Sanitation facilities usage in urban areas in Gambia
Gambia: Sanitation facilities usage in urban areas was 1,335 people in 2024. ▼ Falling
Sanitation facilities usage in urban areas 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, sanitation facilities usage in urban areas in Gambia stood at 1,335 people. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 29.9% on the previous year and down 75.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sanitation facilities usage in urban areas in Gambia peaked at 6,484 people in 2003 and was at its lowest, 1,335 people, in 2024.
That places Gambia 79th out of 186 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Sanitation facilities usage in urban areas in Gambia, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 6,397 people | — |
| 2001 | 6,441 people | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 6,471 people | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 6,484 people | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 6,467 people | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 6,440 people | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 6,401 people | -0.6% |
| 2007 | 6,348 people | -0.8% |
| 2008 | 6,278 people | -1.1% |
| 2009 | 6,188 people | -1.4% |
| 2010 | 6,078 people | -1.8% |
| 2011 | 5,946 people | -2.2% |
| 2012 | 5,791 people | -2.6% |
| 2013 | 5,610 people | -3.1% |
| 2014 | 5,397 people | -3.8% |
| 2015 | 5,150 people | -4.6% |
| 2016 | 4,867 people | -5.5% |
| 2017 | 4,550 people | -6.5% |
| 2018 | 4,196 people | -7.8% |
| 2019 | 3,807 people | -9.3% |
| 2020 | 3,385 people | -11.1% |
| 2021 | 2,929 people | -13.5% |
| 2022 | 2,436 people | -16.8% |
| 2023 | 1,905 people | -21.8% |
| 2024 | 1,335 people | -29.9% |
Gambia compared with similar countries
- Gambia's 1,335 people is below the median for low income countries, which is 161,906 people, 1% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Gambia's 1,335 people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 154,026 people, 1% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Sanitation facilities usage in urban areas in Gambia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | -29.9% | 1,905 people | 1,335 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 6,392 people | 6,188 people | 6,484 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 5,139 people | 3,807 people | 6,078 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 2,398 people | 1,335 people | 3,385 people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Gambia
- 76 Guinea-Bissau 1,702 people compare
- 77 Vanuatu 1,592 people compare
- 78 Belize 1,349 people compare
- 80 Trinidad and Tobago 1,290 people compare
- 81 Mauritius 1,201 people compare
- 82 Cape Verde 1,168 people compare
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 sanitation facilities usage in urban areas in Gambia?
- Sanitation facilities usage in urban areas in Gambia was 1,335 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 sanitation facilities usage in urban areas recorded in Gambia?
- The highest recorded value was 6,484 people in 2003.
- What is the lowest sanitation facilities usage in urban areas recorded in Gambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,335 people in 2024.
- How does Gambia rank for sanitation facilities usage in urban areas?
- Gambia ranks 79th out of 186 countries with data for 2024.
- Is sanitation facilities usage in urban areas rising or falling in Gambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 75.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 Sanitation facilities usage in urban areas. 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
Open defecation includes defecating in fields, forests, bushes, bodies of water or other open spaces, not using any sanitation facilities.