Gambia vs Senegal
Gambia vs Senegal: Military spending
Military spending in 2025: 0.57% of GDP in Gambia and 1.56% of GDP in Senegal, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Senegal, by 0.99 percentage points, or 2.73 times that in Gambia.
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Senegal has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1983.
- In 2025, Gambia ranked 134 and Senegal ranked 81 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | Gambia | Senegal |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.57 | 1.56 |
| 2024 | 0.6 | 1.97 |
| 2023 | 0.6 | 1.48 |
| 2022 | 0.71 | 1.52 |
| 2021 | 0.78 | 1.76 |
| 2020 | 0.82 | 1.41 |
| 2019 | 0.8 | 1.53 |
| 2018 | 0.69 | 1.67 |
| 2017 | – | 1.47 |
| 2016 | – | 1.6 |
| 2015 | 1.01 | 1.21 |
| 2014 | 1.19 | 1.21 |
| 2013 | 0.75 | 1.25 |
| 2012 | 0.79 | 1.11 |
| 2011 | – | 1.29 |
| 2010 | – | 1.22 |
| 2009 | 0.48 | 1.34 |
| 2008 | 1.1 | 1.29 |
| 2007 | 0.36 | 1.38 |
| 2006 | 0.26 | 1.27 |
| 2005 | 0.28 | 1.13 |
| 2004 | 0.19 | 1.06 |
| 2003 | 0.23 | 1.12 |
| 2002 | 0.24 | 1.1 |
| 2001 | 0.23 | 1.12 |
| 2000 | 0.32 | 1.05 |
| 1999 | 0.33 | 1.2 |
| 1998 | 0.38 | 1.18 |
| 1997 | 0.41 | 1.2 |
| 1996 | 0.4 | 1.24 |
| 1995 | 0.3 | 1.31 |
| 1994 | 0.26 | 1.35 |
| 1993 | 0.28 | 1.67 |
| 1992 | 0.41 | 1.44 |
| 1991 | 0.5 | 1.55 |
| 1990 | 0.46 | 1.63 |
| 1989 | 0.96 | 2.03 |
| 1988 | 0.81 | 2.11 |
| 1987 | 0.63 | 1.98 |
| 1986 | 0.56 | 2.04 |
| 1985 | 0.55 | 2.19 |
| 1984 | 0.48 | 2.41 |
| 1983 | 0.34 | 2.55 |
| 1982 | – | 2.35 |
| 1981 | – | 2.73 |
| 1980 | – | 2.76 |
| 1979 | – | 3.43 |
- Estimate
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the country spends on its armed forces and defence, as a share of its economy, by SIPRI’s count.
- Source: Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Military Expenditure Database, https://doi.org/10.55163/CQGC9685.
- Marked points are SIPRI’s own: a dot where it gives the figure as its estimate, a ring where it calls the figure highly uncertain.
- Ranks count the 151 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 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