Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 78.2% less likely to be obese

In Samoa, 47.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Gambia, that number is 10.3% of people as of 2016.

live 7.6 years less

In Samoa, the average life expectancy is 75 years (72 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2022. In Gambia, that number is 68 years (66 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

be 33.5% less likely to be unemployed

In Samoa, 9.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Gambia, that number is 6.5% as of 2023.

make 51.7% less money

Samoa has a GDP per capita of $6,000 as of 2023, while in Gambia, the GDP per capita is $2,900 as of 2023.

be 2.4 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In Samoa, 21.9% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In Gambia, however, that number is 53.4% as of 2020.

Life

have 45.2% more children

In Samoa, there are approximately 18.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Gambia, there are 27.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 7.8 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Samoa, approximately 59.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Gambia, 458.0 women do as of 2020.

be 41.4% less likely to be literate

In Samoa, the literacy rate is 99.1% as of 2021. In Gambia, it is 58.1% as of 2021.

be 2.2 times more likely to die during infancy

In Samoa, approximately 17.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2020. In Gambia, on the other hand, 37.2 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 33.5% less likely to have access to electricity

In Samoa, approximately 98% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 98% 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 57.7% less likely to have internet access

In Samoa, approximately 78.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Gambia, about 33.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 41.7% less on education

Samoa spends 4.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Gambia spends 2.8% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 50.9% less on healthcare

Samoa spends 5.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Gambia, that number is 2.6% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 80.1% less coastline

Samoa has a total of 403 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 Samoa? See an in-depth size comparison.

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