Country or area · Western Africa · Africa · UN WPP 2024

Gambia population

Gambia population now

2,899,264

A projection read at this second, not a count: the UN's totals for 1 January 2026 and 2027, joined by a straight line. 95% range for 31 December 2026: 2.8–3.0 million.

Mid-2023, UN estimate: 2,697,846

Year: 2026; projection · medium
Population, mid-2026: 2.88408 million; 95% range, 31 Dec: 2.8–3.0 million
Median age: 19.8
Aged 65+: 3.3%

Move through time, 1950–2100

2023 | 2024

male female projection · one cell = 1,000 people

How to read this: one row for each age, newborns at the bottom; men on the left, women on the right.

Verified 2026-09-30 · 73 canaries

GMB · 1950–2100 · in brief

Gambia in numbers

The Gambia had 2,697,846 people in mid-2023, the 144th-largest population of the 236 countries and areas the UN reports, and 0.03% of the world's people. That is 8.8 times its 1950 population of 307 thousand.

In the UN's medium projection it is still growing in 2100, when it reaches 5.7 million. The projection is uncertain: on 1 January 2100 the UN's 95% range runs from 2.5 million to 13.3 million.

Births outnumber deaths in every year from 1950 to 2100, estimates and projection alike.

The median age was 18.0 in 1950 and 19.2 in 2023; the projection has 39.9 in 2100. 3.0% of people were 65 or older in 2023, against 18.0% projected for 2100. The working-age population (15–64) is projected to peak in 2089 at 3.7 million.

Among countries it ranks 144th in 2023, 133rd in 2050 and 122nd in 2100. In the medium projection it overtakes Albania in 2025, Jamaica in 2026 and Lithuania in 2026. It is overtaken by Gabon in 2066.

Population, mid-2023: 2,697,846
Rank by population, 2023: 144 of 236
Share of the world, 2023: 0.03%
Change in a year, mid-2022 to mid-2023: +2.33% · +61,376 people
People per km² of land, 2023: 267
Land area, 2023: 10,120 km²
Births, 2023: 82,092
Deaths, 2023: 16,975
Net migration, 2023: −3,000
Children per woman, 2023: 4.01
Median age, 2023: 19.2 years
Life expectancy at birth, 2023: 65.9 years
In a city, 2025: 53 of every 100
Population, mid-1950: 306,736
Projected, mid-2050: 4,301,896
Projected, mid-2100: 5,703,042

GMB · 1950–2100 · total population

Population, 1950–2100

estimates | projections02.5 m5 m7.5 m10 m12.5 m15 m1950197520002025205020752100

estimate projection, up to the bottom of the 95% range 95% range medium projection. Every column stands for a single year, counted on 1 January, and the paper rules slice it into cells of equal size.

