Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 77.8% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Malawi, 8.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Gambia, that number is 1.8% of people as of 2020.

live 4.8 years less

In Malawi, the average life expectancy is 72 years (69 years for men, 76 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 77.6% more likely to be obese

In Malawi, 5.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Gambia, that number is 10.3% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 70.6% more money

Malawi has a GDP per capita of $1,700 as of 2023, while in Gambia, the GDP per capita is $2,900 as of 2023.

be 28.6% more likely to be unemployed

In Malawi, 5.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Gambia, that number is 6.5% as of 2023.

Life

be 20.2% more likely to die during childbirth

In Malawi, approximately 381.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Gambia, 458.0 women do as of 2020.

be 13.7% less likely to be literate

In Malawi, the literacy rate is 67.3% as of 2021. In Gambia, it is 58.1% as of 2021.

be 11.2% more likely to die during infancy

In Malawi, approximately 33.4 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.

Basic Needs

be 4.7 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Malawi, approximately 14% of people have electricity access (54% in urban areas, and 6% 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 37.5% more likely to have internet access

In Malawi, approximately 24.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Gambia, about 33.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 51.9% less on healthcare

Malawi spends 5.4% 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.
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How big is Gambia compared to Malawi? See an in-depth size comparison.

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