Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Gambia

Gambia: Exclusive breastfeeding rate was 53.6% in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
53.6%
Change on year
up 0.7%
World rank
27th
of 72 countries
All-time high
53.6%
in 2020
All-time low
24.6%
in 2000
Years of data
6
2000–2020

Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Gambia, 2000–2020

02040602000201020202000: 24.6 % of children under 6 months2006: 39.7 % of children under 6 months2010: 33.2 % of children under 6 months2013: 46.8 % of children under 6 months2018: 53.3 % of children under 6 months2020: 53.6 % of children under 6 months

Source: Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of children under 6 months.

Analysis

The most recent figure for exclusive breastfeeding rate in Gambia is 53.6%, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 6 years on record.

That represents a change of up 0.7% on the previous year and up 61.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, exclusive breastfeeding rate in Gambia peaked at 53.6% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 24.6%, in 2000.

That places Gambia 27th out of 72 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 32.1% 24.6% 39.7% 2
2010s 44.4% 33.2% 53.3% 3
2020s 53.6% 53.6% 53.6% 1

Countries ranked near Gambia

  1. 24 Liberia 55.2% compare
  2. 25 Philippines 54.9% compare
  3. 26 Sierra Leone 54.0% compare
  4. 28 Democratic Republic of Congo 53.6% compare
  5. 29 Guatemala 53.2% compare
  6. 30 Indonesia 50.7% compare

See the full ranking of 72 places →

More reference data data for Gambia

All data for Gambia →

Frequently asked questions

What is exclusive breastfeeding rate in Gambia?
Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Gambia was 53.6% in 2020, according to Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest exclusive breastfeeding rate recorded in Gambia?
The highest recorded value was 53.6% in 2020.
What is the lowest exclusive breastfeeding rate recorded in Gambia?
The lowest recorded value was 24.6% in 2000.
How does Gambia rank for exclusive breastfeeding rate?
Gambia ranks 27th out of 72 countries with data for 2020.
Is exclusive breastfeeding rate rising or falling in Gambia?
Over the last ten years it is up 61.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Gambia data come from?
The figures come from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Exclusive breastfeeding rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 6 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Exclusive breastfeeding rate
Unit
% of children under 6 months
Source
Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
72 places, 509 data points, 1986–2020
Last refreshed

The share of infants less than six months old who were fed only with breast milk in the past 24 hours. WHO and UNICEF recommend that children be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life – meaning no other foods or liquids are provided, including water.