Demographics of the Gambia explained

Size Of Population: (est.)
Density:176.1/sq km (2013)
Growth:%
Birth:29.4 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)
Death:7 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)
Life:65.1 (2017 est.)
Life Male:62.8 (2017 est.)
Life Female:67.5 (2017 est.)
Infant Mortality:60.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.)
Fertility:3.52 children born/woman (2017 est.)
Age 0–14 Years:37.44% (2017 est.)
Age 15–64 Years:59.08% (2017 est.)
Age 65 Years:3.48% (2017 est.)
Total Mf Ratio:0.98 (2013)
Sr At Birth:1.03 (2013 est.)
Sr Under 15:1.01 (2013 est.)
Sr 15–64 Years:0.96 (2013 est.)
Sr 65 Years Over:0.90 (2013 est.)
Nation:Noun: Gambian
Major Ethnic:African (99%) (2003)
Minor Ethnic:Non-African (1%) (2003)
Official:English
Spoken:Mandinka, 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.

Population

With a population of 1.88 million in 2013, The Gambia ranks 149th in the world by population. Its population density is 176.1/km2. The overall life expectancy in The Gambia is 64.1 years.[1] The total fertility rate of 3.98 is one of the highest in the world.[2] Since 1950, the United Nations (UN) estimated the birth rate exceeds the death rate.[3] The Gambia Bureau of Statistics (GBOS) estimates the population of The Gambia is expected to reach 3.6 million in 20 years. The population of The Gambia has increased each census, starting with 315 thousand in 1963 to 1.8 million in 2013. The GBOS predicted the reason for the increase from 2003 to 2013 was more coverage in the latter census compared to the former's.

Vital statistics

Registration of vital events in Gambia is not complete. The Population Department of the United Nations prepared the following estimates.[4]

Mid-year population (thousands)Live births (thousands)Deaths (thousands)Natural change (thousands)Crude birth rate (per 1000)Crude death rate (per 1000)Natural change (per 1000)Total fertility rate (TFR)Infant mortality (per 1000 live births)Life expectancy (in years)
19503071510549.632.217.46.35174.031.76
19513151610650.131.818.46.35173.131.87
19523231610650.531.519.06.35171.632.08
19533311710650.731.219.56.35170.132.43
19543401711750.931.119.86.34168.832.67
19553491811751.030.920.06.33167.632.88
19563591811751.030.920.26.32166.533.05
19573681911851.030.420.66.30163.833.53
19583781911851.029.921.16.29161.034.08
19593892011850.929.421.46.27158.434.59
19604002012950.728.921.86.25155.835.10
19614112112950.628.522.16.23153.335.57
19624222112950.428.122.36.21150.935.99
196343422121050.127.622.56.20148.636.50
196444622121049.827.122.66.20146.336.95
196545923121049.426.622.86.19143.937.45
196647223121148.926.122.86.18141.637.90
196748524121148.625.623.06.21139.338.43
196849924131248.425.123.26.22137.038.87
196951425131248.224.723.56.25134.739.35
197052925131347.924.223.76.26132.439.87
197154426131347.823.724.06.28130.140.35
197256127131447.823.224.66.32127.740.92
197357728131447.822.824.96.37125.341.39
197459528131547.622.425.26.38122.941.95
197561329141547.422.125.36.41120.442.44
197663230141647.321.825.56.43117.943.04
197765231141747.121.625.56.43115.543.44
197867331141746.921.525.46.42114.043.58
197969532141846.820.925.96.41110.944.56
198071933151946.720.626.26.40108.545.15
198174335161946.721.025.86.40106.144.48
198276836152146.819.826.96.39103.746.38
198379637152246.619.527.16.38101.246.92
198482538162246.519.127.46.3798.747.49
198585640162446.418.627.86.3496.148.19
198688941162546.418.128.36.3393.648.71
198792442162646.217.628.76.2991.149.41
198896144162846.117.129.06.2688.750.05
19891 00046172945.816.629.26.2486.350.64
19901 04147173145.716.129.66.2284.051.32
19911 08449173245.615.530.16.1781.852.13
19921 12751173445.415.030.46.1179.552.94
19931 16853173645.114.430.76.0477.353.75
19941 20654173845.013.731.36.0475.054.72
19951 24256163944.713.231.56.0172.855.46
19961 27957164044.312.831.55.9670.656.01
19971 31758174244.112.631.55.9268.756.06
19981 35660174344.112.331.85.9366.356.55
19991 39661174443.612.031.65.8764.556.82
20001 43862174543.111.831.35.8062.156.94
20011 47964174642.911.731.25.7560.157.04
20021 52265184742.511.630.95.7358.157.08
20031 56666184942.311.231.05.7056.157.59
20041 61268185142.210.831.45.7154.258.09
20051 66070185342.110.631.65.7252.458.39
20061 71173175542.410.132.25.7650.559.06
20071 76574175742.19.932.25.7348.759.39
20081 82176175941.89.432.35.7147.060.08
20091 87878176141.59.232.35.6945.460.43
20101 93780176241.18.932.15.6743.960.72
20111 99881176440.78.532.25.6442.361.53
20122 06183176640.18.232.05.5940.962.10
20132 12584176739.48.131.35.5139.562.11
20142 18984176738.57.930.65.4238.262.27
20152 25385176737.67.729.85.3136.962.49
20162 31785176836.67.529.15.2035.763.01
20172 38185186835.77.428.35.0934.563.00
20182 44585186834.97.327.64.9733.463.04
20192 50986186934.37.027.34.8732.463.76
20202 57487196833.77.426.34.7831.462.61
20212 64088206833.37.525.74.6830.562.08

