Demographics of the Gambia

Demographics of The Gambia
Gambia population pyramid in 2020
Population2,639,916 (2021 est.)
Density176.1/sq km (2013)
Growth rate38.3%
Birth rate29.4 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)
Death rate7 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)
Life expectancy65.1 (2017 est.)
 • male62.8 (2017 est.)
 • female67.5 (2017 est.)
Fertility rate3.52 children born/woman (2017 est.)
Infant mortality rate60.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.)
Age structure
0–14 years37.44% (2017 est.)
15–64 years59.08% (2017 est.)
65 and over3.48% (2017 est.)
Sex ratio
Total0.98 (2013)
At birth1.03 (2013 est.)
Under 151.01 (2013 est.)
15–64 years0.96 (2013 est.)
65 and over0.90 (2013 est.)
Nationality
NationalityNoun: Gambian
Major ethnicAfrican (99%) (2003)
Minor ethnicNon-African (1%) (2003)
Language
OfficialEnglish
SpokenMandinka, Wolof, Fula

The demographic characteristics of the population of The Gambia are known through national censuses, conducted in ten-year intervals and analyzed by The Gambian Bureau of Statistics (GBOS) since 1963. The latest census was conducted in 2013. The population of The Gambia at the 2013 census was 1.8 million. The population density is 176.1 per square kilometer, and the overall life expectancy in The Gambia is 64.1 years. Since the first census of 1963, the population of The Gambia has increased every ten years by an average of 43.2 percent. Since 1950s, the birth rate has constantly exceeded the death rate; the natural growth rate is positive. The Gambia is in the second stage of demographic transition. In terms of age structure, The Gambia is dominated by 15- to 24-year-old segment (57.6%). The median age of the population is 19.9 years, and the gender ratio of the total population is 0.98 males per female.