People not using improved drinking water sources in Gambia
Gambia: People not using improved drinking water sources was 192,819 people in 2024. ▼ Falling
People not using improved drinking water sources 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 not using improved drinking water sources in Gambia is 192,819 people, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of down 2.7% on the previous year and down 18.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people not using improved drinking water sources in Gambia peaked at 255,284 people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 192,819 people, in 2024.
That places Gambia 84th out of 231 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.
People not using improved drinking water sources in Gambia, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 255,284 people | — |
| 2001 | 254,151 people | -0.4% |
| 2002 | 252,838 people | -0.5% |
| 2003 | 251,494 people | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 250,397 people | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 249,286 people | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 248,212 people | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 247,112 people | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 245,872 people | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 244,475 people | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 242,925 people | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 241,251 people | -0.7% |
| 2012 | 239,460 people | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 237,461 people | -0.8% |
| 2014 | 235,093 people | -1.0% |
| 2015 | 232,296 people | -1.2% |
| 2016 | 229,087 people | -1.4% |
| 2017 | 225,478 people | -1.6% |
| 2018 | 221,476 people | -1.8% |
| 2019 | 217,167 people | -1.9% |
| 2020 | 212,723 people | -2.0% |
| 2021 | 208,110 people | -2.2% |
| 2022 | 203,227 people | -2.3% |
| 2023 | 198,134 people | -2.5% |
| 2024 | 192,819 people | -2.7% |
Gambia compared with similar countries
- Gambia's 192,819 people is below the median for low income countries, which is 2.67 million people, 7% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Gambia's 192,819 people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.99 million people, 10% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 249,912 people | 244,475 people | 255,284 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 232,169 people | 217,167 people | 242,925 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 203,003 people | 192,819 people | 212,723 people | 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)
- 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 people not using improved drinking water sources in Gambia?
- People not using improved drinking water sources in Gambia was 192,819 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 not using improved drinking water sources recorded in Gambia?
- The highest recorded value was 255,284 people in 2000.
- What is the lowest people not using improved drinking water sources recorded in Gambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 192,819 people in 2024.
- How does Gambia rank for people not using improved drinking water sources?
- Gambia ranks 84th out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people not using improved drinking water sources rising or falling in Gambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.0%. 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 People not using improved drinking water sources. 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 not using improved drinking water sources. These people might use surface water sources or unprotected springs or wells, as no safe and reliable improved drinking water source is available to them.