Military spending in Gambia
Gambia: Military spending was 18.64 million constant 2022 US$ in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
18.64 million constant 2022 US$
Change on year
up 4.5%
World rank
167th
of 172 countries
All-time high
19.10 million constant 2022 US$
in 2020
All-time low
2.51 million constant 2022 US$
in 1987
Years of data
58
1965–2023
Military spending in Gambia, 1965–2023
Source: Barnum et al. – Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in constant 2022 US$.
Analysis
The most recent figure for military spending in Gambia is 18.64 million constant 2022 US$, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of up 4.5% on the previous year and up 45.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending in Gambia peaked at 19.10 million constant 2022 US$ in 2020 and was at its lowest, 2.51 million constant 2022 US$, in 1987.
Gambia ranks 167th of 172 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Military spending in Gambia, year by year
| Year | constant 2022 US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 12.98 million constant 2022 US$ | — |
| 1966 | 11.98 million constant 2022 US$ | -7.7% |
| 1967 | 12.40 million constant 2022 US$ | +3.5% |
| 1968 | 11.60 million constant 2022 US$ | -6.4% |
| 1969 | 11.30 million constant 2022 US$ | -2.6% |
| 1970 | 11.04 million constant 2022 US$ | -2.3% |
| 1971 | 10.23 million constant 2022 US$ | -7.3% |
| 1972 | 10.04 million constant 2022 US$ | -1.8% |
| 1973 | 8.82 million constant 2022 US$ | -12.2% |
| 1974 | 7.87 million constant 2022 US$ | -10.8% |
| 1975 | 6.99 million constant 2022 US$ | -11.2% |
| 1976 | 6.78 million constant 2022 US$ | -3.0% |
| 1977 | 6.47 million constant 2022 US$ | -4.6% |
| 1978 | 5.82 million constant 2022 US$ | -9.9% |
| 1979 | 5.49 million constant 2022 US$ | -5.7% |
| 1980 | 4.86 million constant 2022 US$ | -11.5% |
| 1981 | 4.75 million constant 2022 US$ | -2.2% |
| 1982 | 4.47 million constant 2022 US$ | -6.0% |
| 1983 | 4.20 million constant 2022 US$ | -6.0% |
| 1984 | 3.14 million constant 2022 US$ | -25.1% |
| 1985 | 3.02 million constant 2022 US$ | -3.9% |
| 1986 | 2.56 million constant 2022 US$ | -15.4% |
| 1987 | 2.51 million constant 2022 US$ | -1.7% |
| 1988 | 3.29 million constant 2022 US$ | +31.1% |
| 1989 | 3.02 million constant 2022 US$ | -8.1% |
| 1990 | 4.82 million constant 2022 US$ | +59.2% |
| 1991 | 5.34 million constant 2022 US$ | +10.8% |
| 1992 | 5.85 million constant 2022 US$ | +9.6% |
| 1993 | 5.66 million constant 2022 US$ | -3.1% |
| 1994 | 8.55 million constant 2022 US$ | +51.0% |
| 1995 | 10.55 million constant 2022 US$ | +23.4% |
| 1996 | 11.56 million constant 2022 US$ | +9.6% |
| 1997 | 12.65 million constant 2022 US$ | +9.4% |
| 1998 | 11.77 million constant 2022 US$ | -6.9% |
| 1999 | 10.40 million constant 2022 US$ | -11.7% |
| 2000 | 5.03 million constant 2022 US$ | -51.6% |
| 2001 | 4.39 million constant 2022 US$ | -12.8% |
| 2002 | 4.00 million constant 2022 US$ | -8.9% |
| 2003 | 3.21 million constant 2022 US$ | -19.6% |
| 2004 | 3.12 million constant 2022 US$ | -2.9% |
| 2005 | 3.54 million constant 2022 US$ | +13.4% |
| 2006 | 3.88 million constant 2022 US$ | +9.6% |
| 2007 | 6.55 million constant 2022 US$ | +68.9% |
| 2008 | 16.47 million constant 2022 US$ | +151.5% |
| 2009 | 9.67 million constant 2022 US$ | -41.3% |
| 2010 | 8.79 million constant 2022 US$ | -9.1% |
| 2011 | 8.39 million constant 2022 US$ | -4.5% |
| 2012 | 10.11 million constant 2022 US$ | +20.5% |
| 2013 | 12.84 million constant 2022 US$ | +27.0% |
| 2014 | 15.24 million constant 2022 US$ | +18.7% |
| 2015 | 16.45 million constant 2022 US$ | +7.9% |
| 2016 | 15.78 million constant 2022 US$ | -4.1% |
| 2018 | 16.61 million constant 2022 US$ | +5.3% |
| 2019 | 18.60 million constant 2022 US$ | +11.9% |
| 2020 | 19.10 million constant 2022 US$ | +2.7% |
| 2021 | 18.21 million constant 2022 US$ | -4.6% |
| 2022 | 17.83 million constant 2022 US$ | -2.1% |
| 2023 | 18.64 million constant 2022 US$ | +4.5% |
Gambia compared with similar countries
- Gambia's 18.64 million constant 2022 US$ is below the median for low income countries, which is 387.93 million constant 2022 US$, 5% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Gambia's 18.64 million constant 2022 US$ is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 350.64 million constant 2022 US$, 5% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Military spending in Gambia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | +151.5% | 6.55 million constant 2022 US$ | 16.47 million constant 2022 US$ |
| 2007 | +68.9% | 3.88 million constant 2022 US$ | 6.55 million constant 2022 US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 12.05 million constant 2022 US$ | 11.30 million constant 2022 US$ | 12.98 million constant 2022 US$ | 5 |
| 1970s | 7.96 million constant 2022 US$ | 5.49 million constant 2022 US$ | 11.04 million constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.58 million constant 2022 US$ | 2.51 million constant 2022 US$ | 4.86 million constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 8.71 million constant 2022 US$ | 4.82 million constant 2022 US$ | 12.65 million constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.99 million constant 2022 US$ | 3.12 million constant 2022 US$ | 16.47 million constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.65 million constant 2022 US$ | 8.39 million constant 2022 US$ | 18.60 million constant 2022 US$ | 9 |
| 2020s | 18.44 million constant 2022 US$ | 17.83 million constant 2022 US$ | 19.10 million constant 2022 US$ | 4 |
Countries ranked near Gambia
- 164 Mauritius 28.93 million constant 2022 US$ compare
- 165 Sierra Leone 28.24 million constant 2022 US$ compare
- 166 Laos 26.46 million constant 2022 US$ compare
- 168 Haiti 16.61 million constant 2022 US$ compare
- 169 Cape Verde 14.40 million constant 2022 US$ compare
- 170 Djibouti 13.31 million constant 2022 US$ 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 spending in Gambia?
- Military spending in Gambia was 18.64 million constant 2022 US$ in 2023, according to Barnum et al. – Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest military spending recorded in Gambia?
- The highest recorded value was 19.10 million constant 2022 US$ in 2020.
- What is the lowest military spending recorded in Gambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.51 million constant 2022 US$ in 1987.
- How does Gambia rank for military spending?
- Gambia ranks 167th out of 172 countries with data for 2023.
- Is military spending rising or falling in Gambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 45.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Gambia data come from?
- The figures come from Barnum et al. – Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military spending. 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
This data is expressed in US dollars. It is adjusted for inflation but does not account for differences in the cost of living between countries.