Gambia vs Senegal
Gambia vs Senegal: Government debt
Government debt: 77.4% of GDP in Gambia in 2023 and 127.7% of GDP in Senegal in 2025, by IMF estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in Senegal, by 43.2 percentage points, or 1.56 times that in Gambia.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Senegal has been higher since 2020, when it overtook Gambia.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Gambia at 51.1% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Gambia | Senegal |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 73.7 | 127.7 |
| 2024 | 75.9 | 136.1 |
| 2023 | 77.4 | 120.6 |
| 2022 | 83.9 | 106.9 |
| 2021 | 83.1 | 98.9 |
| 2020 | 85.9 | 90.5 |
| 2019 | 83 | 79.6 |
| 2018 | 83.6 | 61.5 |
| 2017 | 87 | 61.1 |
| 2016 | 81 | 47.5 |
| 2015 | 69.4 | 44.5 |
| 2014 | 71.1 | 42.4 |
| 2013 | 58.2 | 36.9 |
| 2012 | 49.5 | 34.5 |
| 2011 | 49.2 | 32.9 |
| 2010 | 43 | 34.6 |
| 2009 | 38.9 | 29.9 |
| 2008 | 39.5 | 19.1 |
| 2007 | 38 | 19 |
| 2006 | 87.3 | 17.5 |
| 2005 | 82.6 | 36.1 |
| 2004 | 81.3 | 38 |
| 2003 | 91.7 | 42.9 |
| 2002 | 93.9 | 52 |
| 2001 | 75.2 | 53.2 |
| 2000 | 73.3 | 57.5 |
| 1999 | – | 15 |
| 1998 | – | 18.8 |
| 1997 | – | 67.8 |
| 1996 | – | 0.1 |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Gambia | Senegal |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 67.4 | – |
| 2027 | 70.4 | – |
| 2028 | 64.7 | – |
| 2029 | 60.1 | – |
| 2030 | 55.7 | – |
| 2031 | 51.1 | – |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the government owes, as a share of the economy’s yearly output.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 149 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Gambia vs Senegal
Health
- Life expectancyGambia: 65.9 years in 2023Senegal: 68.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalityGambia: 4.2 per 100 live births in 2024Senegal: 3.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityGambia: 29.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023Senegal: 24.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterGambia: 47.7% in 2022Senegal: 26.7% in 2022
- DepressionGambia: 4.16% in 2017Senegal: 3.37% in 2017
- Suicide rateGambia: 9.7 per 100,000 people in 2017Senegal: 12.9 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationGambia: 2.7 million people in 2023Senegal: 18.1 million people in 2023
- Population growthGambia: 2.3% a year in 2023Senegal: 2.33% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateGambia: 4.01 births per woman in 2023Senegal: 3.82 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationGambia: 65% in 2025Senegal: 55.8% in 2025
- Median ageGambia: 18.2 years in 2023Senegal: 19.1 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overGambia: 3% in 2023Senegal: 3.6% in 2023
- Net migration rateGambia: -1.1 per 1,000 people in 2023Senegal: -0.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingGambia: 0.57% of GDP in 2025Senegal: 1.56% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsGambia: $14.7M in 2025Senegal: $533M in 2025
- Military spending per personGambia: $5 in 2025Senegal: $30 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingGambia: 2.2% of government spending in 2025Senegal: 5.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelGambia: 4,000 people in 2020Senegal: 19,000 people in 2020
- National powerGambia: 0.02% of world capability in 2022Senegal: 0.1% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersGambia: 0.58% of the labour force in 2020Senegal: 0.37% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsGambia: 1 million TIV in 2025Senegal: 79 million TIV in 2024