In the 10th century, Muslim merchants established some of The Gambia’s earliest large settlements as trans-Saharan trade hubs. These settlements eventually grew into major export centers sending slaves, gold, and ivory across the Sahara. Between the 16th and 17th centuries, European colonial powers began establishing trade with The Gambia. In 1664, the United Kingdom established a colony in The Gambia focused on exporting enslaved people across the Atlantic. During the roughly 300 years of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, the UK and other European powers may have exported as many as 3 million people from The Gambia.The Gambia gained its independence from the UK in 1965. Geographically surrounded by Senegal, it formed the short-lived confederation of Senegambia between 1982 and 1989. In 1994, Yahya JAMMEH led a military coup overthrowing the president and banning political activity. He subsequently won every presidential election until 2016, when he lost to Adama BARROW, who headed an opposition coalition during free and fair elections. BARROW won reelection in December 2021. The Gambia is the only member of the Economic Community of West African States that does not have presidential term limits. Since the 2016 election, The Gambia and the US have enjoyed improved relations. US assistance to the country has supported military education and training programs, capacity building, and democracy-strengthening activities.
land: 10,120 sq km
water: 1,180 sq km
border countries (1): Senegal 749 km
contiguous zone: 18 nm
continental shelf: extent not specified
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
mean elevation: 34 m
arable land: 41% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 0.5% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 14.6% (2018 est.)
forest: 43.9% (2018 est.)
other: 0% (2018 est.)
2,468,569 (2023 est.)
noun: Gambian(s)
adjective: Gambian
Mandinka/Jahanka 33.3%, Fulani/Tukulur/Lorobo 18.2%, Wolof 12.9%, Jola/Karoninka 11%, Serahuleh 7.2%, Serer 3.5%, other 4%, non-Gambian 9.9% (2019-20 est.)
English (official), Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, other indigenous vernaculars
Muslim 96.4%, Christian 3.5%, other or none 0.1% (2019-20 est.)
The Gambia’s youthful age structure – approximately 55% of the population is under the age of 25 as of 2021 – is likely to persist because the country’s total fertility rate remains strong at nearly 4 children per woman. The overall literacy rate is around 50%, and is significantly lower for women than for men. At least 70% of the populace are farmers who are reliant on rain-fed agriculture and cannot afford improved seeds and fertilizers. Crop failures caused by droughts between 2011 and 2013 increased poverty, food shortages, and malnutrition.The Gambia is a source country for migrants and a transit and destination country for migrants and refugees. Since the 1980s, economic deterioration, drought, and high unemployment, especially among youths, have driven both domestic migration (largely urban) and migration abroad (legal and illegal). Emigrants are largely skilled workers, including doctors and nurses, and provide a significant amount of remittances. The top receiving countries for Gambian emigrants are Spain, the US, Nigeria, Senegal, and the UK. While the Gambia and Spain do not share historic, cultural, or trade ties, rural Gambians have migrated to Spain in large numbers because of its proximity and the availability of jobs in its underground economy (this flow slowed following the onset of Spain’s late 2007 economic crisis).The Gambia’s role as a host country to refugees is a result of wars in several of its neighboring West African countries. Since 2006, refugees from the Casamance conflict in Senegal have replaced their pattern of flight and return with permanent settlement in The Gambia, often moving in with relatives along the Senegal-Gambia border. The strain of providing for about 7,400 Casamance refugees increased poverty among Gambian villagers. The number of refugees decreased to around 3,500 by 2022.
0-14 years: 38.86% (male 484,113/female 475,134)
15-64 years: 57.57% (male 700,049/female 721,057)
65 years and over: 3.57% (2023 est.) (male 38,954/female 49,262)
total dependency ratio: 85
youth dependency ratio: 80.5
elderly dependency ratio: 4.5
potential support ratio: 22.2 (2021 est.)
total: 19.9 years (2023 est.)
male: 19.5 years
female: 20.3 years
2.23% (2023 est.)
28 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)
5.7 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)
settlements are found scattered along the Gambia River; the largest communities, including the capital of Banjul, and the country’s largest city, Serekunda, are found at the mouth of the Gambia River along the Atlantic coast as shown in this
urban population: 64.5% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 3.75% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
481,000 BANJUL (capital) (2023)
note: includes the local government areas of Banjul and Kanifing
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
20.7 years (2019/20 est.)
note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49
458 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
total: 36.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
male: 39.9 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 32.9 deaths/1,000 live births
total population: 68 years (2023 est.)
male: 66.3 years
female: 69.8 years
3.66 children born/woman (2023 est.)
1.8 (2023 est.)
18.9% (2019/20)
improved: urban: 91.8% of population
rural: 85.7% of population
total: 89.5% of population
unimproved: urban: 8.2% of population
rural: 14.3% of population
total: 10.5% of population (2020 est.)
