Gambia

  • Nicknamed the Smiling Coast of Africa, the Gambia stretches 450 km (280 miles and between 15-30 miles wide) along the Gambia river, the country is surrounded by Senegal, except for a 60-km Atlantic Ocean front.
  • The country is one of the smallest in Africa, covering about 10.7 thousand square km and has a population of 2.5 million. With 176 people per square km, it is one of the most densely populated countries in Africa.
  • Including the word “the” in front of its name was originally to reduce confusion with similarly named  Zambia and that convention continues.
  • The capital is Banjul
  • English is the only official language. (French in Senegal)
  • According to Wikipedia there are 21 national languages, with Mandinka being the most used.
  • Currency is Dalasi
  • Main export is peanuts
  • In 2022, the poverty rate climbed to 53.4% in urban areas but, in rural areas it’s almost 70%
  • 50% of the population doesn’t have access to electricity
  • 2019 stats -96.4% are Muslim, 3.5% Christian (mostly Catholic), 0.1% other
  • In 2024 the average life expectancy is 64 years male, 68 years female

Taken from the 2023 Unicef Report

  • Only 88% of the population in urban areas and 67% in rural areas have access to safe drinking water in households.
  • Access to at least basic sanitation remains at about 47% and the proportion of households with at least basic handwashing facilities also remained unchanged, at 18% in 2020.
  • According to the latest national data, the prevalence rate of children experiencing violence remains high at 89%; 26% of married adolescent girls aged 15 to19 years experienced violence committed by their spouse and 14% of women aged 15-49 years experienced either physical or sexual violence.
  • In the area of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), prevalence remains high with 50.6% of girls aged between 0-14 years and 27.3% of girls aged 0-4 years have undergone FGM, with urban and rural disparities. In 2023, UNICEF and partners supported the improvement of child protection case management system including the establishment of child-friendly “one-stop centres”, development of the Gender Information Management System and the development of a new child marriage strategy and action plan.
  • 2023 also saw the digitalization of the Gambia Birth Registration system thanks to the strong support from UNICEF and partners.
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