Show the numbers: Gambia, 1950–2100

Gambia: population on 1 January, births, deaths, fertility and life expectancy, 1950–2100
Year	Kind	Population, 1 Jan	95% range	Births	Deaths	Children per woman	Life expectancy
1950	estimate	302,972		15,238	9,991	6.35	31.2
1951	estimate	310,499		15,763	10,048	6.35	31.4
1952	estimate	318,484		16,281	10,236	6.35	31.7
1953	estimate	326,792		16,781	10,465	6.35	31.9
1954	estimate	335,386		17,267	10,683	6.34	32.2
1955	estimate	344,239		17,739	10,914	6.33	32.4
1956	estimate	353,340		18,204	11,100	6.32	32.8
1957	estimate	362,720		18,666	11,278	6.30	33.1
1958	estimate	372,371		19,129	11,401	6.29	33.6
1959	estimate	382,377		19,599	11,531	6.27	34.1
1960	estimate	392,711		20,075	11,655	6.25	34.6
1961	estimate	403,408		20,553	11,776	6.23	35.1
1962	estimate	414,452		21,027	11,877	6.21	35.6
1963	estimate	425,873		21,488	11,994	6.20	36.1
1964	estimate	437,641		21,928	12,103	6.20	36.6
1965	estimate	449,733		22,344	12,182	6.19	37.1
1966	estimate	462,170		22,717	12,294	6.18	37.6
1967	estimate	474,862		23,200	12,377	6.21	38.1
1968	estimate	488,314		23,700	12,485	6.22	38.5
1969	estimate	502,224		24,272	12,602	6.25	39.0
1970	estimate	516,657		24,827	12,699	6.26	39.5
1971	estimate	531,553		25,667	12,825	6.33	40.0
1972	estimate	547,223		26,402	12,969	6.37	40.5
1973	estimate	563,517		27,149	13,102	6.41	41.1
1974	estimate	580,466		27,835	13,208	6.42	41.7
1975	estimate	597,704		28,690	13,434	6.43	42.2
1976	estimate	615,937		29,631	13,599	6.43	42.9
1977	estimate	635,396		30,657	13,885	6.43	43.4
1978	estimate	656,144		31,760	14,337	6.42	43.6
1979	estimate	678,062		32,993	14,450	6.41	44.5
1980	estimate	701,500		34,404	14,839	6.41	45.0
1981	estimate	726,327		35,811	15,655	6.40	44.5
1982	estimate	751,924		37,339	15,445	6.40	46.3
1983	estimate	779,581		38,933	15,759	6.39	46.9
1984	estimate	809,469		40,706	16,120	6.38	47.5
1985	estimate	841,793		42,097	16,302	6.36	48.1
1986	estimate	875,955		43,672	16,477	6.34	48.8
1987	estimate	912,084		45,118	16,665	6.30	49.4
1988	estimate	950,097		46,689	16,751	6.26	50.1
1989	estimate	990,224		48,452	16,949	6.25	50.7
1990	estimate	1,032,491		50,331	17,169	6.25	51.3
1991	estimate	1,076,900		51,932	17,349	6.19	51.9
1992	estimate	1,123,018		53,427	17,476	6.11	52.5
1993	estimate	1,168,147		54,800	17,498	6.03	53.1
1994	estimate	1,208,583		56,321	17,441	6.04	53.8
1995	estimate	1,245,870		57,023	17,342	5.99	54.3
1996	estimate	1,282,755		57,416	17,163	5.92	54.9
1997	estimate	1,320,066		57,835	17,092	5.85	55.2
1998	estimate	1,357,713		58,579	16,737	5.82	56.0
1999	estimate	1,396,261		59,150	16,617	5.77	56.5
2000	estimate	1,435,297		59,739	16,489	5.72	56.9
2001	estimate	1,474,872		60,574	16,420	5.67	57.3
2002	estimate	1,515,150		61,469	16,313	5.66	57.7
2003	estimate	1,556,232		62,676	16,203	5.66	58.2
2004	estimate	1,598,991		64,380	16,104	5.68	58.8
2005	estimate	1,643,632		66,158	16,149	5.71	59.1
2006	estimate	1,690,442		68,412	16,077	5.74	59.7
2007	estimate	1,740,109		69,813	16,160	5.68	60.0
2008	estimate	1,791,438		71,170	16,138	5.63	60.5
2009	estimate	1,844,266		72,876	16,300	5.57	60.7
2010	estimate	1,898,579		74,892	16,339	5.56	61.2
2011	estimate	1,954,680		76,987	16,417	5.54	61.6
2012	estimate	2,012,887		79,300	16,556	5.52	61.9
2013	estimate	2,073,302		80,149	16,639	5.39	62.3
2014	estimate	2,134,337		79,887	16,702	5.20	62.6
2015	estimate	2,194,719		79,517	16,687	5.00	63.0
2016	estimate	2,254,339		79,003	16,644	4.81	63.4
2017	estimate	2,313,200		78,349	16,683	4.61	63.7
2018	estimate	2,371,178		77,566	16,711	4.42	64.0
2019	estimate	2,428,086		78,424	16,725	4.33	64.4
2020	estimate	2,485,602		79,308	17,100	4.25	64.4
2021	estimate	2,545,865		80,297	18,057	4.17	63.9
2022	estimate	2,606,154		81,126	17,492	4.08	64.9
2023	estimate	2,666,786		82,092	16,975	4.01	65.9
2024	estimate	2,728,905		82,405	17,247	3.91	66.1
2025	projection	2,791,070	2.8–2.8 million	82,555	17,527	3.80	66.3
2026	projection	2,853,116	2.8–2.9 million	82,634	17,812	3.70	66.5
2027	projection	2,915,043	2.8–3.0 million	82,701	18,104	3.60	66.7
2028	projection	2,976,719	2.9–3.1 million	82,773	18,415	3.51	66.8
2029	projection	3,038,374	2.9–3.2 million	82,836	18,746	3.42	67.0
2030	projection	3,099,662	3.0–3.3 million	82,941	19,110	3.33	67.2
2031	projection	3,160,605	3.0–3.3 million	83,035	19,465	3.24	67.3
2032	projection	3,221,388	3.0–3.4 million	83,185	19,830	3.17	67.5
2033	projection	3,282,261	3.0–3.5 million	83,407	20,209	3.10	67.7
