Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) in Gambia
Gambia: Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) was 65.86 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
65.86 years
Change on year
up 1.5%
World rank
184th
of 215 countries
All-time high
65.86 years
in 2023
All-time low
39.53 years
in 1970
Years of data
54
1970–2023
Life expectancy at birth, total in Gambia, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2023, life expectancy at birth, total in Gambia stood at 65.86 years. That is the highest value across all 54 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.5% on the previous year and up 5.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth, total in Gambia peaked at 65.86 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 39.53 years, in 1970.
That places Gambia 184th out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 54 years of available data.
Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) in Gambia, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 39.53 years | — |
| 1971 | 40.05 years | +1.3% |
| 1972 | 40.55 years | +1.3% |
| 1973 | 41.09 years | +1.3% |
| 1974 | 41.68 years | +1.4% |
| 1975 | 42.19 years | +1.2% |
| 1976 | 42.88 years | +1.6% |
| 1977 | 43.37 years | +1.1% |
| 1978 | 43.57 years | +0.5% |
| 1979 | 44.52 years | +2.2% |
| 1980 | 44.98 years | +1.0% |
| 1981 | 44.49 years | -1.1% |
| 1982 | 46.25 years | +4.0% |
| 1983 | 46.89 years | +1.4% |
| 1984 | 47.51 years | +1.3% |
| 1985 | 48.15 years | +1.3% |
| 1986 | 48.8 years | +1.3% |
| 1987 | 49.39 years | +1.2% |
| 1988 | 50.15 years | +1.5% |
| 1989 | 50.73 years | +1.2% |
| 1990 | 51.28 years | +1.1% |
| 1991 | 51.86 years | +1.1% |
| 1992 | 52.48 years | +1.2% |
| 1993 | 53.15 years | +1.3% |
| 1994 | 53.77 years | +1.2% |
| 1995 | 54.29 years | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 54.85 years | +1.0% |
| 1997 | 55.23 years | +0.7% |
| 1998 | 56.01 years | +1.4% |
| 1999 | 56.47 years | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 56.9 years | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 57.28 years | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 57.74 years | +0.8% |
| 2003 | 58.22 years | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 58.75 years | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 59.11 years | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 59.67 years | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 60 years | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 60.47 years | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 60.73 years | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 61.17 years | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 61.56 years | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 61.9 years | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 62.25 years | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 62.58 years | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 62.97 years | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 63.39 years | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 63.71 years | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 64.03 years | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 64.43 years | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 64.42 years | -0.0% |
| 2021 | 63.85 years | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 64.86 years | +1.6% |
| 2023 | 65.86 years | +1.5% |
Gambia compared with similar countries
- Gambia's 65.86 years is above the median for low income countries, which is 63.65 years, 1.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Gambia's 65.86 years is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 64.1 years, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 41.94 years | 39.53 years | 44.52 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 47.73 years | 44.49 years | 50.73 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 53.94 years | 51.28 years | 56.47 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 58.89 years | 56.9 years | 60.73 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 62.8 years | 61.17 years | 64.43 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 64.75 years | 63.85 years | 65.86 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Gambia
More population data for Gambia
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.023 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 1.17 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.023 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.1454 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 4,674 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 2.23 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.5608 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate 0.012 (2100)
- Population density 563.54 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 334,764 (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy at birth, total in Gambia?
- Life expectancy at birth, total in Gambia was 65.86 years in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in Gambia?
- The highest recorded value was 65.86 years in 2023.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in Gambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 39.53 years in 1970.
- How does Gambia rank for life expectancy at birth, total?
- Gambia ranks 184th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy at birth, total rising or falling in Gambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Gambia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Life expectancy at birth, total (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release