Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 6.3 years longer

In Nigeria, the average life expectancy is 61 years (60 years for men, 63 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 38.5% more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Nigeria, 1.3% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Gambia, that number is 1.8% of people as of 2020.

be 15.7% more likely to be obese

In Nigeria, 8.9% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Gambia, that number is 10.3% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 49.1% less money

Nigeria has a GDP per capita of $5,700 as of 2023, while in Gambia, the GDP per capita is $2,900 as of 2023.

be 2.1 times more likely to be unemployed

In Nigeria, 3.1% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Gambia, that number is 6.5% as of 2023.

be 33.2% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Nigeria, 40.1% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In Gambia, however, that number is 53.4% as of 2020.

Life

be 34.4% less likely to die during infancy

In Nigeria, approximately 56.7 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.

be 9.7 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Nigeria, approximately 47.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Gambia, 458.0 women do as of 2020.

have 19.2% fewer children

In Nigeria, there are approximately 33.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Gambia, there are 27.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 40.0% less likely to have internet access

In Nigeria, approximately 55.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Gambia, about 33.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 23.5% less on healthcare

Nigeria spends 3.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Gambia, that number is 2.6% of GDP as of 2020.

spend 5.6 times more on education

Nigeria spends 0.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2013. Gambia spends 2.8% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

Geography

see 90.6% less coastline

Nigeria has a total of 853 km of coastline. In Gambia, that number is 80 km.

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 Nigeria? See an in-depth size comparison.

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