Zambia's military expenditure (current LCU) was 10.24 billion in 2025, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is up 218.54% from 3.22 billion in 2015 (12.28% a year on average, compounded).
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 10.24 billion | 2025 |
| Five years earlier | 3.88 billion | 2020 |
| Ten years earlier | 3.22 billion | 2015 |
| Highest | 10.24 billion | 2025 |
| Lowest | 148,000 | 1984 |
| Average since 2016 | 5.46 billion | 2016–2025 |
| First recorded | 148,000 |
What the numbers say
In 2025, Zambia's military expenditure (current LCU) rose 12.1% on 2024 (from 9.13 billion to 10.24 billion).
Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1988 to 2024), the average change was +34.5% and a typical year strayed about 52.4% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
On record, the biggest yearly rise was 222.9% in 1989 and the biggest yearly fall was 4.6% in 2019. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2016 to 2025 the straight-line trend is upward, about 782.42 million a year. A straight line explains 84% of the movement over 10 observed years.
Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.
How it compares
In 2025, Zambia had the 93rd highest value of the 150 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.
Closest to Zambia in the 2025 ranking
- Guinea-Bissau — 90th of 150: 13 billion
- Belgium — 91st of 150: 12.88 billion
- Mauritania — 92nd of 150: 12.81 billion
- Peru — 94th of 150: 9.27 billion
- Azerbaijan — 95th of 150: 8.4 billion
- Botswana — 96th of 150: 8.34 billion
What this measures
Military expenditure in local currency at current prices (by calendar year)
Limitations: SIPRI strives to compile reliable, consistent military expenditure data by assessing multiple sources, but accuracy depends on the quality and transparency of those sources. Challenges arise from two key issues: whether reported figures reflect actual spending and how closely they match SIPRI’s definition. While data is generally accurate in developed and many developing countries, weak governance, corruption, and secret transfers in others can lead to major discrepancies. SIPRI sometimes makes estimates, when sources conflict or lack coverage, introducing uncertainty, especially for countries like China or the UAE.
All 37 values
| Year | Military expenditure (current LCU) |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 10,241,400,000 |
| 2024 | 9,131,900,000 |
| 2023 | 7,462,500,000 |
| 2022 | 5,517,400,000 |
| 2021 | 4,344,800,000 |
| 2020 | 3,878,600,000 |
| 2019 | 3,772,700,000 |
| 2018 | 3,955,630,000 |
| 2017 | 3,204,640,000 |
| 2016 | 3,088,700,000 |
| 2015 |
Military expenditure (current LCU) in nearby economies
- Angola — 1.34 trillion (2025)
- Benin — 126.13 billion (2025)
- Botswana — 8.34 billion (2025)
- Burkina Faso — 518.42 billion (2025)
- Burundi — 670.49 billion (2025)
- Cabo Verde — 1.96 billion (2025)
- Cameroon — 364.86 billion (2025)
- Central African Republic — 43.14 billion (2025)
- Chad — 377.27 billion (2025)
- Congo, Dem. Rep. — 3.32 trillion (2025)
- Congo, Rep.
More public sector data for Zambia
- Military expenditure (current USD) — 405.86 million (2025)
- Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 1.26% (2025)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 1 million (2024)
- Grants and other revenue (current LCU) — 42.28 billion (2024)
- Grants and other revenue (% of revenue) — 25.32% (2024)
- Revenue, excluding grants (current LCU) — 154.97 billion (2024)
- Revenue, excluding grants (% of GDP) — 23.41% (2024)
- Taxes on international trade (current LCU) — 8.86 billion (2024)
- Taxes on international trade (% of revenue) — 5.31% (2024)
- Tax revenue (current LCU)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Zambia's military expenditure (current LCU)?
- 10.24 billion in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1984?
- It is up 6.92 million% from 148,000 in 1984 (31.24% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 10.24 billion in 2025 and the lowest 148,000 in 1984.
- How does Zambia rank?
- 93rd highest of 150 economies with data for 2025.
- Is the latest change in military expenditure (current LCU) unusual for Zambia?
- In 2025, Zambia's military expenditure (current LCU) rose 12.1% on 2024 (from 9.13 billion to 10.24 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1988 to 2024), the average change was +34.5% and a typical year strayed about 52.4% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator MS.MIL.XPND.CN, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), uri: https://www.sipri.org/databases Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.
Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.
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