Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Gambia instead of Lesotho, you would:

Health

be 91.5% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Lesotho, 21.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Gambia, that number is 1.8% of people as of 2020.

live 8.0 years longer

In Lesotho, the average life expectancy is 60 years (58 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2022. In Gambia, that number is 68 years (66 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2022.

be 38.0% less likely to be obese

In Lesotho, 16.6% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Gambia, that number is 10.3% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 16.0% more money

Lesotho has a GDP per capita of $2,500 as of 2023, while in Gambia, the GDP per capita is $2,900 as of 2023.

be 60.6% less likely to be unemployed

In Lesotho, 16.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Gambia, that number is 6.5% as of 2023.

Life

be 19.1% less likely to die during childbirth

In Lesotho, approximately 566.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Gambia, 458.0 women do as of 2020.

be 23.2% less likely to die during infancy

In Lesotho, approximately 48.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Gambia, on the other hand, 37.2 children do as of 2022.

have 19.2% more children

In Lesotho, there are approximately 22.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Gambia, there are 27.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 28.3% less likely to be literate

In Lesotho, the literacy rate is 81.0% as of 2021. In Gambia, it is 58.1% as of 2021.

Basic Needs

be 30.8% more likely to have access to electricity

In Lesotho, approximately 50% of people have electricity access (81% in urban areas, and 38% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Gambia, that number is 65% of people on average (82% in urban areas, and 31% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 31.2% less likely to have internet access

In Lesotho, approximately 48.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Gambia, about 33.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 67.8% less on education

Lesotho spends 8.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Gambia spends 2.8% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 78.0% less on healthcare

Lesotho spends 11.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Gambia, that number is 2.6% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Gambia: At a glance

Gambia is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 10,120 sq km. The Gambia gained its independence from the UK in 1965. Geographically surrounded by Senegal, it formed a short-lived federation of Senegambia between 1982 and 1989. In 1991 the two nations signed a friendship and cooperation treaty, but tensions have flared up intermittently since then. Yahya JAMMEH led a military coup in 1994 that overthrew the president and banned political activity. A new constitution and presidential elections in 1996, followed by parliamentary balloting in 1997, completed a nominal return to civilian rule. JAMMEH has been elected president in all subsequent elections including most recently in late 2011.
Read more

How big is Gambia compared to Lesotho? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Gambia.or Lesotho It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.