726 (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.8086 (2026)
- Country level monthly temperature anomalies -0.5886 (2026)
- Exchange rate, new LCU per USD extended backward, period average 58,959 (2026)
- Exchange rate, old LCU per USD extended forward, period average 58,959 (2026)
- Official exchange rate, LCU per USD, period average 58,959 (2026)
- Urban area long term, annual growth rate 1.8 % change on previous year (2025)
- Urban area long term, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban area long term, per capita 0.0002 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel in Zimbabwe?
- Armed forces personnel in Zimbabwe was 51,000 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 67,800 in 1995.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 41,000 in 1985.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for armed forces personnel?
- Zimbabwe ranks 69th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel 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 Our World in Data, published as part of Armed forces personnel. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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