Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 93.3% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Swaziland, 26.8% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Gambia, that number is 1.8% of people as of 2020.

live 7.9 years longer

In Swaziland, 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 37.6% less likely to be obese

In Swaziland, 16.5% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Gambia, that number is 10.3% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 82.8% less likely to be unemployed

In Swaziland, 37.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Gambia, that number is 6.5% as of 2023.

make 72.6% less money

Swaziland has a GDP per capita of $10,600 as of 2023, while in Gambia, the GDP per capita is $2,900 as of 2023.

Life

have 22.4% more children

In Swaziland, there are approximately 22.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Gambia, there are 27.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 34.3% less likely to be literate

In Swaziland, the literacy rate is 88.4% as of 2018. In Gambia, it is 58.1% as of 2021.

Basic Needs

be 11.5% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Swaziland, approximately 80% of people have improved drinking water access (98% in urban areas, and 75% 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.

be 20.5% less likely to have access to electricity

In Swaziland, approximately 82% of people have electricity access (94% in urban areas, and 79% 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 44.1% less likely to have internet access

In Swaziland, approximately 59.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Gambia, about 33.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 44.0% less on education

Swaziland spends 5.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Gambia spends 2.8% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 60.0% less on healthcare

Swaziland spends 6.5% 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 Swaziland? See an in-depth size comparison.

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