Gambia (Republic of The Gambia)

Gambia Republic of The Gambia
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	154th best
Capital	Banjul
Land Area	10 120km21
Location	Africa
Population	2.3m2
Life Expectancy	62.08yrs (2017)3
GNI	$2 172 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	GM, GMB, 2705
Internet Domain	.gm6
Currency	Dalasi (GMD)7
Telephone	+2208

1. Overview
2. Gambia National and Social Development
3. Gambia's Demographics and Migration
4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
5. Gambia's Health
   1. Health Datasets
   2. Children's Health Datasets
6. Gambia's Responsibility Towards The Environment
7. Gambia's Modernity and Learning
   1. Modernity Datasets
   2. Education Datasets
   3. Technology and Information Datasets
8. Gambia's Culture, Peace and Inequality
   1. National Culture Datasets
   2. Peace Versus Instability Datasets
   3. Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets
9. Religion and Beliefs
10. Links

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1. Overview

#senegal #UK

“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.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“The Gambia, the smallest country in mainland Africa, contains a lot within its compact frame, attracting sun-seekers and birdwatchers and displaying a wealth of natural riches. This tiny sliver of land is wedged into surrounding Senegal, and is seen as a splinter in its side, or the tongue that makes it speak, depending on who you talk to. For many, The Gambia is a country with beaches that invite visitors to laze and linger on package tours. Its beaches and the adjacent resorts long ago became famous among sun-starved Europeans. But there´s more here than just sun and surf.

Small fishing villages, nature reserves and historic slaving stations are all within easy reach of the clamorous Atlantic resorts. Star-studded ecolodges and small wildlife parks dot the inland like a green belt around the coast, and among birdwatchers The Gambia is revered as one of Africa´s best and most accessible birding destinations - it lies on the main migratory path between Europe and Africa. On a leisurely river cruise, you´ll easily spot more than 100 species while your pirogue (traditional canoe) charts an unhurried course through mangrove-lined wetlands and lush gallery forests.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Gambia National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better Value11
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
171	Djibouti	0.509
172	Sudan	0.508
173	Madagascar	0.501
174	Gambia	0.500
175	Ethiopia	0.498
176	Eritrea	0.492
177	Guinea-Bissau	0.483
178	Liberia	0.481
	Africa Avg	0.56
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $11
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
171	Ethiopia	$2 361
172	Rwanda	$2 210
173	Uganda	$2 181
174	Gambia	$2 172
175	Togo	$2 167
176	Mali	$2 133
177	Burkina Faso	$2 118
178	Guinea-Bissau	$1 908
	Africa Avg	$5 339
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank12
1	Denmark	26.9
2	Norway	29.1
3	Sweden	29.9
	...
151	Uganda	111.1
152	Cambodia	112.1
153	Somaliland	112.4
154	Gambia	112.7
155	Togo	112.8
156	Swaziland	114.1
157	Benin	114.1
158	Kiribati	114.4
	Africa Avg	119.0
	World Avg	89.0
q=200.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Gambia's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population Datasets:

The Gambia's population is predicted to rise to 2.818 million by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 4.59. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1, once you take mortality into account₁₃. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₄

Population2
Pos.		2018 Population2
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
139	Lithuania	2.8m
140	Qatar	2.8m
141	Namibia	2.4m
142	Gambia	2.3m
143	Botswana	2.3m
144	Gabon	2.1m
145	Lesotho	2.1m
146	Macedonia	2.1m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
163	Uganda	62.7
164	S. Africa	62.3
165	Djibouti	62.3
166	Gambia	62.1
167	Afghanistan	62.0
168	Burundi	61.7
169	Angola	61.6
170	Togo	61.6
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best15
Pos.		202215
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
193	Uganda	4.47
194	Afghanistan	4.52
195	Mozambique	4.56
196	Gambia	4.59
197	Tanzania	4.66
198	Burkina Faso	4.67
199	Benin	4.90
200	Burundi	4.98
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better16
Pos.		2016 Per 10016
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
3=	Burkina Faso	04.7
5=	Sierra Leone	04.8
5=	Zambia	04.8
7=	Eritrea	04.9
7=	Gambia	04.9
9=	Angola	05.0
9=	Afghanistan	05.0
9=	Zimbabwe	05.0
12=	Nigeria	05.1
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