2034	projection	3,342,932	3.1–3.7 million	83,597	20,602	3.03	67.9
2035	projection	3,403,310	3.1–3.8 million	83,786	21,020	2.97	68.0
2036	projection	3,463,541	3.1–3.9 million	83,959	21,444	2.91	68.2
2037	projection	3,523,611	3.2–4.0 million	84,188	21,868	2.85	68.3
2038	projection	3,583,455	3.2–4.1 million	84,434	22,301	2.81	68.5
2039	projection	3,643,547	3.2–4.2 million	84,631	22,745	2.76	68.6
2040	projection	3,703,133	3.2–4.3 million	84,742	23,210	2.71	68.8
2041	projection	3,762,462	3.3–4.4 million	84,881	23,667	2.67	68.9
2042	projection	3,821,139	3.3–4.5 million	85,015	24,139	2.63	69.1
2043	projection	3,879,933	3.3–4.6 million	85,034	24,607	2.60	69.2
2044	projection	3,938,120	3.3–4.7 million	84,985	25,094	2.56	69.4
2045	projection	3,995,706	3.4–4.9 million	84,875	25,592	2.52	69.5
2046	projection	4,052,768	3.4–5.0 million	84,797	26,064	2.49	69.6
2047	projection	4,109,171	3.4–5.1 million	84,766	26,545	2.46	69.8
2048	projection	4,165,234	3.4–5.2 million	84,566	27,068	2.43	69.9
2049	projection	4,220,464	3.4–5.4 million	84,284	27,576	2.40	70.0
2050	projection	4,274,964	3.4–5.5 million	84,089	28,103	2.38	70.2
2051	projection	4,328,827	3.5–5.6 million	83,858	28,615	2.35	70.3
2052	projection	4,381,916	3.5–5.7 million	83,602	29,160	2.33	70.4
2053	projection	4,434,186	3.5–5.8 million	83,334	29,725	2.31	70.6
2054	projection	4,485,472	3.5–6.0 million	82,954	30,276	2.28	70.7
2055	projection	4,536,512	3.5–6.1 million	82,697	30,854	2.26	70.8
2056	projection	4,586,244	3.5–6.2 million	82,477	31,442	2.25	71.0
2057	projection	4,635,243	3.5–6.4 million	82,182	32,071	2.23	71.1
2058	projection	4,683,500	3.5–6.5 million	81,951	32,740	2.21	71.2
2059	projection	4,730,652	3.5–6.7 million	81,714	33,435	2.19	71.3
2060	projection	4,777,218	3.5–6.8 million	81,478	34,146	2.18	71.5
2061	projection	4,823,031	3.5–7.0 million	81,238	34,868	2.16	71.6
2062	projection	4,868,233	3.5–7.1 million	80,872	35,635	2.14	71.8
2063	projection	4,912,088	3.5–7.2 million	80,604	36,450	2.13	71.9
2064	projection	4,954,687	3.5–7.4 million	80,301	37,252	2.11	72.0
2065	projection	4,996,337	3.5–7.5 million	80,057	38,091	2.10	72.1
2066	projection	5,037,085	3.5–7.7 million	79,633	38,934	2.08	72.2
2067	projection	5,076,218	3.4–7.9 million	79,370	39,765	2.07	72.4
2068	projection	5,113,898	3.4–8.0 million	79,044	40,650	2.05	72.5
2069	projection	5,150,711	3.4–8.2 million	78,746	41,523	2.04	72.6
2070	projection	5,186,129	3.4–8.3 million	78,555	42,364	2.03	72.7
2071	projection	5,220,512	3.4–8.5 million	78,163	43,238	2.02	72.9
2072	projection	5,253,364	3.4–8.6 million	77,850	44,105	2.01	73.0
2073	projection	5,285,129	3.3–8.8 million	77,486	44,977	2.00	73.1
2074	projection	5,316,166	3.3–9.0 million	77,249	45,826	1.99	73.2
2075	projection	5,346,053	3.3–9.2 million	76,884	46,707	1.98	73.4
2076	projection	5,374,641	3.3–9.4 million	76,537	47,583	1.97	73.5
2077	projection	5,401,778	3.3–9.5 million	76,152	48,449	1.96	73.6
2078	projection	5,427,925	3.2–9.7 million	75,772	49,346	1.95	73.7
2079	projection	5,452,976	3.2–9.9 million	75,381	50,175	1.94	73.8
2080	projection	5,476,441	3.2–10.0 million	74,987	51,025	1.94	74.0
2081	projection	5,498,663	3.2–10.2 million	74,552	51,857	1.93	74.1
2082	projection	5,519,710	3.1–10.3 million	74,083	52,704	1.92	74.2
2083	projection	5,539,362	3.1–10.4 million	73,593	53,515	1.91	74.3
2084	projection	5,557,763	3.1–10.6 million	73,104	54,325	1.90	74.5
2085	projection	5,575,144	3.1–10.7 million	72,634	55,103	1.89	74.6
2086	projection	5,591,404	3.0–10.8 million	72,199	55,890	1.88	74.7
2087	projection	5,606,103	3.0–10.9 million	71,836	56,717	1.88	74.8
2088	projection	5,620,080	2.9–11.1 million	71,483	57,483	1.88	75.0
2089	projection	5,632,979	2.9–11.4 million	71,103	58,195	1.87	75.1
2090	projection	5,644,582	2.8–11.6 million	70,824	58,975	1.87	75.2
2091	projection	5,654,996	2.8–11.9 million	70,475	59,699	1.86	75.3
2092	projection	5,664,079	2.8–12.0 million	70,052	60,397	1.86	75.5
2093	projection	5,672,416	2.8–12.2 million	69,653	61,071	1.85	75.6
2094	projection	5,679,845	2.8–12.3 million	69,291	61,750	1.85	75.7
2095	projection	5,685,625	2.7–12.5 million	68,803	62,385	1.84	75.8
2096	projection	5,690,613	2.7–12.7 million	68,372	62,971	1.84	76.0
2097	projection	5,694,767	2.6–12.8 million	68,010	63,543	1.83	76.1
2098	projection	5,698,069	2.6–12.9 million	67,699	64,081	1.83	76.2
2099	projection	5,700,728	2.5–13.1 million	67,237	64,599	1.82	76.3
2100	projection	5,702,713	2.5–13.3 million	66,897	65,051	1.82	76.5

