Drinking water service usage in Gambia
Gambia: Drinking water service usage was 48.2% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Drinking water service 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 %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for drinking water service usage in Gambia is 48.2%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.0% on the previous year and up 25.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, drinking water service usage in Gambia peaked at 48.2% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 23.3%, in 2000.
Gambia ranks 123rd of 163 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Drinking water service usage in Gambia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 23.3% | — |
| 2001 | 24.3% | +4.4% |
| 2002 | 25.4% | +4.3% |
| 2003 | 26.4% | +4.2% |
| 2004 | 27.4% | +3.8% |
| 2005 | 28.5% | +3.7% |
| 2006 | 29.5% | +3.7% |
| 2007 | 30.6% | +3.6% |
| 2008 | 31.6% | +3.5% |
| 2009 | 32.7% | +3.4% |
| 2010 | 33.8% | +3.4% |
| 2011 | 34.9% | +3.3% |
| 2012 | 36.1% | +3.2% |
| 2013 | 37.2% | +3.2% |
| 2014 | 38.4% | +3.1% |
| 2015 | 39.5% | +3.0% |
| 2016 | 40.7% | +3.0% |
| 2017 | 41.9% | +2.9% |
| 2018 | 43.1% | +2.8% |
| 2019 | 44.3% | +2.8% |
| 2020 | 45.5% | +2.7% |
| 2021 | 46.7% | +2.6% |
| 2022 | 47.3% | +1.2% |
| 2023 | 47.7% | +1.0% |
| 2024 | 48.2% | +1.0% |
Gambia compared with similar countries
- Gambia's 48.2% is above the median for low income countries, which is 18.2%, 2.6× the median. (13 countries reporting)
- Gambia's 48.2% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 27.4%, 1.8× the median. (26 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 28.0% | 23.3% | 32.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 39.0% | 33.8% | 44.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 47.1% | 45.5% | 48.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Gambia
More environment data for Gambia
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -4.15 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -4.18 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.366 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.36 °C (2025)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.0695 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) (Mt CO2e) 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is drinking water service usage in Gambia?
- Drinking water service usage in Gambia was 48.2% 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 drinking water service usage recorded in Gambia?
- The highest recorded value was 48.2% in 2024.
- What is the lowest drinking water service usage recorded in Gambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.3% in 2000.
- How does Gambia rank for drinking water service usage?
- Gambia ranks 123rd out of 163 countries with data for 2024.
- Is drinking water service usage rising or falling in Gambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 25.6%. 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 Drinking water service 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
Proportion of people using an improved drinking water source that is located on premises, available when needed and free from fecal and priority chemical contamination.