Military spending as a share of GDP in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Military spending as a share of GDP was 0.6% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
0.6%
Change on year
up 60.8%
World rank
150th
of 166 countries
All-time high
8.5%
in 1979
All-time low
0.2%
in 2023
Years of data
58
1965–2025
Military spending as a share of GDP in Zimbabwe, 1965–2025
Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Zimbabwe recorded 0.6% for military spending as a share of gdp in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 60.8% on the previous year and down 70.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending as a share of gdp in Zimbabwe peaked at 8.5% in 1979 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 2023.
Zimbabwe ranks 150th of 166 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Military spending as a share of GDP in Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 1.2% | — |
| 1966 | 1.3% | +11.2% |
| 1967 | 1.4% | +2.8% |
| 1968 | 2.1% | +52.1% |
| 1969 | 2.4% | +17.1% |
| 1970 | 2.4% | +0.7% |
| 1971 | 2.3% | -6.2% |
| 1972 | 2.2% | -4.6% |
| 1973 | 2.6% | +20.3% |
| 1974 | 3.0% | +13.4% |
| 1975 | 3.4% | +14.2% |
| 1976 | 4.6% | +36.1% |
| 1977 | 6.5% | +41.3% |
| 1978 | 8.0% | +22.2% |
| 1979 | 8.5% | +6.6% |
| 1980 | 6.6% | -22.2% |
| 1981 | 4.9% | -26.6% |
| 1982 | 5.1% | +5.3% |
| 1983 | 5.6% | +8.6% |
| 1984 | 5.7% | +2.1% |
| 1985 | 5.5% | -3.4% |
| 1986 | 5.5% | +0.3% |
| 1987 | 5.8% | +5.8% |
| 1988 | 5.2% | -10.6% |
| 1989 | 4.9% | -5.3% |
| 1990 | 4.1% | -16.8% |
| 1991 | 4.0% | -3.0% |
| 1992 | 3.8% | -4.4% |
| 1993 | 3.3% | -13.2% |
| 1994 | 3.1% | -5.6% |
| 1995 | 3.2% | +2.1% |
| 1996 | 2.9% | -9.4% |
| 1997 | 3.0% | +4.0% |
| 1998 | 2.5% | -15.6% |
| 1999 | 2.2% | -11.5% |
| 2000 | 3.1% | +36.4% |
| 2001 | 2.5% | -16.5% |
| 2002 | 6.3% | +147.3% |
| 2003 | 2.0% | -67.7% |
| 2004 | 2.7% | +33.0% |
| 2005 | 1.5% | -46.3% |
| 2006 | 2.0% | +36.7% |
| 2010 | 0.8% | -58.9% |
| 2011 | 1.4% | +72.4% |
| 2012 | 1.9% | +32.1% |
| 2013 | 1.9% | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 1.9% | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 1.9% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 1.7% | -7.7% |
| 2017 | 1.5% | -15.5% |
| 2018 | 1.2% | -19.9% |
| 2019 | 0.7% | -44.6% |
| 2020 | 1.0% | +49.3% |
| 2021 | 1.6% | +60.8% |
| 2022 | 1.0% | -36.5% |
| 2023 | 0.2% | -78.9% |
| 2024 | 0.4% | +67.4% |
| 2025 | 0.6% | +60.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.7% | 1.2% | 2.4% | 5 |
| 1970s | 4.4% | 2.2% | 8.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.5% | 4.9% | 6.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.2% | 2.2% | 4.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.9% | 1.5% | 6.3% | 7 |
| 2010s | 1.5% | 0.7% | 1.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.8% | 0.2% | 1.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
More economy & growth data for Zimbabwe
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.02 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 3 Percent per annum (2029)
- Manufacturing, value added (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1491 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (current US$), per capita 450.44 current US$ per person (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (current LCU), per unit of GDP 4.74 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (current LCU), per capita 14,322 current LCU per person (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.0499 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant 2015 US$), per capita 150.67 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant LCU), per capita 648.14 constant LCU per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), annual 30.6 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military spending as a share of gdp in Zimbabwe?
- Military spending as a share of gdp in Zimbabwe was 0.6% in 2025, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest military spending as a share of gdp recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 8.5% in 1979.
- What is the lowest military spending as a share of gdp recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 2023.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for military spending as a share of gdp?
- Zimbabwe ranks 150th out of 166 countries with data for 2025.
- Is military spending as a share of gdp rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 70.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zimbabwe data come from?
- The figures come from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military spending as a share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Total military expenditure divided by gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage.