Military Strength: 
Gambia vs 
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone (ranked #156 globally) holds a stronger overall military position than Gambia (#158) on the ATLAS Index. Sierra Leone fields 9,000 active troops — 2.2:1 Gambia's 4,000. Sierra Leone's $0.03B defense budget is 2.4:1 that of Gambia ($0.01B).
ATLAS (Aggregate Total of Land, Air and Sea strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
GambiaWorld #158
4.3
ATLAS Index / 100
Sierra Leone leads overall, ahead on 2 of 6 pillars
Sierra LeoneWorld #156
4.9
Gambia
Sierra Leone
Pillar scores 0–100 (weight under each label) over a headline figure from that domain · each conventional pillar read after its branch's availability proxy · Methodology
Key figures
| Gambia | Sierra Leone | Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defense budget | $14M | $35M | 🇸🇱 2.4× |
| – share of GDP | 0.6% | 0.5% | 🇬🇲 1.2× |
| Active personnel | 4,000 | 9,000 | 🇸🇱 2.2× |
| Combat aircraft | 1 | 0 | 🇬🇲 |
| Warships | 0 | 0 | — |
| – submarines | 0 | 0 | — |
| Main battle tanks | 0 | 0 | — |
| Nuclear warheads | 0 | 0 | — |
Show full breakdown · 11 more rowsHide the 11 extra rows
| Reserve troops | 0 | 0 | — |
| Paramilitary forces | 0 | 0 | — |
| Military aircraft (all types) | 1 | 1 | — |
| – helicopters | 0 | 1 | 🇸🇱 |
| Budget share of govt spending | — | — | — |
| Budget per capita | $5 | $4 | 🇬🇲 1.3× |
| Population | 2.8M | 8.6M | 🇸🇱 3.1× |
| GDP | $2.4B | $7B | 🇸🇱 2.9× |
| GDP per capita | $871 | $807 | 🇬🇲 1.1× |
| Land area | 10,000 km² | 71,620 km² | 🇸🇱 7.2× |
| Coastline | 80 km | 402 km | 🇸🇱 5.0× |
Backbone systems most numerous in service
🇬🇲 GambiaSu-25 Frogfoot ×1
Defense budget history Gambia ×1.0 · Sierra Leone ×1.7 since 2020
Military personnel history
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who has more military personnel, Gambia or Sierra Leone?
Sierra Leone has approximately 9,000 active military personnel compared to Gambia's 4,000, giving Sierra Leone a 2.2:1 numerical advantage.
Which country has more combat aircraft, Gambia or Sierra Leone?
Gambia operates 1 combat aircraft compared to Sierra Leone's 0. This includes fighters, strike aircraft, and multirole combat jets.
Which country spends more on defense, Gambia or Sierra Leone?
Sierra Leone has a larger defense budget at $35 million (2.4:1 more) compared to Gambia's $14 million annually.
Do Gambia and Sierra Leone have nuclear weapons?
Neither Gambia nor Sierra Leone currently possesses nuclear weapons.