Show the numbers: Gambia, mid-2026, by single year of age

Gambia: population by single year of age, mid-2026
Age	Male	Female
0	40,748	39,754
1	40,376	39,460
2	40,048	39,166
3	39,534	38,675
4	38,900	38,082
5	38,270	37,494
6	37,630	36,878
7	37,024	36,298
8	36,824	36,116
9	36,992	36,290
10	37,101	36,402
11	37,144	36,446
12	37,119	36,435
13	36,804	36,141
14	35,891	35,252
15	34,678	34,076
16	33,514	32,958
17	32,420	31,910
18	31,452	30,985
19	30,534	30,110
20	29,408	29,024
21	28,200	27,858
22	27,124	26,828
23	26,188	25,936
24	25,441	25,224
25	24,778	24,600
26	24,176	24,040
27	23,629	23,534
28	23,053	23,001
29	22,511	22,503
30	22,048	22,082
31	21,539	21,613
32	20,829	20,945
33	20,036	20,191
34	19,292	19,482
35	18,518	18,739
36	17,680	17,916
37	16,814	17,060
38	16,003	16,262
39	15,254	15,518
40	14,515	14,767
41	13,787	14,028
42	13,048	13,280
43	12,297	12,520
44	11,592	11,809
45	10,933	11,143
46	10,304	10,514
47	9,714	9,929
48	9,187	9,410
49	8,755	9,038
50	8,438	8,836
51	8,193	8,710
52	8,002	8,624
53	7,838	8,542
54	7,672	8,442
55	7,490	8,306
56	7,320	8,162
57	7,162	8,012
58	6,958	7,843
59	6,704	7,646
60	6,425	7,407
61	6,120	7,132
62	5,782	6,815
63	5,420	6,466
64	5,038	6,090
65	4,648	5,694
66	4,264	5,289
67	3,888	4,884
68	3,524	4,467
69	3,173	4,040
70	2,843	3,636
71	2,536	3,258
72	2,250	2,902
73	1,990	2,570
74	1,751	2,264
75	1,531	1,984
76	1,317	1,678
77	1,179	1,478
78	1,138	1,414
79	1,070	1,314
80	946	1,166
81	810	1,004
82	677	844
83	556	697
84	452	568
85	364	458
86	290	366
87	226	288
88	174	224
89	130	172
90	94	130
91	67	96
92	46	70
93	31	50
94	20	34
95	12	22
96	7	14
97	4	9
98	2	6
99	1	3
100+	1	4