• The Population of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants17
Pos.		2017 %17
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
57	Greece	10.9%
58	Malta	10.6%
59	Italy	10.0%
60	Gambia	9.8%
61	Dominica	9.2%
62	Serbia	9.1%
63	Ivory Coast	9.0%
64	Malaysia	8.5%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants18
Pos.		2010 %18
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
126	Panama	4.0%
127	Norway	3.8%
128	Bahrain	3.7%
129	Gambia	3.7%
130	Chile	3.7%
131	Peru	3.7%
132	Czechia	3.6%
133	Mauritania	3.5%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #gambia #gambia_human_rights #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)19
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank19
1	Sweden	7.8
2	Netherlands	8.7
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
143	Kenya	114.0
144	Congo, (Brazzaville)	114.4
145	Morocco	114.4
146	Gambia	115.0
147	Guinea-Bissau	115.8
148	Malaysia	117.2
	Africa Avg	110.04
	World Avg	89.80
q=199.

The Gambia is generally poor at ensuring human rights and freedom compared to the rest of the world. The Gambia does better than average in terms of commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₀ (one of the best in Africa), supporting press freedom₂₁ and in freethought₂₂. However The Gambia performs less well in most areas. It does worse than average for combatting modern slavery₂₃, its average Freedom in the World rating (still low for Africa), its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₄, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₅ and in LGBT equality in the 2020s₂₆. And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 in terms of opposing gender inequality₂₇. Human rights in Gambia have greatly improved from 2017, since President Yahya Jammeh has been replaced with Adama Barrow and an era of authoritarian abuse is ending.₂₈. Widespread reforms in multiple sectors have been instigated to support human rights, strengthen the judiciary and ensure media freedom₂₈. There is still a lot of work to do.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

• Human Rights and Freedom in Gambia

5. Gambia's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #gambia #health #life_expectancy #longevity #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #vaccines

Compared to Africa (2025)29
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank29
1	Mauritius	71.1
2	Tunisia	75.3
3	Seychelles	77.4
	...
13	Eritrea	120.2
14	Kenya	121.3
15	S. Africa	122.3
16	Gambia	122.7
17	Zimbabwe	125.0
18=	Namibia	125.4
19	Lesotho	125.5
20	Senegal	126.3
21=	Burundi	126.8
	Africa Avg	111.13
q=54.

Health (2025)29
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank29
1	Monaco	10.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Japan	37.3
	...
149	S. Africa	122.3
150	Vanuatu	122.4
151	Guam	122.6
152	Gambia	122.7
153	Solomon Islands	122.9
154	Syria	124.1
155	Samoa	124.2
156	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	124.9
	World Avg	97.57
q=207.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and Japan₃₀. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan₃₀.

42 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate, delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations, delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 and childhood mortality. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean₃₀, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Melanesia₃₀.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

5.1. Health Datasets

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #gambia #health #life_expectancy #longevity #obesity #overpopulation #smoking

