Military personnel in Zambia
Zambia: Military personnel was 15,000 people in 2022. ▲ Rising
Latest (2022)
15,000 people
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
107th
of 194 countries
All-time high
22,000 people
in 2000
All-time low
9,000 people
in 1964
Years of data
59
1964–2022
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.
Military personnel in Zambia, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | 9,000 people | — |
| 1965 | 9,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 11,000 people | +22.2% |
| 1967 | 10,000 people | -9.1% |
| 1968 | 11,000 people | +10.0% |
| 1969 | 11,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 12,000 people | +9.1% |
| 1971 | 13,000 people | +8.3% |
| 1972 | 14,000 people | +7.7% |
| 1973 | 16,000 people | +14.3% |
| 1974 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 17,000 people | +6.2% |
| 1977 | 20,000 people | +17.6% |
| 1978 | 14,000 people | -30.0% |
| 1979 | 14,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 15,000 people | +7.1% |
| 1981 | 17,000 people | +13.3% |
| 1982 | 16,000 people | -5.9% |
| 1983 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 17,000 people | +6.2% |
| 1987 | 17,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 17,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 17,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 16,000 people | -5.9% |
| 1991 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 21,000 people | +31.2% |
| 1998 | 17,000 people | -19.0% |
| 1999 | 17,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 22,000 people | +29.4% |
| 2001 | 22,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 22,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 18,000 people | -18.2% |
| 2004 | 17,000 people | -5.6% |
| 2005 | 15,000 people | -11.8% |
| 2006 | 15,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 15,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 15,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 15,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 15,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 15,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 15,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 15,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 15,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 15,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 15,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 15,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 15,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 15,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 15,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 15,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 15,000 people | +0.0% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 15,000 people is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 15,500 people, 97% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 15,000 people is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 14,000 people, 1.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
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
- 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 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.