GMB · 1950–2100 · every age, every year

Gambia, every age in every year

Each column is a year and each row an age; the denser the ink in a cell, the more people. Everyone born in the same year climbs one 45° diagonal, so famines, baby booms and migration show up as streaks. Select a cell to follow its generation.

GMB · ages 15–64

Who does the work in Gambia

On the UN's projection, the Gambia will have the most working-age people it ever has in 2089: 3,677,330 people aged 15–64. In 2023 it had 1,518,650.

100 aged 15–64

72 children

5 aged 65+

aged 15–64 children under 15 aged 65 and over

How to read this: take 100 people of working age — the orange row — and the two rows under it are the children (teal) and the people of 65 and over (violet) who lived alongside them in 2023.

Fewer than 50 dependants live alongside every 100 people aged 15–64 in 24 years: 2054–2077.

fewer than 50 dependants per 100 the same, projected 50 or more

How to read this: one stripe a year from 1950 to 2100. A stripe takes colour in a year when fewer than 50 dependants live alongside every 100 people of working age, and stays grey otherwise; hatching means the year is projected.

How every country compares

GMB · arrivals minus departures

Who arrives in Gambia, and who leaves

In 2020–2025 the Gambia loses 2,682 people a year: everyone who arrives, minus everyone who leaves. The age at which that happens most is 20–24, at 566 a year more leaving than arriving.

one square = 100 people a year

020406080+

more arrive than leave more leave than arrive

How to read this: age runs left to right, babies to 100. A blue square above the line means arrivals outnumber departures at that age, an orange square below it means the opposite. The figures are the UN's projection for 2020–2025; nobody recorded migration by age before 2020.

Across the counted years, 1950 to 2023, its biggest single-year gain was 11,530 (1991); its biggest loss, 4,186 (2019).

In 2024, 236,137 people living in the Gambia had been born in another country, 9 of every 100 people there, against 11 in 1990.

How migration works everywhere

GMB · births by the mother's age · 1950–2100

Who has the babies in Gambia

Of every 100 babies born in the Gambia in 2023, 11 had a mother under 20, 73 a mother aged 20 to 34 and 16 a mother aged 35 or older. In 1950 it was 23 under 20 and 11 aged 35 or older.

1950
23 · 66 · 11

2023
11 · 73 · 16

2050 · projected
6 · 75 · 19

The mother's age: under 20 20 to 34 35 or older projected

How to read this: one block a year, 100 squares in each, a square for every hundredth baby. The colour is the mother's age group, and the three numbers underneath are those groups in order, youngest first.

Babies born, 2023: 82,092
Average age when women have a baby: 29.8 years; 27.6 in 1950
Babies a year per 1,000 girls aged 15–19: 58; 208 in 1950

Babies by the mother's age, 1950–2100

Babies born in the Gambia by the mother's age
Mother's age	1950	1975	2000	2023	2050 projected	2100 projected
10–14	228	557	917	153	17	4
15–19	3,289	5,477	8,797	8,519	5,012	1,802
20–24	4,456	7,340	14,186	20,275	17,728	9,685
25–29	3,535	6,327	13,908	22,647	24,270	19,821
30–34	1,987	4,706	11,314	17,059	20,820	21,155
35–39	1,072	2,586	7,061	9,531	12,181	11,346
40–44	539	1,278	2,885	3,208	3,500	2,784
45–49	126	397	642	666	539	293
50–54	6	22	29	34	22	7
All babies	15,238	28,690	59,739	82,092	84,089	66,897

The UN's births for each year, split by the mother's age in the UN's own proportions.

