Gambia vs South Africa: Military spending as a share of government spending
Gambia
2.2%
in 2025
South Africa
2.2%
in 2025
Gambia rank
147th
South Africa rank
146th
Military spending as a share of government spending over time
- Gambia
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 2.2% against 2.2% in Gambia, a difference of 0.0%.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 22 shared years of data; in 2000 it was South Africa ahead.
Gambia ranks 147th and South Africa ranks 146th of 162 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Gambia averaged higher in 2 and South Africa in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Gambia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 3.3% | 5.0% | 1.7% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 4.5% | 3.3% | 1.2% | Gambia |
| 2020s | 2.8% | 2.5% | 0.3% | Gambia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military spending as a share of government spending, Gambia or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 2.2% against 2.2% in Gambia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in military spending as a share of government spending between Gambia and South Africa?
- 0.0%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Gambia and South Africa?
- 22 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2025.
- How do Gambia and South Africa rank globally for military spending as a share of government spending?
- Gambia ranks 147th and South Africa ranks 146th of 162 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Military spending as a share of government spending. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Total military expenditure divided by government spending.