People not using improved sanitation facilities in Gambia
Gambia: People not using improved sanitation facilities was 1.11 million people in 2024. ▲ Rising
People not using improved sanitation facilities in Gambia, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2024, people not using improved sanitation facilities in Gambia stood at 1.11 million people. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.6% on the previous year and up 59.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people not using improved sanitation facilities in Gambia peaked at 1.11 million people in 2024 and was at its lowest, 205,693 people, in 2000.
That places Gambia 63rd out of 232 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
People not using improved sanitation facilities in Gambia, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 205,693 people | — |
| 2001 | 232,257 people | +12.9% |
| 2002 | 259,664 people | +11.8% |
| 2003 | 288,091 people | +10.9% |
| 2004 | 317,978 people | +10.4% |
| 2005 | 349,122 people | +9.8% |
| 2006 | 381,685 people | +9.3% |
| 2007 | 415,677 people | +8.9% |
| 2008 | 450,980 people | +8.5% |
| 2009 | 487,618 people | +8.1% |
| 2010 | 525,643 people | +7.8% |
| 2011 | 565,179 people | +7.5% |
| 2012 | 606,317 people | +7.3% |
| 2013 | 648,901 people | +7.0% |
| 2014 | 692,499 people | +6.7% |
| 2015 | 736,864 people | +6.4% |
| 2016 | 781,945 people | +6.1% |
| 2017 | 827,667 people | +5.8% |
| 2018 | 873,934 people | +5.6% |
| 2019 | 920,980 people | +5.4% |
| 2020 | 969,515 people | +5.3% |
| 2021 | 1.02 million people | +5.2% |
| 2022 | 1.07 million people | +5.0% |
| 2023 | 1.09 million people | +1.7% |
| 2024 | 1.11 million people | +1.6% |
Gambia compared with similar countries
- Gambia's 1.11 million people is below the median for low income countries, which is 7.92 million people, 14% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Gambia's 1.11 million people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.36 million people, 21% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 338,876 people | 205,693 people | 487,618 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 717,993 people | 525,643 people | 920,980 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.05 million people | 969,515 people | 1.11 million people | 5 |
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 people not using improved sanitation facilities in Gambia?
- People not using improved sanitation facilities in Gambia was 1.11 million people in 2024, according to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest people not using improved sanitation facilities recorded in Gambia?
- The highest recorded value was 1.11 million people in 2024.
- What is the lowest people not using improved sanitation facilities recorded in Gambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 205,693 people in 2000.
- How does Gambia rank for people not using improved sanitation facilities?
- Gambia ranks 63rd out of 232 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people not using improved sanitation facilities rising or falling in Gambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 59.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Gambia data come from?
- The figures come from WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of People not using improved sanitation facilities. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
If no improved sanitation facility is available, people might practice open defecation or use unimproved sanitation facilities.