GMB · healthy years · 2021

Years in good health in Gambia

A baby born in the Gambia in 2021 could expect 64.2 years of life, 55.8 of them in full health (95% range 54.9–56.9). That leaves 8.4 years in less than full health, fewer than the world's 9.5, which mostly means lives are shorter here, with fewer years in which to be ill.

Women

56.1 in full health, 10.2 not: 66.3 years

Men

55.6 in full health, 6.6 not: 62.2 years

a year in full health a year in less than full health

How to read this: each square is a year of life, each row ten years; filled squares are years in full health, rounded to whole years.

Women: 56.1 healthy years of 66.3. Men: 55.6 of 62.2. In 2019, before the pandemic, the healthy years were 56.6.

GMB · forced from home · end of 2025

Displacement in Gambia

At the end of 2025, the Gambia was hosting 4,617 people who had crossed a border into it, about 2 of every 1,000 people living there.

hosted from abroad4,617
Gambia nationals abroad13,440

stayed inside their own country crossed a border

How to read this: one square stands for 500 people, so the rows can be compared with one another. The last row is people from the Gambia living in another country, wherever they are.

In 2025, 74 people asked for asylum in the Gambia for the first time; 2,984 people from the Gambia asked for asylum in another country. Of every 100 people from the Gambia whose claims were decided that year, 18 were given protection. Who asks for asylum, and who is given it

How the world's displacement is counted

GMB · of every 100 people

How people live in Gambia

Of every 100 people in the Gambia in 2025, 53 lived in a city, 23 in a town or suburb and 24 in the countryside.

cities towns and suburbs rural areas

31 of every 100 have no electricity at home (2024). 50.5 of every 100 do not use the internet (2024).

How to read this: everyone here, shrunk to 100 squares, with the colour saying whether that hundredth person lives in a city, a town or the countryside. Every country is measured by the same rule.

How the world's people live

GMB · adults 25 and over · 2020

How far people in Gambia went in school

Of every 100 adults in the Gambia in 2020, 51 never went to school and 22 finished upper secondary or went further.

51 never went to school 6 some primary 8 finished primary 13 finished lower secondary 16 finished upper secondary 6 studied after school

Compare two generations. Aged 60–64, 92.6 of every 100 women and 66.6 of every 100 men never went to school; aged 25–29, 27.9 and 22.5.

Its people aged 15 to 64 are projected to be most numerous in 2085; the ones who finished upper secondary are still growing in 2100.

How to read this: the row is the adults (25 and over) shrunk to 100 people, coloured by how far each went in school, least schooling on the left. The Wittgenstein Centre's count, 2020.

How far the world's people went in school

GMB · cities · 2025

Cities in Gambia

The Gambia had 4 cities in 2025, home to 1.5 million people. The largest, Serrekunda, holds 41 of every 100 people in the Gambia.

Serrekunda1,156,903
Brikama184,321
Farafenni73,001
Basse Santa Su68,008

How to read this: one bar for each of the 4 largest cities, 2025, all on the same scale. "City" here means the built-up area the UN measures, not the boundary the city draws itself.

All the world's cities

Apparatus

Sources and method

Every figure on this page comes from the UN's World Population Prospects 2024: the annual country tables (estimates to 2023, projections with 95% intervals from 2024), and the population by single year of age and sex for the pyramid.

The censuses, surveys and registers behind the UN's estimates for the Gambia are listed, source by source, on the UN's own data sources page.

Sources: UN WPP 2024 · World Bank · UNHCR · country code lists · UN WUP 2025 · Wittgenstein Centre · WHO GHO · flag-icons · Natural Earth. Every source, its licence and how to cite it →

Checked before it was drawn

Verified 2026-09-30 · 73 canaries The pyramid for every year was checked against the published total. What that stamp counts, and what every page here has to pass before it can be built: how this site checks its figures.