The Gambia has some poor policies and cultural issues which cause some public health problems. The Gambia does better than average in its smoking rate₃₁, the prevalence of overweight adults₃₂, delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015₃₃ and in its alcohol consumption rate₃₄. But, things could still be better. The Gambia does worse than average in terms of its adolescent birth rate₃₅ (still good for Africa), delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations in the 2020s₃₆, childhood mortality in the 2020s₃₇ and in its average life expectancy₁₁. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 when it comes to its fertility rate₁₅. The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% between 1976 and 2016. Life expectancy in Gambia in 1990 was 51.3yrs, lower than the global average of 64.6. It improved by +12.4yrs in the 30 years from then, much better than the global average of +7.9yrs. The Gambia's peak fertility rate was 6.43 in 1976.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
163	Uganda	62.7
164	S. Africa	62.3
165	Djibouti	62.3
166	Gambia	62.1
167	Afghanistan	62.0
168	Burundi	61.7
169	Angola	61.6
170	Togo	61.6
	Africa Avg	62.79
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better34
Pos.		2016 Per Capita34
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
62	Mauritius	3.6
63	Malawi	3.7
64=	El Salvador	3.8
64=	Gambia	3.8
64=	Israel	3.8
64=	UAE	3.8
68	N. Korea	3.9
69	Honduras	4.0
	Africa Avg	4.8
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best15
Pos.		202215
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
193	Uganda	4.47
194	Afghanistan	4.52
195	Mozambique	4.56
196	Gambia	4.59
197	Tanzania	4.66
198	Burkina Faso	4.67
199	Benin	4.90
200	Burundi	4.98
	Africa Avg	3.97
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Smoking in the 2020s Lower is better31
Pos.		Total %31
1	Nigeria	3.3%
2	Ghana	3.4%
3	Panama	5.2%
	...
31	Jamaica	9.7%
32	Malawi	9.7%
33	Ecuador	10.2%
34=	Gambia	10.5%
34=	Dominican Rep.	10.5%
36	Kenya	10.7%
37	Paraguay	10.8%
38	Cape Verde	11.0%
	Africa Avg	12.4%
	World Avg	20.0%
q=165. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

Overweight Adults Lower is better32
Pos.		1976 %32
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
33=	Guinea	9.1
34=	Congo, DR	9.2
34=	Nigeria	9.2
36	Gambia	9.3
37	Mauritania	9.7
38	Benin	9.8
39	Togo	10.0
40	Cape Verde	10.1
	Africa Avg	13.4
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better38
Pos.		2022 %38
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
49	Ghana	12.1%
50	Zimbabwe	12.4%
51	Somalia	12.7%
52	Gambia	13.2%
53	Cameroon	13.4%
54	Singapore	13.5%
55	Switzerland	13.7%
56	Denmark	14.3%
	Africa Avg	13.7%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

5.2. Children's Health Datasets

#children's_health #health #parenting #population #vaccines

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better35
Pos.		2022 Per 100035
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
135	Marshall Islands	57.5
136	Colombia	57.6
137	Solomon Islands	59.4
138	Gambia	60.7
139	S. Africa	60.9
140	Iraq	61.2
141	Ecuador	62.1
142	Kenya	62.6
	Africa Avg	84.6
	World Avg	43.8
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Infant DTP Immunizations (2020s) Higher is better36
Pos.		Total Avg %36
1=	Luxembourg	99.0
1=	Oman	99.0
1=	Niue	99.0
	...
160	Belize	84.6
161	Grenada	83.2
162=	S. Africa	83.1
162=	Gambia	83.1
164	Brazil	83.0
165	Mexico	82.1
166	Liberia	81.6
167	Bosnia & Herzegovina	81.4
	Africa Avg	82.9
	World Avg	88.5
q=211. Also scored for 1980s-2020s.

7x Infant Immunizations (2011-2015) Higher is better33
Pos.		2015 Avg %33
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
60	Turkey	95.5
61	Malta	95.5
62	Botswana	95.4
63	Gambia	95.4
64	Cyprus	95.3
65	Switzerland	95.3
66	Israel	95.2
67=	Grenada	95.2
	Africa Avg	81.7
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Infant Mortality (2020s) Lower is better37
Pos.		Total Per 100037
1	San Marino	2.11
2	Finland	2.59
3	Luxembourg	2.60
	...
160	Kiribati	58.77
161	Malawi	60.75
162	Swaziland	60.78
163	Gambia	61.12
164	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	62.21
165	Zambia	63.61
166	Zimbabwe	63.76
167	Sudan	65.51
	Africa Avg	71.63
	World Avg	32.19
q=195. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

Gambia was amongst 49 countries in the 1990s who had an adolescent birth rate of over 100 (per 1000 girls aged 15-19); in the 2000s it saw serious improvements, but it was still amongst only 37 countries that still fell into the same grouping.

