Gambia — Country Profile
Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Gambia: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna Power score (--/100, ranked #-- of 195).
Last updated: October 2026
The Gambia is in Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and Senegal. It covers 11,300 sq km. Terrain: flood plain of the Gambia River flanked by some low hills. Climate: tropical; hot, rainy season (June to November); cooler, dry season (November to May).
| Capital | Banjul |
|---|---|
| Population | 2,523,327 (2024 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $8.365 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $3,000 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 5.7% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 11.6% (2024 est.) |
| Unemployment | 6.5% (2024 est.) |
| Public debt | 82.3% of GDP (2016 est.) |
| Exports | $838.409 million (2024 est.) |
| Imports | $1.549 billion (2024 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 68.4 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 20.5 years (2025 est.) |
| Urbanization | 64.5% of total population (2023) |
| Government | presidential republic |
| Independence | 18 February 1965 (from the UK) |
| Languages | English (official), Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, other indigenous vernaculars |
Gambia’s GDP is $8.365 billion (2024 est.) in purchasing-power-parity terms. At official exchange rates it stands at $2.508 billion (2024 est.). Real GDP grew 5.7% (2024 est.). See where Gambia ranks among all 195 countries by GDP.
POWER --/100 — The Magna Power score is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — nine components, 135 indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
A quiet quarter: no major shocks, no breakthroughs. The country's trajectory is set by structural forces larger than any single season.
The honest reading is steadiness — neither crisis nor windfall — with the long currents of demography, trade and institutions deciding more than any three months.
- What drags it down: graded on patchy data (89% complete) — read the score as an order of magnitude; only 0% of electricity from low-carbon sources
Titanium, Tin.
Energy is the physical base of economic power — what a country can generate, move and burn decides what it can build, sell and defend.
| Electricity access | 65.4% (2022 est.) |
|---|---|
| Installed capacity mix (CIA) | fossil fuels: 99% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 0.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); wind: 0.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) |
| Energy consumption per capita (CIA) | 2.731 million Btu/person (2023 est.) |
| Primary energy consumption (OWID) | 2.2 TWh (2023) |
| Electricity generation (OWID) | 0.5 TWh (2023) |
| Energy per capita (OWID) | 800 kWh per person (2023) |
| Electricity generation mix (OWID) | Oil 100.0% (2023) |
| Low-carbon share of electricity (OWID) | 0.0% (2023) |
| Carbon intensity of electricity (OWID) | 666.7 gCO2/kWh (2023) |
Sources: CIA World Factbook, Energy section; Our World in Data (IEA/Ember), 2023.
Trade shows what the world buys from a country and what the country must buy from the world — the balance between the two is a direct measure of economic leverage.
| Exports | $838.409 million (2024 est.) |
|---|---|
| Imports | $1.549 billion (2024 est.) |
| Trade balance (calculated) | Deficit of $710.6 million (2024), calculated from the CIA export and import figures above. |
| Key industries | peanuts, fish, hides, tourism, beverages, agricultural machinery assembly, woodworking, metalworking, clothing |
Source: CIA World Factbook, Economy section.
Adama Barrow — President. President Adama BARROW (since 19 January 2022)
Gambia maintains 22 embassies and 2 consulates abroad, hosts 14 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN New York, AU Addis Ababa. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 22 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 2 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 14 |
| Multilateral missions | UN New York, AU Addis Ababa |
Source: Consular Affairs Center, Diplomatic and Consular Networks Database and Rankings, January 2026 (Zenodo, CC BY 4.0). https://zenodo.org/records/18109976
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 80 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 1 (registration prefix C5) |
| Major seaports | Banjul |
Major airports
Banjul International Airport (BJL) — Banjul (Yundum).
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28)
| Political system | presidential republic |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
POWER --/100 Ranked #-- of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Gambia.
This profile covers the population, economy, natural resources, leaders, and history of Gambia — with the Bureau’s live national-power score of --/100, ranking #-- of 195 countries.
What is Gambia's power score?
Gambia has a Magna Power score of --/100. The score measures structural power — the proven capacity to shape events — across nine components.