People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities in Gambia
Gambia: People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities was 655,420 people in 2024. ▲ Rising
People in rural areas 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
The most recent figure for people in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities in Gambia is 655,420 people, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.6% on the previous year and up 44.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities in Gambia peaked at 655,420 people in 2024 and was at its lowest, 148,194 people, in 2000.
Gambia ranks 64th of 175 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities in Gambia, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 148,194 people | — |
| 2001 | 166,483 people | +12.3% |
| 2002 | 185,006 people | +11.1% |
| 2003 | 203,947 people | +10.2% |
| 2004 | 223,889 people | +9.8% |
| 2005 | 244,366 people | +9.1% |
| 2006 | 265,461 people | +8.6% |
| 2007 | 287,151 people | +8.2% |
| 2008 | 309,319 people | +7.7% |
| 2009 | 331,965 people | +7.3% |
| 2010 | 355,079 people | +7.0% |
| 2011 | 378,722 people | +6.7% |
| 2012 | 402,905 people | +6.4% |
| 2013 | 427,515 people | +6.1% |
| 2014 | 452,245 people | +5.8% |
| 2015 | 476,918 people | +5.5% |
| 2016 | 501,499 people | +5.2% |
| 2017 | 525,921 people | +4.9% |
| 2018 | 550,118 people | +4.6% |
| 2019 | 574,227 people | +4.4% |
| 2020 | 598,675 people | +4.3% |
| 2021 | 623,407 people | +4.1% |
| 2022 | 648,105 people | +4.0% |
| 2023 | 651,818 people | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 655,420 people | +0.6% |
Gambia compared with similar countries
- Gambia's 655,420 people is below the median for low income countries, which is 6.27 million people, 10% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Gambia's 655,420 people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.04 million people, 13% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 236,578 people | 148,194 people | 331,965 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 464,515 people | 355,079 people | 574,227 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 635,485 people | 598,675 people | 655,420 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 in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities in Gambia?
- People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities in Gambia was 655,420 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 in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities recorded in Gambia?
- The highest recorded value was 655,420 people in 2024.
- What is the lowest people in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities recorded in Gambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 148,194 people in 2000.
- How does Gambia rank for people in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities?
- Gambia ranks 64th out of 175 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities rising or falling in Gambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 44.9%. 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 in rural areas 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.