Gambia Population (1960-2026) & Projected growth

The current population of the Gambia is 2,902,554 people, as of 2026 based on the adjusted UN estimation. The latest officially reported number was 2,759,988 in 2024.

The Gambia accounts for 0.04% of the world's population.
For the last 20 years, the Gambia has had an average growth rate of 3.46% per year.
The Gambia is ranked 138/197 by population and was ranked 146th in 2006.
Since 2006, population has increased from 1.72M people to 2.9M (69.2% growth in 20 years).
The Gambia is projected to reach 5.77M people in 2100.

The Gambia population and growth rate by year

1x

Year	Population	Growth rate
2100	5,767,668	0.03%
2099	5,765,660	0.05%
2098	5,762,971	0.06%
2097	5,759,632	0.07%
2096	5,755,430	0.09%
2095	5,750,385	0.1%
2094	5,744,540	0.13%
2093	5,737,026	0.15%
2092	5,728,594	0.16%
2091	5,719,408	0.18%
2090	5,708,875	0.21%
2089	5,697,140	0.23%
2088	5,684,094	0.25%
2087	5,669,958	0.26%
2086	5,655,091	0.29%
2085	5,638,646	0.31%
2084	5,621,067	0.33%
2083	5,602,456	0.36%
2082	5,582,581	0.38%
2081	5,561,294	0.41%
2080	5,538,819	0.43%
2079	5,515,086	0.46%
2078	5,489,750	0.48%
2077	5,463,305	0.5%
2076	5,435,859	0.53%
2075	5,406,946	0.56%
2074	5,376,718	0.59%
2073	5,345,328	0.6%
2072	5,313,201	0.63%
2071	5,279,975	0.66%
2070	5,245,200	0.69%
2069	5,209,379	0.72%
2068	5,172,146	0.74%
2067	5,134,037	0.78%
2066	5,094,458	0.82%
2065	5,053,246	0.84%
2064	5,011,122	0.87%
2063	4,968,038	0.9%
2062	4,923,683	0.94%
2061	4,877,966	0.96%
2060	4,831,631	0.98%
2059	4,784,535	1.01%
2058	4,736,846	1.04%
2057	4,688,039	1.07%
2056	4,638,482	1.1%
2055	4,588,184	1.14%
2054	4,536,562	1.16%
2053	4,484,692	1.19%
2052	4,431,827	1.23%
2051	4,378,133	1.26%
2050	4,323,657	1.29%
2049	4,268,536	1.33%
2048	4,212,677	1.36%
2047	4,155,975	1.39%
2046	4,098,930	1.43%
2045	4,041,218	1.46%
2044	3,982,976	1.5%
2043	3,924,126	1.54%
2042	3,864,662	1.56%
2041	3,805,317	1.6%
2040	3,745,312	1.64%
2039	3,685,048	1.68%
2038	3,624,271	1.7%
2037	3,563,745	1.73%
2036	3,502,991	1.77%
2035	3,442,074	1.81%
2034	3,381,008	1.85%
2033	3,319,646	1.89%
2032	3,258,080	1.92%
2031	3,196,605	1.97%
2030	3,134,968	2.02%
2029	3,072,981	2.07%
2028	3,010,624	2.12%
2027	2,948,246	2.17%
2026	2,885,613	2.22%
2025	2,822,861	2.28%
2024	2,759,988	2.3%
2023	2,697,845	2.33%
2022	2,636,470	2.35%
2021	2,576,010	2.4%
2020	2,515,733	2.4%
2019	2,456,844	2.38%
2018	2,399,632	2.45%
2017	2,342,189	2.56%
2016	2,283,769	2.66%
2015	2,224,529	2.77%
2014	2,164,528	2.89%
2013	2,103,820	2.97%
2012	2,043,094	2.99%
2011	1,983,784	2.97%
2010	1,926,630	2.95%
2009	1,871,422	2.95%
2008	1,817,852	2.95%
2007	1,765,774	2.94%
2006	1,715,275	2.89%
2005	1,667,037	2.82%
2004	1,621,312	2.77%
2003	1,577,611	2.73%
2002	1,535,691	2.72%
2001	1,495,011	2.74%
2000	1,455,084	2.78%
1999	1,415,779	2.82%
1998	1,376,987	2.85%
1997	1,338,889	2.88%
1996	1,301,410	2.93%
1995	1,264,313	3.02%
1994	1,227,226	3.27%
1993	1,188,365	3.73%
1992	1,145,582	4.15%
1991	1,099,959	4.29%
1990	1,054,696	4.29%
1989	1,011,357	4.25%
1988	970,160	4.2%
1987	931,091	4.15%
1986	894,019	4.09%
1985	858,874	4.03%
1984	825,631	3.92%
1983	794,525	3.76%
1982	765,753	3.6%
1981	739,125	3.53%
1980	713,913	3.5%
1979	689,781	3.4%
1978	667,103	3.3%
1977	645,770	3.21%
1976	625,667	3.11%
1975	606,821	3.01%
1974	589,085	2.99%
1973	571,991	2.99%
1972	555,370	2.96%
1971	539,388	2.92%
1970	524,105	2.88%
1969	509,440	2.86%
1968	495,269	2.84%
1967	481,588	2.79%
1966	468,516	2.76%
1965	455,952	2.76%
1964	443,687	2.76%
1963	431,757	2.76%
1962	420,163	2.75%
1961	408,930	2.73%
1960	398,060	-

Data sources: United Nations | World Population Prospects (2025–2100, retrieved 2026-03-10); World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/gambia | CC BY

The Gambia has a population of 2.9M as of 2026, compared to 2.28M in 2016, 1.72M in 2006, and 1.3M in 1996.