Fertility Rate (The Demographic Health Survey and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys)

Sources:[5] [6]

Fertility Rate TFR (Wanted Fertility Rate) and CBR (Crude Birth Rate):

YearCBR (Total)TFR (Total)CBR (Urban)TFR (Urban)CBR (Rural)TFR (Rural)
201340.55.6 (4.7)37.74.7 (4.1)43.46.8 (5.6)
2019-2034.44.4 (4.0)32.53.9 (3.6)38.95.9 (5.3)
Structure of the population (DHS 2013) (males 23,904, females 25,649, total 49,553) :
Age GroupMale (%)Female (%)Total (%)
0–418.516.417.4
5–916.615.315.9
10–1412.812.512.6
15–1910.310.410.3
20–248.59.18.8
25–296.88.07.4
30–345.56.56.0
35–394.54.74.6
40–443.83.33.5
45–492.92.42.6
50–542.14.13.1
55–591.51.91.7
60–642.31.92.1
65–691.51.21.3
70–741.00.91.0
75–790.70.50.6
80+0.81.00.9
Age group Male (%)Female (%)Total (%)
0–1447.944.245.9
15–6448.152.250.3
65+4.03.63.8

Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (30.XII.2015) (Source: Integrated Household Survey (IHS) 2015/2016.):[7]

Age GroupMaleFemaleTotal%
Total915 3571 007 5931 922 950100
0–4155 654155 502311 15616.18
5–9150 122147 966298 08915.50
10–14115 261113 727228 98811.91
15–1987 274111 093198 36710.32
20–2476 050104 429180 4799.39
25–2962 43189 237151 6697.89
30–3457 53270 222127 7546.64
35–3949 91359 248109 1615.68
40–4439 03242 66681 698 4.25
45–4932 23529 52261 7573.21
50–5427 28625 44152 7272.74
55–5918 07517 68535 7591.86
60–6416 03414 12130 1551.57
65+28 45726 73455 1912.87
Age group MaleFemaleTotalPercent
0–14421 037417 195838 23243.59
15–64465 863563 6641 029 52753.54
65+28 45726 73455 1912.87

Fertility data as of 2019-20 (DHS Program):[8]

Local Government AreaTotal fertility ratePercentage of women age 15–49 currently pregnantMean number of children ever born to women age 40–49
Banjul 3.1 5.3 4.2
Kanifing 3.3 5.7 4.5
Brikama 4.1 6.9 5.7
Mansakonko 5.4 9.7 7.1
Kerewan 5.4 8.2 6.9
Kuntaur 6.4 11.9 7.2
Janjanbureh 5.7 8.7 7.0
Basse 5.7 9.6 6.5

Life expectancy

PeriodLife expectancy in
Years[9]
1950–195530.24
1955–1960 31.52
1960–1965 32.79
1965–1970 35.78
1970–1975 40.04
1975–1980 44.21
1980–1985 48.20
1985–1990 51.33
1990–1995 52.85
1995–2000 54.91
2000–2005 56.92
2005–2010 58.83
2010–2015 60.31

Other demographic statistics

Demographic statistics according to the World Population Review in 2022.

The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook.

Population

2,413,403 (2022 est.)

2,092,731 (July 2018 est.)

