Total dependency ratio in Gambia
Gambia: Total dependency ratio was 77.6% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
77.6%
Change on year
down 1.5%
World rank
31st
of 236 countries
All-time high
100.6%
in 1997
All-time low
76.7%
in 1962
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Total dependency ratio in Gambia, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, total dependency ratio in Gambia stood at 77.6%.
That represents a change of down 1.5% on the previous year and down 10.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total dependency ratio in Gambia peaked at 100.6% in 1997 and was at its lowest, 76.7%, in 1962.
That places Gambia 31st out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Total dependency ratio in Gambia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 85.9% | — |
| 1951 | 84.6% | -1.6% |
| 1952 | 83.5% | -1.3% |
| 1953 | 82.6% | -1.1% |
| 1954 | 81.8% | -1.0% |
| 1955 | 81.1% | -0.9% |
| 1956 | 80.4% | -0.9% |
| 1957 | 79.7% | -0.9% |
| 1958 | 79.0% | -0.9% |
| 1959 | 78.2% | -0.9% |
| 1960 | 77.6% | -0.9% |
| 1961 | 77.0% | -0.7% |
| 1962 | 76.7% | -0.4% |
| 1963 | 77.0% | +0.3% |
| 1964 | 77.8% | +1.1% |
| 1965 | 78.7% | +1.1% |
| 1966 | 79.3% | +0.8% |
| 1967 | 79.8% | +0.7% |
| 1968 | 80.3% | +0.5% |
| 1969 | 80.6% | +0.5% |
| 1970 | 81.0% | +0.4% |
| 1971 | 81.3% | +0.4% |
| 1972 | 81.7% | +0.5% |
| 1973 | 82.1% | +0.4% |
| 1974 | 82.9% | +1.0% |
| 1975 | 84.3% | +1.6% |
| 1976 | 85.6% | +1.6% |
| 1977 | 87.0% | +1.6% |
| 1978 | 88.4% | +1.6% |
| 1979 | 89.9% | +1.7% |
| 1980 | 91.4% | +1.7% |
| 1981 | 93.0% | +1.8% |
| 1982 | 94.7% | +1.8% |
| 1983 | 96.3% | +1.8% |
| 1984 | 97.4% | +1.0% |
| 1985 | 97.7% | +0.3% |
| 1986 | 98.0% | +0.3% |
| 1987 | 98.2% | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 98.4% | +0.2% |
| 1989 | 98.6% | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 98.8% | +0.2% |
| 1991 | 98.9% | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 99.0% | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 99.2% | +0.1% |
| 1994 | 99.6% | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 100.1% | +0.5% |
| 1996 | 100.5% | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 100.6% | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 100.4% | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 100.0% | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 99.4% | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 98.7% | -0.8% |
| 2002 | 97.8% | -0.9% |
| 2003 | 96.8% | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 95.8% | -1.1% |
| 2005 | 94.7% | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 93.5% | -1.2% |
| 2007 | 92.4% | -1.2% |
| 2008 | 91.3% | -1.2% |
| 2009 | 90.2% | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 89.2% | -1.1% |
| 2011 | 88.4% | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 87.8% | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 87.2% | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 86.5% | -0.8% |
| 2015 | 85.8% | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 85.0% | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 84.2% | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 83.3% | -1.1% |
| 2019 | 82.3% | -1.2% |
| 2020 | 81.2% | -1.3% |
| 2021 | 80.0% | -1.5% |
| 2022 | 78.8% | -1.5% |
| 2023 | 77.6% | -1.5% |
Gambia compared with similar countries
- Gambia's 77.6% is below the median for low income countries, which is 78.1%, 99% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Gambia's 77.6% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 77.8%, 100% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 81.7% | 78.2% | 85.9% | 10 |
| 1960s | 78.5% | 76.7% | 80.6% | 10 |
| 1970s | 84.4% | 81.0% | 89.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 96.4% | 91.4% | 98.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 99.7% | 98.8% | 100.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 95.1% | 90.2% | 99.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 86.0% | 82.3% | 89.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 79.4% | 77.6% | 81.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Gambia
More reference data data for Gambia
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0121 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.2798 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.3524 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0232 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.3524 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0407 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.0331 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.36 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.72 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1264 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total dependency ratio in Gambia?
- Total dependency ratio in Gambia was 77.6% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest total dependency ratio recorded in Gambia?
- The highest recorded value was 100.6% in 1997.
- What is the lowest total dependency ratio recorded in Gambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 76.7% in 1962.
- How does Gambia rank for total dependency ratio?
- Gambia ranks 31st out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is total dependency ratio rising or falling in Gambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Gambia data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Total dependency ratio. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of children (under 15) and people aged 65 and over per 100 working-age people (aged 15 to 64).