Over the past 10 years, the population has had a trend to increase by an average of 2.71% per year. The Gambia is ranked 37th out of 197 countries by a 10-year average growth rate.

The UN's World Population Prospects forecasts that with changing growth rate trends in 20 years (in 2046) the Gambia will have 4,098,930 people (41.2% growth) with a rank change from 138th to 132nd.

By the year 2100, the Gambia's population is projected to grow by 98.7% from its current level to 5.77M people.

Natural change and net migration by year

1x

Year	Population change
Year	Total	Natural	Net migration
2025	-	-	-2,984
2024	-	-	-2,989
2023	62,118	65,118	-3,000
2022	60,634	63,634	-3,000
2021	60,290	62,239	-1,949
2020	60,260	62,209	-1,949
2019	57,515	61,701	-4,186
2018	56,910	60,854	-3,944
2017	57,969	61,665	-3,696
2016	58,872	62,358	-3,486
2015	59,608	62,832	-3,224
2014	60,392	63,185	-2,793
2013	61,034	63,510	-2,476
2012	60,413	62,745	-2,332
2011	58,211	60,571	-2,360
2010	56,098	58,554	-2,456
2009	54,316	56,575	-2,259
2008	52,828	55,032	-2,204
2007	51,333	53,653	-2,320
2006	49,669	52,335	-2,666
2005	46,801	50,010	-3,209
2004	44,640	48,276	-3,636
2003	42,760	46,473	-3,713
2002	41,089	45,156	-4,067
2001	40,272	44,154	-3,882
2000	39,579	43,249	-3,670
1999	39,040	42,533	-3,493
1998	38,551	41,842	-3,291
1997	37,644	40,742	-3,098
1996	37,305	40,253	-2,948
1995	36,884	39,681	-2,797
1994	37,294	38,880	-1,586
1993	40,433	37,302	3,131
1992	45,133	35,951	9,182
1991	46,114	34,584	11,530
1990	44,405	33,163	11,242
1989	42,269	31,504	10,765
1988	40,125	29,938	10,187
1987	38,015	28,452	9,563
1986	36,129	27,195	8,934
1985	34,168	25,795	8,373
1984	32,319	24,586	7,733
1983	29,888	23,175	6,713
1982	27,651	21,894	5,757
1981	25,594	20,156	5,438
1980	24,834	19,566	5,268
1979	23,441	18,543	4,898
1978	21,917	17,424	4,493
1977	20,742	16,773	3,969
1976	19,468	16,032	3,436
1975	18,235	15,256	2,979
1974	17,238	14,628	2,610
1973	16,953	14,046	2,907
1972	16,293	13,432	2,861
1971	15,659	12,842	2,817
1970	14,905	12,128	2,777
1969	14,427	11,670	2,757
1968	13,920	11,215	2,705
1967	13,440	10,823	2,617
1966	12,694	10,422	2,272
1965	12,434	10,162	2,272
1964	12,097	9,825	2,272
1963	11,765	9,493	2,272
1962	11,422	9,150	2,272
1961	11,050	8,778	2,272
1960	10,692	8,420	2,272

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/gambia | CC BY

Over the last 10 years, 95.2% of the population change in the Gambia is from natural causes (a gain of 625,795 people) and 4.75% is from migration (a loss of 31,227 people).

As of 2024, 236,137 residents or 8.6% of the population were not native-born in the Gambia, compared to 185,837 and 9.6% in 2010.

The Gambia population clock

	Gambia	Rank
Current population	2902554	138/197
Percent of world population	0.04%	138/197
One net population change	8.46 minutes	103/197
One birth every	6.4 minutes	114/196
One death every	31 minutes	142/196
Daily growth/decline	+170	103/197
Annual growth/decline	+62,143	103/197
Annual growth/decline rate	+2.3%	37/197
One migration net change every	2.94 hours	107/196
Annual migration change	-2,984	107/196
Foreign-born residents	236,137	107/195
Foreign-born share of population	8.6%	72/195

Gambia population statistics

	Gambia	World
Life expectancy	66.5 years	73.8 years
Average age	23.7 years	33.8 years
Median age	19.4 years	31.6 years
Male:Female ratio	49.8:50.2	50.3:49.7
Fertility rate	4.01 births per woman	2.2 births per woman
Population density	739 ppl/mi²	144 ppl/mi²

More about the demographics of the Gambia.

Population map with other countries

1x

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (1960–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10); U.S. Census Bureau (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20).

GeoRank.org/population/gambia | CC BY