Religions

Muslim 96.4%, Christian 3.5%, other or none 0.1% (2019-20 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 35.15% (male 391,993/female 388,816)

15-24 years: 20.12% (male 221,519/female 225,414)

25-54 years: 36.39% (male 396,261/female 412,122)

55-64 years: 4.53% (male 48,032/female 52,538)

65 years and over: 3.81% (male 38,805/female 45,801) (2021 est.)

0-14 years: 36.97% (male 388,615 /female 385,172)

15-24 years: 20.31% (male 210,217 /female 214,807)

25-54 years: 34.9% (male 357,934 /female 372,428)

55-64 years: 4.26% (male 42,655 /female 46,591)

65 years and over: 3.55% (male 34,328 /female 39,984) (2018 est.)

Birth rate

28.78 births/1,000 population (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 32nd

28.6 births/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 43rd

Death rate

5.81 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 167th

6.9 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 132nd

Total fertility rate

3.79 children born/woman (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 32nd

3.42 children born/woman (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 44th

Median age

total: 21.8 years. Country comparison to the world: 182nd

male: 21.5 years

female: 22.2 years (2020 est.)

total: 21.3 years. Country comparison to the world: 184th

male: 20.9 years

female: 21.6 years (2018 est.)

Population growth rate

2.29% (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 33rd

1.99% (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 48th

Mother's mean age at first birth

20.7 years (2019/20 est.)

note: median age at first birth among women 25-49

20.9 years (2013 est.)

note: median age at first birth among women 25-29

Contraceptive prevalence rate

16.8% (2018)

note: percent of women aged 15-49

9% (2013)

Net migration rate

-0.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 99th

-1.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.) Country comparison to the world: 158th

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 92.3 (2015 est.)

youth dependency ratio: 87.8 (2015 est.)

elderly dependency ratio: 4.5 (2015 est.)

potential support ratio

22.3 (2015 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 63.9% of total population (2022)

rate of urbanization: 3.75% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population: 61.3% of total population (2018)

rate of urbanization: 4.07% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 67.6 years. Country comparison to the world: 188th

male: 65.83 years

female: 69.41 years (2022 est.)

total population: 65.4 years (2018 est.)

male: 63 years (2018 est.)

female: 67.8 years (2018 est.)

Education expenditures

2.9% of GDP (2019) Country comparison to the world: 154th

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)

total population: 50.8%

male: 61.8%

female: 41.6% (2015)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 9 years (2010)

male: 9 years (2010)

female: 9 years (2010)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever

water contact diseases: schistosomiasis

animal contact diseases: rabies

respiratory diseases: meningococcal meningitis

note: on 21 March 2022, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Travel Alert for polio in Africa; The Gambia is currently considered a high risk to travelers for circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPV); vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) is a strain of the weakened poliovirus that was initially included in oral polio vaccine (OPV) and that has changed over time and behaves more like the wild or naturally occurring virus; this means it can be spread more easily to people who are unvaccinated against polio and who come in contact with the stool or respiratory secretions, such as from a sneeze, of an “infected” person who received oral polio vaccine; the CDC recommends that before any international travel, anyone unvaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, or with an unknown polio vaccination status should complete the routine polio vaccine series; before travel to any high-risk destination, CDC recommends that adults who previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 25.8%

male: 21%

female: 32.3% (2018 est.)

See also

References

  1. Web site: Africa :: Gambia, The . . . 23 February 2014.
  2. Web site: Country Comparison :: Total Fertility Rate . . . 23 February 2014 . 26 February 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140226230331/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2127rank.html?countryname=Gambia,%20The&countrycode=ga&regionCode=afr&rank=41#ga . dead .
  3. Web site: World Population Prospects: The 2012 Revision . . February 24, 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110506065230/http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/index.htm . May 6, 2011 .
  4. 5261:5332. M,X,AE,S,AH,S,AA,AV,AI.
  5. Web site: The DHS Program - Quality information to plan, monitor and improve population, health, and nutrition programs. www.dhsprogram.com.
  6. Web site: The Gambia MICS 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20210629221304/https://mics-surveys-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/MICS6/West%20and%20Central%20Africa/Gambia/2018/Survey%20findings/The%20Gambia%202018%20MICS%20Survey%20Findings%20Report_English.pdf. dead. June 29, 2021.
  7. Web site: UNSD — Demographic and Social Statistics.
  8. Web site: The Gambia Demographic and Health Survey 2019-20. 2021. The Gambia Demographic and Health Survey.
  9. Web site: World Population Prospects - Population Division - United Nations. esa.un.org. 2018-08-26. https://web.archive.org/web/20160919061238/https://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/DataQuery/. 2016-09-19. dead.

References

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