Military spending, per unit of GDP in Zambia
Zambia: Military spending, per unit of GDP was 0.0153 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
0.0153 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP
Change on year
up 11.2%
World rank
97th
of 170 countries
All-time high
0.2079 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP
in 1972
All-time low
0.0103 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP
in 2003
Years of data
60
1964–2023
Military spending, per unit of GDP in Zambia, 1964–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for military spending, per unit of gdp in Zambia is 0.0153 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of up 11.2% on the previous year and up 1.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending, per unit of gdp in Zambia peaked at 0.2079 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP in 1972 and was at its lowest, 0.0103 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP, in 2003.
Zambia ranks 97th of 170 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Military spending, per unit of GDP in Zambia, year by year
| Year | constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | 0.121 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | — |
| 1965 | 0.151 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +24.8% |
| 1966 | 0.1277 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -15.4% |
| 1967 | 0.1062 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -16.8% |
| 1968 | 0.0927 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -12.7% |
| 1969 | 0.0635 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -31.4% |
| 1970 | 0.0916 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +44.1% |
| 1971 | 0.206 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +124.9% |
| 1972 | 0.2079 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +0.9% |
| 1973 | 0.1434 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -31.1% |
| 1974 | 0.1211 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -15.5% |
| 1975 | 0.153 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +26.3% |
| 1976 | 0.1448 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -5.4% |
| 1977 | 0.1585 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +9.5% |
| 1978 | 0.1584 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -0.1% |
| 1979 | 0.1392 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -12.1% |
| 1980 | 0.1298 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -6.8% |
| 1981 | 0.1315 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +1.3% |
| 1982 | 0.1197 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -8.9% |
| 1983 | 0.1427 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +19.2% |
| 1984 | 0.1417 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -0.7% |
| 1985 | 0.0655 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -53.8% |
| 1986 | 0.0979 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +49.5% |
| 1987 | 0.0727 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -25.7% |
| 1988 | 0.0477 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -34.4% |
| 1989 | 0.0523 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +9.6% |
| 1990 | 0.0519 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -0.9% |
| 1991 | 0.0445 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -14.2% |
| 1992 | 0.0473 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +6.4% |
| 1993 | 0.0347 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -26.7% |
| 1994 | 0.0298 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -14.1% |
| 1995 | 0.0263 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -11.9% |
| 1996 | 0.0239 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -9.0% |
| 1997 | 0.0218 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -8.8% |
| 1998 | 0.0271 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +24.2% |
| 1999 | 0.0291 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +7.4% |
| 2000 | 0.0145 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -50.2% |
| 2001 | 0.0108 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -25.2% |
| 2002 | 0.0106 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -1.8% |
| 2003 | 0.0103 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -2.8% |
| 2004 | 0.0152 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +47.0% |
| 2005 | 0.0267 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +75.9% |
| 2006 | 0.0248 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -7.2% |
| 2007 | 0.0208 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -15.8% |
| 2008 | 0.0169 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -18.9% |
| 2009 | 0.0188 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +10.9% |
| 2010 | 0.0153 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -18.4% |
| 2011 | 0.0146 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -4.4% |
| 2012 | 0.0147 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 0.0151 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +2.7% |
| 2014 | 0.0169 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +12.4% |
| 2015 | 0.0199 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +17.4% |
| 2016 | 0.0187 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -6.0% |
| 2017 | 0.0154 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -17.6% |
| 2018 | 0.0163 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +5.8% |
| 2019 | 0.0187 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +14.9% |
| 2020 | 0.0212 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +13.3% |
| 2021 | 0.0174 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -18.0% |
| 2022 | 0.0137 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -21.0% |
| 2023 | 0.0153 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +11.2% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 0.0153 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.0153 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP, 100% of the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 0.0153 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.0159 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP, 96% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Military spending, per unit of GDP 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | +124.9% | 0.0916 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.206 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.1103 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.0635 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.151 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | 6 |
| 1970s | 0.1524 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.0916 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.2079 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.1002 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.0477 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.1427 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.0336 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.0218 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.0519 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.0169 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.0103 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.0267 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0166 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.0146 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.0199 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.0169 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.0137 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.0212 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | 4 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 94 Germany 0.0158 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP compare
- 95 Equatorial Guinea 0.0156 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP compare
- 96 Lebanon 0.0153 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP compare
- 98 El Salvador 0.0152 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP compare
- 99 Albania 0.0152 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP compare
- 100 Turkey 0.0151 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP compare
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 spending, per unit of gdp in Zambia?
- Military spending, per unit of gdp in Zambia was 0.0153 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest military spending, per unit of gdp recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 0.2079 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP in 1972.
- What is the lowest military spending, per unit of gdp recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0103 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP in 2003.
- How does Zambia rank for military spending, per unit of gdp?
- Zambia ranks 97th out of 170 countries with data for 2023.
- Is military spending, per unit of gdp rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Military spending, per unit of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 60 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Military spending divided by GDP (current US$), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Military spending ÷ GDP (current US$)
Computed from
- Military spending Barnum et al. – Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
- GDP Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Military spending divided by GDP (current US$), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.