6. Gambia's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #environmentalism #food #gambia #internationalism #meat #over-exploitation #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Africa (2025)39
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank39
1	Morocco	46.5
2	Burundi	47.8
3	Mali	51.0
	...
14	Ethiopia	61.7
15	Cameroon	62.6
16	Burkina Faso	63.1
17	Gambia	63.3
18	Senegal	63.4
19	Lesotho	66.1
20	Guinea	67.1
21	Ivory Coast	70.8
22	Togo	71.1
	Africa Avg	80.07
q=53.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)39
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank39
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
38	Jordan	63.1
39	Ireland	63.1
40	Burkina Faso	63.1
41	Gambia	63.3
42	Senegal	63.4
43	Hong Kong	64.6
44	Cyprus	64.8
45	Dominican Rep.	65.0
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

We have known for a long term that we must protect the environment from habitation destruction, over-exploitation, pollution, and the emissions that cause climate change. In 1998, Greenpeace wrote that "Environment can no longer be meaningfully separated from health, quality of life, democracy, education, economy or trade"₄₀. What countries have been doing the right thing, via legislation and national culture? All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

The Gambia ranks 41st in the world when it comes to its responsibility towards the environment. This rank is computed using 21 data sets. The Gambia does better than average for energy to GDP efficiency₄₁, reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₂ and in its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment. But, there's bad news too. The Gambia does worse than average for its environmental performance₄₃. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 in its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₄.

Environmental Performance Higher is better43
Pos.		201843
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
153	Laos	42.9
154	Burkina Faso	42.8
155	Sierra Leone	42.5
156	Gambia	42.4
157	Congo, (Brazzaville)	42.4
158	Bosnia & Herzegovina	41.8
159	Togo	41.8
160	Liberia	41.6
	Africa Avg	46.4
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better41
Pos.		2022 Avg41
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
19	Switzerland	0.55
20	Nepal	0.55
21	Burkina Faso	0.55
22	Gambia	0.55
23	Philippines	0.57
24	Cameroon	0.57
25	Ivory Coast	0.57
26	Kenya	0.58
	Africa Avg	0.83
	World Avg	1.23
q=165. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
48	Niger	67%
49	Pakistan	67%
50	Liechtenstein	66%
51	Gambia	66%
52	Hungary	66%
53	Azerbaijan	66%
54	New Zealand	66%
55	Spain	66%
	Africa Avg	56.4%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.

Meat Consumption Lower is better42
Pos.		2021 kg42
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
25	Djibouti	14.8
26	Benin	15.6
27	Guinea	16.7
28	Gambia	16.7
29	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	17.2
30	Nepal	17.3
31	Solomon Islands	17.4
32	Syria	17.8
	Africa Avg	24.9
	World Avg	52.5
q=185. Also scored for 2010s.

7. Gambia's Modernity and Learning

#education #intelligence #metric #modernity #research #science #technology #the_internet

Compared to Africa (2025)45
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank45
1	S. Africa	58.2
2	Tunisia	63.4
3	Seychelles	64.9
	...
45	Mozambique	141.4
46	Mauritania	143.9
47	Burundi	144.5
48	Gambia	147.8
49	Chad	150.8
50	Sierra Leone	153.8
51	Liberia	160.4
52	Somalia	170.1
53	Eritrea	174.3
	Africa Avg	119.28
q=54.

Modernity & Learning (2025)45
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank45
1	Vatican City	1.0
2	Finland	4.8
3	Belgium	8.5
	...
179	Mauritania	143.9
180	Laos	144.3
181	Burundi	144.5
182	Gambia	147.8
183	Bhutan	148.3
184	Chad	150.8
185	Sierra Leone	153.8
186	Solomon Islands	154.5
	World Avg	80.33
q=194.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are The Vatican City, Finland and Belgium₄₆. The worst countries are S. Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia₄₆. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₇.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”

Bill Emmott (2017)₄₈

23 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Intellectual Endeavours, metric system adoption rate, Religiosity, IQ, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Maths, Science & Reading, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₄₆, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₆.

