Military spending per armed forces personnel in Zambia

Zambia: Military spending per armed forces personnel was 15,998 constant 2024 US$ in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
15,998 constant 2024 US$
Change on year
down 11.2%
World rank
104th
of 160 countries
All-time high
21,936 constant 2024 US$
in 2015
All-time low
3,346 constant 2024 US$
in 1996
Years of data
28
1985–2020

Military spending per armed forces personnel in Zambia, 1985–2020

5.0k10.0k15.0k20.0k1985200220201985: 12.3k constant 2024 US$1989: 21.1k constant 2024 US$1990: 19.7k constant 2024 US$1991: 13.2k constant 2024 US$1992: 15.0k constant 2024 US$1993: 7.3k constant 2024 US$1994: 8.5k constant 2024 US$1995: 5.0k constant 2024 US$1996: 3.3k constant 2024 US$1997: 3.4k constant 2024 US$1999: 5.0k constant 2024 US$2004: 9.4k constant 2024 US$2005: 10.5k constant 2024 US$2006: 11.5k constant 2024 US$2007: 13.0k constant 2024 US$2008: 13.0k constant 2024 US$2009: 11.9k constant 2024 US$2010: 13.2k constant 2024 US$2011: 13.9k constant 2024 US$2012: 15.4k constant 2024 US$2013: 16.7k constant 2024 US$2014: 20.5k constant 2024 US$2015: 21.9k constant 2024 US$2016: 17.9k constant 2024 US$2017: 17.9k constant 2024 US$2018: 20.5k constant 2024 US$2019: 18.0k constant 2024 US$2020: 16.0k constant 2024 US$

Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026); The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in constant 2024 US$.

Analysis

The most recent figure for military spending per armed forces personnel in Zambia is 15,998 constant 2024 US$, measured in 2020.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 11.2% on the previous year and up 21.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, military spending per armed forces personnel in Zambia peaked at 21,936 constant 2024 US$ in 2015 and was at its lowest, 3,346 constant 2024 US$, in 1996.

That places Zambia 104th out of 160 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 28 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 16,707 constant 2024 US$ 12,335 constant 2024 US$ 21,079 constant 2024 US$ 2
1990s 8,934 constant 2024 US$ 3,346 constant 2024 US$ 19,720 constant 2024 US$ 9
2000s 11,560 constant 2024 US$ 9,407 constant 2024 US$ 13,035 constant 2024 US$ 6
2010s 17,595 constant 2024 US$ 13,209 constant 2024 US$ 21,936 constant 2024 US$ 10
2020s 15,998 constant 2024 US$ 15,998 constant 2024 US$ 15,998 constant 2024 US$ 1

Countries ranked near Zambia

  1. 101 Bosnia and Herzegovina 18,129 constant 2024 US$ compare
  2. 102 Mali 16,496 constant 2024 US$ compare
  3. 103 Kyrgyzstan 16,101 constant 2024 US$ compare
  4. 105 Georgia 15,976 constant 2024 US$ compare
  5. 106 Thailand 15,664 constant 2024 US$ compare
  6. 107 Belize 15,394 constant 2024 US$ compare

See the full ranking of 160 places →

More reference data data for Zambia

All data for Zambia →

Frequently asked questions

What is military spending per armed forces personnel in Zambia?
Military spending per armed forces personnel in Zambia was 15,998 constant 2024 US$ in 2020, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026); The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest military spending per armed forces personnel recorded in Zambia?
The highest recorded value was 21,936 constant 2024 US$ in 2015.
What is the lowest military spending per armed forces personnel recorded in Zambia?
The lowest recorded value was 3,346 constant 2024 US$ in 1996.
How does Zambia rank for military spending per armed forces personnel?
Zambia ranks 104th out of 160 countries with data for 2020.
Is military spending per armed forces personnel rising or falling in Zambia?
Over the last ten years it is up 21.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Zambia data come from?
The figures come from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026); The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military spending per armed forces personnel. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 28 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Military spending per armed forces personnel
Unit
constant 2024 US$
Source
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026); The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
160 places, 4,610 data points, 1985–2020
Last refreshed

Total military expenditure divided by armed forces personnel. This data is expressed in US dollars. It is adjusted for inflation but does not account for differences in the cost of living between countries.