Military personnel in Gambia
Gambia: Military personnel was 4,000 people in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2022)
4,000 people
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
148th
of 194 countries
All-time high
4,000 people
in 2020
All-time low
0 people
in 1965
Years of data
58
1965–2022
Military personnel in Gambia, 1965–2022
Source: Correlates of War – National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
Gambia recorded 4,000 people for military personnel in 2022. That is the highest value across all 58 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 300.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military personnel in Gambia peaked at 4,000 people in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0 people, in 1965.
Gambia ranks 148th of 194 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 personnel in Gambia, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 0 people | — |
| 1966 | 0 people | — |
| 1967 | 0 people | — |
| 1968 | 0 people | — |
| 1969 | 0 people | — |
| 1970 | 0 people | — |
| 1971 | 0 people | — |
| 1972 | 0 people | — |
| 1973 | 0 people | — |
| 1974 | 0 people | — |
| 1975 | 0 people | — |
| 1976 | 0 people | — |
| 1977 | 0 people | — |
| 1978 | 0 people | — |
| 1979 | 0 people | — |
| 1980 | 0 people | — |
| 1981 | 1,000 people | — |
| 1982 | 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 2,000 people | +100.0% |
| 1990 | 2,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 2,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 1,000 people | -50.0% |
| 1993 | 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 4,000 people | +300.0% |
| 2021 | 4,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 4,000 people | +0.0% |
Gambia compared with similar countries
- Gambia's 4,000 people is below the median for low income countries, which is 33,000 people, 12% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Gambia's 4,000 people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 14,000 people, 29% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0 people | 0 people | 0 people | 5 |
| 1970s | 0 people | 0 people | 0 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 1,000 people | 0 people | 2,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,200 people | 1,000 people | 2,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,000 people | 1,000 people | 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,000 people | 1,000 people | 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 4,000 people | 4,000 people | 4,000 people | 3 |
Countries ranked near Gambia
- 145 Gabon 5,000 people compare
- 145 Moldova 5,000 people compare
- 145 Trinidad and Tobago 5,000 people compare
- 148 Fiji 4,000 people compare
- 148 Guinea-Bissau 4,000 people compare
- 148 Papua New Guinea 4,000 people compare
More reference data data for Gambia
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0121 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.2798 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.3524 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0232 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.3524 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0407 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.0331 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.36 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.72 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1264 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military personnel in Gambia?
- Military personnel in Gambia was 4,000 people in 2022, according to Correlates of War – National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest military personnel recorded in Gambia?
- The highest recorded value was 4,000 people in 2020.
- What is the lowest military personnel recorded in Gambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 people in 1965.
- How does Gambia rank for military personnel?
- Gambia ranks 148th out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
- Is military personnel rising or falling in Gambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 300.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Gambia data come from?
- The figures come from Correlates of War – National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military personnel. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 58 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Troops under the command of the national government, intended for use against foreign adversaries, and held ready for combat as of January 1 of the given year.