2.6% of GDP (2020)
0.08 physicians/1,000 population (2020)
1.1 beds/1,000 population (2011)
improved: urban: 75.8% of population
rural: 33.6% of population
total: 60% of population
unimproved: urban: 24.2% of population
rural: 66.4% of population
total: 40% of population (2020 est.)
degree of risk: very high (2023)
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever
water contact diseases: schistosomiasis
animal contact diseases: rabies
respiratory diseases: meningococcal meningitis
10.3% (2016)
total: 2.67 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 0.21 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 2.44 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
total: 11.1% (2020 est.)
male: 21.4% (2020 est.)
female: 0.8% (2020 est.)
11.6% (2019/20)
60.9% (2023 est.)
women married by age 15: 5.6%
women married by age 18: 23.1%
men married by age 18: 0.2% (2020 est.)
2.8% of GDP (2020 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 58.1%
male: 65.2%
female: 51.2% (2021)
deforestation due to slash-and-burn agriculture; desertification; water pollution; water-borne diseases
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban
tropical; hot, rainy season (June to November); cooler, dry season (November to May)
agricultural land: 56.1% (2018 est.)
arable land: 41% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 0.5% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 14.6% (2018 est.)
forest: 43.9% (2018 est.)
other: 0% (2018 est.)
urban population: 64.5% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 3.75% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
2.47% of GDP (2018 est.)
0% of GDP (2018 est.)
particulate matter emissions: 39.1 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 0.53 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 1.96 megatons (2020 est.)
municipal solid waste generated annually: 193,441 tons (2002 est.)
Gambia river mouth (shared with Senegal and Guinea [s]) - 1,094 km
note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Senegalo-Mauritanian Basin
municipal: 40 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
industrial: 20 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
agricultural: 40 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
8 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
small West African economy; COVID-19 reversed robust growth trends; good fiscal management; substantial foreign direct investment and remittances; G20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative participant; widespread poverty; increasing Chinese relations
$5.482 billion (2021 est.)
$5.258 billion (2020 est.)
$5.227 billion (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
4.27% (2021 est.)
0.59% (2020 est.)
6.22% (2019 est.)
$2,100 (2021 est.)
$2,000 (2020 est.)
$2,100 (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
$1.746 billion (2019 est.)
7.37% (2021 est.)
5.93% (2020 est.)
7.12% (2019 est.)
agriculture: 20.4% (2017 est.)
industry: 14.2% (2017 est.)
services: 65.4% (2017 est.)comparison rankings:
household consumption: 90.7% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 12% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 19.2% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: -2.7% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 20.8% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -40% (2017 est.)
groundnuts, milk, oil palm fruit, millet, sorghum, rice, maize, vegetables, cassava, fruit
peanuts, fish, hides, tourism, beverages, agricultural machinery assembly, woodworking, metalworking, clothing
10.4% (2021 est.)
856,100 (2021 est.)
11.21% (2021 est.)
11.08% (2020 est.)
9.5% (2019 est.)
NA
total: 15.5% (2021 est.)
male: 11.4%
female: 20.5%
48.6% (2015 est.)
35.9 (2015 est.)
lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 36.9% (2003)
revenues: $252 million (2018 est.)
expenditures: $353 million (2018 est.)
-2.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
88% of GDP (2017 est.)
82.3% of GDP (2016 est.)
20.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
calendar year
-$94.081 million (2021 est.)
-$86.553 million (2020 est.)
-$37.078 million (2019 est.)
$135.448 million (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$175.682 million (2020 est.)
$360.208 million (2019 est.)
China 38%, India 22%, Mali 7%, Chile 5% (2017)
cashews, lumber, refined petroleum, shellfish, scrap iron, fish, sesame seeds (2021)
$726 million (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$691 million (2020 est.)
$641 million (2019 est.)
China 33%, India 10%, Senegal 5%, Brazil 5% (2019)
clothing and apparel, refined petroleum, rice, raw sugar, palm oil (2019)
$652.671 million (31 December 2021 est.)
$387.046 million (31 December 2020 est.)
$256.957 million (31 December 2019 est.)
$586.8 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$571.2 million (31 December 2016 est.)
dalasis (GMD) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
51.484 (2021 est.)
51.502 (2020 est.)
50.062 (2019 est.)
48.152 (2018 est.)
46.609 (2017 est.)
population without electricity: (2020) less than 1 million
electrification - total population: 63.6% (2021)
electrification - urban areas: 82.5% (2021)
electrification - rural areas: 31.2% (2021)
installed generating capacity: 137,000 kW (2020 est.)
consumption: 235.035 million kWh (2019 est.)
exports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
imports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 69.8 million kWh (2019 est.)comparison rankings:
fossil fuels: 98.9% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
solar: 1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 3,900 bbl/day (2019 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)
0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
42 bbl/day (2015 est.)
3,738 bbl/day (2015 est.)
production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
606,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 606,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
3.547 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
number of registered air carriers: 2 (2020)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 6
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 53,735 (2018)
C5
1 (2021)
1
note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
total: 2,977 km (2011)
paved: 518 km (2011)
unpaved: 2,459 km (2011)
390 km (2010) (on River Gambia; small oceangoing vessels can reach 190 km)
total: 9 (2022)
by type: general cargo 1, other 8
major seaport(s): Banjul
manyapis