For more, see:

• " Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

7.1. Modernity Datasets

#intelligence #metric #research #science

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.2949
2	Israel	4.1149
3	Japan	3.5849
	...
101	Albania	0.1550
102	Namibia	0.1451
103=	Georgia	0.1352
103=	Gambia	0.1353
105=	Tajikistan	0.1254
105=	Burundi	0.1253
107=	Madagascar	0.1153
107=	Philippines	0.1155
	Africa Avg	0.36
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Metric System Adoption Rate Higher is better56
Pos.		2025 %56
1=	Slovakia	100
1=	Poland	100
1=	Portugal	100
	...
108=	Bahrain	90
108=	Maldives	90
108=	Guyana	90
108=	Gambia	90
108=	Guinea-Bissau	90
108=	Guinea	90
108=	Libya	90
108=	Ethiopia	90
	Africa Avg	90
	World Avg	92
q=187. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

Officially adopted metric in 1960. Progression:

• 1960 (50%): Colonial mix; science metric.
• 1970 (65%): Government/education standardize metric.
• 1980 (80%): Commerce largely metric; informal legacy persists.
• 2000 (85%).
• 2025 (90%): High metric usage.

IQ Higher is better57
Pos.		200657
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
127=	Guinea	67
127=	Liberia	67
127=	Haiti	67
130=	Gambia	66
130=	Zimbabwe	66
130=	Senegal	66
133=	Sierra Leone	64
133=	Mozambique	64
	Africa Avg	70.6
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

7.2. Education Datasets

#education

Secondary Education Higher is better58
Pos.		201858
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
130	Guatemala	37.8%
131	Pakistan	37.2%
132	Cameroon	37.2%
133	Gambia	36.8%
134	Nepal	35.9%
135	Kenya	35.2%
136	Honduras	33.5%
137	Haiti	33.2%
	Africa Avg	34.4%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better59
Pos.		2021 Years59
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
174	Haiti	9.7
175	Ethiopia	9.7
176	Sierra Leone	9.6
177	Gambia	9.4
178	Tuvalu	9.4
179	Mauritania	9.4
180	Tanzania	9.2
181	Syria	9.2
	Africa Avg	11.0
	World Avg	13.5
q=193. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

7.3. Technology and Information Datasets

#the_internet

Internet Users Higher is better60
Pos.		201660
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
160	Nepal	17%
161=	Mauritania	17%
161=	S. Sudan	17%
163	Gambia	17%
164	Laos	16%
165	Namibia	16%
166	Turkmenistan	15%
167	Bangladesh	13%
	Africa Avg	18.4%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

8. Gambia's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#capitalism #corruption #economics #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #internationalism #life_expectancy #peace #politics #poverty #social_development

8.1. National Culture Datasets

#corruption #happiness #internationalism #politics

On the Corruption Index, Gambia scored on average 29 over the 2012-2016 period. Over the 10 years since then, it improved by 5 points.

Corruption Higher is better61
Pos.		2022 Points61
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
107=	Ecuador	36.0
107=	Kazakhstan	36.0
107=	Thailand	36.0
110=	Gambia	34.0
110=	Sierra Leone	34.0
110=	Malawi	34.0
110=	Indonesia	34.0
110=	Bosnia & Herzegovina	34.0
	Africa Avg	32.31
	World Avg	42.98
q=180. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Happiness Higher is better62
Pos.		2024 Score62
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
114	Mauritania	4.5
115	Kenya	4.5
116	Uganda	4.5
117	Gambia	4.4
118	India	4.4
119	Chad	4.4
120	Burkina Faso	4.4
121	Benin	4.4
	Africa Avg	4.42
	World Avg	5.58
q=147. Also scored for 2010s.

Gambia only had World Happiness Index data in the 2010s from 2018, so it's average for the 2010s may be skewed.

