Military personnel in Zambia
Zambia: Military personnel was 15,000 people in 2022. ▲ Rising
Military personnel in Zambia, 1964–2022
Source: Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2022, military personnel in Zambia stood at 15,000 people.
The figure is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, military personnel in Zambia peaked at 22,000 people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 9,000 people, in 1964.
That places Zambia 107th out of 194 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 59 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 10,167 people | 9,000 people | 11,000 people | 6 |
| 1970s | 15,200 people | 12,000 people | 20,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 16,400 people | 15,000 people | 17,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 16,700 people | 16,000 people | 21,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 17,600 people | 15,000 people | 22,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 15,000 people | 15,000 people | 15,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 15,000 people | 15,000 people | 15,000 people | 3 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More reference data data for Zambia
- Spring temperature anomalies -0.0386 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies -0.018 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.3261 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.5273 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies -0.2981 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 483.32 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military personnel in Zambia?
- Military personnel in Zambia was 15,000 people in 2022, according to Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest military personnel recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 22,000 people in 2000.
- What is the lowest military personnel recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 9,000 people in 1964.
- How does Zambia rank for military personnel?
- Zambia ranks 107th out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
- Is military personnel rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military personnel. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 59 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Troops under the command of the national government, intended for use against foreign adversaries, and held ready for combat as of January 1 of the given year.