Military personnel as a share of total population in Zambia
Zambia: Military personnel as a share of total population was 0.1% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Military personnel as a share of total population in Zambia, 1964–2022
Source: Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 0.1% for military personnel as a share of total population in 2022. That is the lowest value across all 59 years on record.
That represents a change of down 2.7% on the previous year and down 30.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military personnel as a share of total population in Zambia peaked at 0.4% in 1977 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 2022.
Zambia ranks 155th of 194 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 59 years of available data.
Military personnel as a share of total population in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | 0.3% | — |
| 1965 | 0.2% | -2.7% |
| 1966 | 0.3% | +18.9% |
| 1967 | 0.3% | -11.5% |
| 1968 | 0.3% | +7.0% |
| 1969 | 0.3% | -2.8% |
| 1970 | 0.3% | +6.2% |
| 1971 | 0.3% | +5.4% |
| 1972 | 0.3% | +4.7% |
| 1973 | 0.3% | +11.0% |
| 1974 | 0.3% | -2.9% |
| 1975 | 0.3% | -2.9% |
| 1976 | 0.3% | +3.1% |
| 1977 | 0.4% | +14.2% |
| 1978 | 0.3% | -32.1% |
| 1979 | 0.3% | -3.0% |
| 1980 | 0.3% | +3.1% |
| 1981 | 0.3% | +10.8% |
| 1982 | 0.3% | -8.7% |
| 1983 | 0.3% | -3.0% |
| 1984 | 0.2% | -3.1% |
| 1985 | 0.2% | -4.2% |
| 1986 | 0.3% | +8.9% |
| 1987 | 0.3% | -2.4% |
| 1988 | 0.2% | -10.8% |
| 1989 | 0.2% | -3.5% |
| 1990 | 0.2% | -9.0% |
| 1991 | 0.2% | +9.3% |
| 1992 | 0.2% | -2.2% |
| 1993 | 0.2% | -2.2% |
| 1994 | 0.2% | -2.2% |
| 1995 | 0.2% | -2.3% |
| 1996 | 0.2% | -2.3% |
| 1997 | 0.2% | +28.1% |
| 1998 | 0.2% | -21.8% |
| 1999 | 0.2% | -2.2% |
| 2000 | 0.2% | +26.7% |
| 2001 | 0.2% | -9.1% |
| 2002 | 0.2% | -5.0% |
| 2003 | 0.2% | -20.2% |
| 2004 | 0.2% | -7.9% |
| 2005 | 0.1% | -14.0% |
| 2006 | 0.1% | -2.6% |
| 2007 | 0.1% | -2.7% |
| 2008 | 0.1% | -2.8% |
| 2009 | 0.1% | -2.9% |
| 2010 | 0.1% | -3.0% |
| 2011 | 0.1% | -3.1% |
| 2012 | 0.1% | -3.1% |
| 2013 | 0.1% | -7.1% |
| 2014 | 0.1% | -3.0% |
| 2015 | 0.1% | -3.0% |
| 2016 | 0.1% | -3.0% |
| 2017 | 0.1% | -4.9% |
| 2018 | 0.1% | -3.0% |
| 2019 | 0.1% | -2.9% |
| 2020 | 0.1% | -2.9% |
| 2021 | 0.1% | -2.8% |
| 2022 | 0.1% | -2.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 6 |
| 1970s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More population data for Zambia
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.5112 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.5254 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 0.2495 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.5254 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development 0.5% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 4.60 million people (2100)
- Population density 86.73 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth 0.5% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.2967 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 2.52 Percent per annum (2030)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military personnel as a share of total population in Zambia?
- Military personnel as a share of total population in Zambia was 0.1% in 2022, according to Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest military personnel as a share of total population recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 0.4% in 1977.
- What is the lowest military personnel as a share of total population recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 2022.
- How does Zambia rank for military personnel as a share of total population?
- Zambia ranks 155th out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
- Is military personnel as a share of total population rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 30.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military personnel as a share of total population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Ratio of military personnel to total population, expressed as a percentage.