Passport Reach (2020s) Higher is better63
Pos.		Total Q63
1	Singapore	192.2
2	Japan	192.0
3	S. Korea	190.7
	...
123=	Zambia	70.5
124	Tunisia	70.2
125	Azerbaijan	69.3
126	Gambia	69.0
127	Uganda	67.8
128	Cape Verde	66.7
129	Morocco	66.5
130	Philippines	66.3
	Africa Avg	62.9
	World Avg	108.8
q=195. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

8.2. Peace Versus Instability Datasets

#human_development #peace #politics

Global Peace Index Lower is better64
Pos.		2023 Score64
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
56	Namibia	1.86
57	Moldova	1.87
58	Chile	1.87
59	Gambia	1.89
60	Greece	1.89
61	Bosnia & Herzegovina	1.89
62	Jordan	1.90
63	Zambia	1.90
	Africa Avg	2.29
	World Avg	2.07
q=163. Also scored for 2010s.

8.3. Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets

#capitalism #economics #health #inequality #life_expectancy #poverty #social_development

Poverty (2020s) Lower is better65
Pos.		Total %65
1	Malaysia	0.01%
2	Bhutan	0.01%
3	Cyprus	0.02%
	...
85	Kosovo	17.25%
86	Senegal	17.89%
87	Ivory Coast	20.90%
88	Gambia	22.00%
89	Cameroon	26.69%
90	Benin	27.22%
91	Togo	34.42%
92	Mali	36.10%
	Africa Avg	41.51%
	World Avg	11.40%
q=106. Also scored for 1980s-2020s.

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better66
Pos.		201966
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
155	Uganda	27.20
156	Sudan	27.40
157	Afghanistan	28.30
158=	Gambia	28.50
158=	Burundi	28.50
160	Comoros	28.90
161=	Liberia	29.80
161=	Mozambique	29.80
	Africa Avg	26.10
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better67
Pos.		2023 %67
1	Slovakia	24.1%68
2	Slovenia	24.3%68
3	Belarus	24.4%69
	...
109=	Samoa	38.7%70
109=	Kenya	38.7%68
111=	El Salvador	38.8%71
111=	Gambia	38.8%69
111=	Laos	38.8%72
114	Bulgaria	39.0%68
115	Tuvalu	39.1%73
116	Suriname	39.2%71
	Africa Avg	40.7%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167. Also scored for 1980s-2010s.

Income inequality data is rarely available for Gambia - only for 4 years between 1980 and 2019.

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better74
Pos.		2018 Severity74
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
	...
80	Tanzania	.273
81	Sudan	.279
82	Angola	.282
83	Gambia	.286
84	Senegal	.288
85	Nigeria	.291
86	Sierra Leone	.297
87	Liberia	.320
	Africa Avg	.264
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:₇₅:

	2010	2020
Muslim	96.2%	97%
Christian	3.46%	2.89%
Hindu	<0.1%	<0.1%
Other	0.206%	<0.1%
Unaffiliated	<0.1%	<0.1%
Jewish	None	None
Buddhist	None	None

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states simply: Muslim 90%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs 2%₇₆.

The International Humanist and Ethical Union produced a report in 2012 entitled "Freedom of Thought" (2012)₇₇, in which they document bias and prejudice at the national level that is based on religion, belief and/or lack of belief. Their entry for The Gambia states:

“Article 25 of the Constitution protects the rights of citizens to follow any religion or belief that they choose. The government has not established a state religion, although the constitution establishes Qadi (Muslim judge trained in the Islamic legal tradition) courts in such places as the chief justice determines. Their jurisdiction applies only to marriage, divorce, and inheritance questions for Muslims where they apply traditional Islamic law. The Supreme Islamic Council (SIC) is an independent body that advises the government on religious issues. Although the government does not have representation on the council, it provided the council with substantial funding₇₈. The minister of religious affairs maintains a formal relationship with the council. Government meetings and events typically commenced with two prayers, one Islamic and one Christian.

The government funds religious instruction in schools. Public and private schools throughout the country provide Biblical and Qur'anic studies with government support.”

"Freedom of Thought" by IHEU (2012)₇₉

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Secularisation Theory: Will Modern Society Reject Religion? What is Secularism?