If you lived in Gambia instead of Sierra Leone, you would:

Health

live 8.8 years longer

In Sierra Leone, the average life expectancy is 59 years (57 years for men, 60 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 20.0% more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Sierra Leone, 1.5% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Gambia, that number is 1.8% of people as of 2020.

be 18.4% more likely to be obese

In Sierra Leone, 8.7% 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

Sierra Leone 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 2.0 times more likely to be unemployed

In Sierra Leone, 3.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Gambia, that number is 6.5% as of 2023.

Life

be 19.5% more likely to be literate

In Sierra Leone, the literacy rate is 48.6% as of 2022. In Gambia, it is 58.1% as of 2021.

be 49.3% less likely to die during infancy

In Sierra Leone, approximately 73.4 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 11.4% fewer children

In Sierra Leone, there are approximately 30.8 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 2.2 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Sierra Leone, approximately 29% of people have electricity access (57% in urban areas, and 5% 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 2.6 times more likely to have internet access

In Sierra Leone, approximately 12.7% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Gambia, about 33.0% do as of 2021.

be 22.9% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Sierra Leone, approximately 73% of people have improved drinking water access (92% in urban areas, and 58% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Gambia, that number is 90% of people on average (92% in urban areas, and 86% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 69.2% less on education

Sierra Leone spends 9.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Gambia spends 2.8% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 70.5% less on healthcare

Sierra Leone spends 8.8% 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

Sierra Leone has a total of 402 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.
Read more

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

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

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