Sanitation facilities usage in Gambia
Gambia: Sanitation facilities usage was 1,335 people in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Sanitation facilities usage 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
Gambia recorded 1,335 people for sanitation facilities usage in 2024. 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 96.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sanitation facilities usage in Gambia peaked at 78,178 people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 1,335 people, in 2024.
Gambia ranks 109th of 232 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Sanitation facilities usage in Gambia, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 78,178 people | — |
| 2001 | 75,566 people | -3.3% |
| 2002 | 72,848 people | -3.6% |
| 2003 | 70,087 people | -3.8% |
| 2004 | 67,418 people | -3.8% |
| 2005 | 64,678 people | -4.1% |
| 2006 | 61,875 people | -4.3% |
| 2007 | 58,990 people | -4.7% |
| 2008 | 55,990 people | -5.1% |
| 2009 | 52,874 people | -5.6% |
| 2010 | 49,641 people | -6.1% |
| 2011 | 46,296 people | -6.7% |
| 2012 | 42,837 people | -7.5% |
| 2013 | 39,250 people | -8.4% |
| 2014 | 35,510 people | -9.5% |
| 2015 | 31,618 people | -11.0% |
| 2016 | 27,586 people | -12.8% |
| 2017 | 23,428 people | -15.1% |
| 2018 | 19,152 people | -18.2% |
| 2019 | 14,778 people | -22.8% |
| 2020 | 10,320 people | -30.2% |
| 2021 | 5,776 people | -44.0% |
| 2022 | 2,436 people | -57.8% |
| 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 1.99 million people, 0% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Gambia's 1,335 people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.31 million people, 0% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Sanitation facilities usage 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -57.8% | 5,776 people | 2,436 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 65,850 people | 52,874 people | 78,178 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 33,010 people | 14,778 people | 49,641 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 4,354 people | 1,335 people | 10,320 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 sanitation facilities usage in Gambia?
- Sanitation facilities usage 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 recorded in Gambia?
- The highest recorded value was 78,178 people in 2000.
- What is the lowest sanitation facilities usage recorded in Gambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,335 people in 2024.
- How does Gambia rank for sanitation facilities usage?
- Gambia ranks 109th out of 232 countries with data for 2024.
- Is sanitation facilities usage rising or falling in Gambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 96.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- 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. 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.