Military personnel as a share of total population in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Military personnel as a share of total population was 0.2% in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2022)
0.2%
Change on year
down 1.7%
World rank
114th
of 194 countries
All-time high
1.3%
in 1980
All-time low
0.2%
in 2016
Years of data
58
1965–2022
Military personnel as a share of total population in Zimbabwe, 1965–2022
Source: Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Zimbabwe recorded 0.2% for military personnel as a share of total population in 2022.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.7% on the previous year and down 14.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military personnel as a share of total population in Zimbabwe peaked at 1.3% in 1980 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 2016.
Zimbabwe ranks 114th of 194 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 personnel as a share of total population in Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 0.2% | — |
| 1966 | 0.2% | -3.3% |
| 1967 | 0.2% | -3.3% |
| 1968 | 0.2% | +6.2% |
| 1969 | 0.2% | -3.3% |
| 1970 | 0.2% | -3.4% |
| 1971 | 0.2% | -4.3% |
| 1972 | 0.2% | -2.5% |
| 1973 | 0.2% | -3.4% |
| 1974 | 0.2% | +32.1% |
| 1975 | 0.2% | -3.2% |
| 1976 | 0.3% | +12.4% |
| 1977 | 0.3% | -2.9% |
| 1978 | 0.4% | +37.0% |
| 1979 | 0.5% | +53.5% |
| 1980 | 1.3% | +141.6% |
| 1981 | 1.0% | -24.1% |
| 1982 | 0.7% | -33.5% |
| 1983 | 0.6% | -11.1% |
| 1984 | 0.6% | -3.0% |
| 1985 | 0.5% | -4.8% |
| 1986 | 0.5% | -2.5% |
| 1987 | 0.5% | -2.7% |
| 1988 | 0.5% | -2.7% |
| 1989 | 0.6% | +10.3% |
| 1990 | 0.5% | -14.1% |
| 1991 | 0.4% | -7.6% |
| 1992 | 0.5% | +3.9% |
| 1993 | 0.4% | -3.4% |
| 1994 | 0.4% | -13.4% |
| 1995 | 0.3% | -10.0% |
| 1996 | 0.3% | -3.2% |
| 1997 | 0.3% | -3.1% |
| 1998 | 0.4% | +8.1% |
| 1999 | 0.3% | -1.3% |
| 2000 | 0.3% | -1.2% |
| 2001 | 0.3% | -12.2% |
| 2002 | 0.2% | -31.7% |
| 2003 | 0.2% | +11.3% |
| 2004 | 0.2% | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 0.2% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 0.2% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 0.2% | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 0.2% | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 0.2% | -0.8% |
| 2010 | 0.2% | -1.4% |
| 2011 | 0.2% | -2.1% |
| 2012 | 0.2% | -2.7% |
| 2013 | 0.2% | -8.8% |
| 2014 | 0.2% | -2.3% |
| 2015 | 0.2% | -2.3% |
| 2016 | 0.2% | -2.3% |
| 2017 | 0.2% | +9.0% |
| 2018 | 0.2% | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 0.2% | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 0.2% | -1.6% |
| 2021 | 0.2% | -1.7% |
| 2022 | 0.2% | -1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 5 |
| 1970s | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.7% | 0.5% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
- 111 Cape Verde 0.2% compare
- 112 Guinea-Bissau 0.2% compare
- 113 Netherlands 0.2% compare
- 115 Comoros 0.2% compare
- 116 Chad 0.2% compare
- 117 Nicaragua 0.2% compare
More population data for Zimbabwe
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.1887 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -0.0209 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.1887 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.0944 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 26,439 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 1.94 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.5219 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth 0.2% (2100)
- Population density 96.07 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 2.49 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military personnel as a share of total population in Zimbabwe?
- Military personnel as a share of total population in Zimbabwe was 0.2% 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 Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 1.3% in 1980.
- What is the lowest military personnel as a share of total population recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 2016.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for military personnel as a share of total population?
- Zimbabwe ranks 114th out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
- Is military personnel as a share of total population rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zimbabwe 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.