Drinking water services in rural areas in Gambia
Gambia: Drinking water services in rural areas was 36.07 people in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
36.07 people
Change on year
down 61.7%
World rank
104th
of 178 countries
All-time high
1,136 people
in 2000
All-time low
36.07 people
in 2024
Years of data
25
2000–2024
Drinking water services in rural 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, drinking water services in rural areas in Gambia stood at 36.07 people. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of down 61.7% on the previous year and down 93.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, drinking water services in rural areas in Gambia peaked at 1,136 people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 36.07 people, in 2024.
Gambia ranks 104th of 178 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.
Drinking water services in rural areas in Gambia, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 1,136 people | — |
| 2001 | 1,100 people | -3.1% |
| 2002 | 1,063 people | -3.4% |
| 2003 | 1,025 people | -3.5% |
| 2004 | 990.16 people | -3.4% |
| 2005 | 954.14 people | -3.6% |
| 2006 | 917.51 people | -3.8% |
| 2007 | 879.97 people | -4.1% |
| 2008 | 841.09 people | -4.4% |
| 2009 | 800.86 people | -4.8% |
| 2010 | 759.27 people | -5.2% |
| 2011 | 716.44 people | -5.6% |
| 2012 | 672.37 people | -6.2% |
| 2013 | 626.85 people | -6.8% |
| 2014 | 579.52 people | -7.6% |
| 2015 | 530.37 people | -8.5% |
| 2016 | 479.61 people | -9.6% |
| 2017 | 427.4 people | -10.9% |
| 2018 | 373.9 people | -12.5% |
| 2019 | 319.4 people | -14.6% |
| 2020 | 264.22 people | -17.3% |
| 2021 | 208.31 people | -21.2% |
| 2022 | 151.59 people | -27.2% |
| 2023 | 94.16 people | -37.9% |
| 2024 | 36.07 people | -61.7% |
Gambia compared with similar countries
- Gambia's 36.07 people is below the median for low income countries, which is 542,348 people, 0% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Gambia's 36.07 people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 528,044 people, 0% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Drinking water services in rural 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 | -61.7% | 94.16 people | 36.07 people |
| 2023 | -37.9% | 151.59 people | 94.16 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 970.73 people | 800.86 people | 1,136 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 548.51 people | 319.4 people | 759.27 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 150.87 people | 36.07 people | 264.22 people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Gambia
- 101 Jordan 358.91 people compare
- 102 Cyprus 213.63 people compare
- 103 Antigua and Barbuda 159.15 people compare
- 105 Montenegro 32.39 people compare
- 106 Albania 0 people compare
- 106 Andorra 0 people
- 106 Armenia 0 people compare
- 106 Australia 0 people compare
- 106 Austria 0 people
- 106 Azerbaijan 0 people compare
- 106 Belarus 0 people
- 106 Belgium 0 people
- 106 Belize 0 people compare
- 106 Bhutan 0 people compare
- 106 Bosnia and Herzegovina 0 people compare
- 106 Bulgaria 0 people
- 106 Burkina Faso 0 people compare
- 106 Canada 0 people
- 106 Cape Verde 0 people compare
- 106 China 0 people compare
- 106 Cook Islands 0 people
- 106 Costa Rica 0 people compare
- 106 Czechia 0 people
- 106 Denmark 0 people
- 106 Estonia 0 people
- 106 Falkland Islands 0 people
- 106 Finland 0 people
- 106 France 0 people
- 106 Georgia 0 people compare
- 106 Germany 0 people
- 106 Greece 0 people
- 106 Greenland 0 people
- 106 Hungary 0 people compare
- 106 Iceland 0 people
- 106 Ireland 0 people
- 106 Israel 0 people
- 106 Kiribati 0 people
- 106 Laos 0 people compare
- 106 Latvia 0 people
- 106 Lithuania 0 people
- 106 Luxembourg 0 people
- 106 Maldives 0 people
- 106 Malta 0 people
- 106 Marshall Islands 0 people
- 106 Mauritius 0 people compare
- 106 Mexico 0 people compare
- 106 Moldova 0 people
- 106 Morocco 0 people compare
- 106 Netherlands 0 people
- 106 New Zealand 0 people
- 106 Norway 0 people
- 106 Palau 0 people
- 106 Palestine 0 people compare
- 106 Paraguay 0 people compare
- 106 Philippines 0 people compare
- 106 Poland 0 people
- 106 Portugal 0 people
- 106 Romania 0 people
- 106 Saint Lucia 0 people compare
- 106 San Marino 0 people
- 106 Slovakia 0 people
- 106 Spain 0 people
- 106 Sweden 0 people
- 106 Switzerland 0 people
- 106 Syria 0 people compare
- 106 Thailand 0 people compare
- 106 Tokelau 0 people
- 106 Tonga 0 people
- 106 Turkmenistan 0 people compare
- 106 Turks and Caicos Islands 0 people
- 106 Tuvalu 0 people
- 106 United Arab Emirates 0 people
- 106 United Kingdom 0 people
- 106 United States 0 people
- 106 Uruguay 0 people compare
- 106 Vietnam 0 people compare
- 106 Wallis and Futuna 0 people
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)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.9281 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate -1.52 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is drinking water services in rural areas in Gambia?
- Drinking water services in rural areas in Gambia was 36.07 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 drinking water services in rural areas recorded in Gambia?
- The highest recorded value was 1,136 people in 2000.
- What is the lowest drinking water services in rural areas recorded in Gambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 36.07 people in 2024.
- How does Gambia rank for drinking water services in rural areas?
- Gambia ranks 104th out of 178 countries with data for 2024.
- Is drinking water services in rural areas rising or falling in Gambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 93.8%. 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 Drinking water services in rural 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
Number of people using drinking water directly collected from surface waters.