Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Gambia instead of Afghanistan, you would:
Health
be 39.8% less likely to be obese
In Afghanistan, 20.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Gambia, that number is 12.4% of people as of 2024.
have 12.2% more access to essential health services
Afghanistan scores 41 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Gambia scores 46 as of 2021.
be 13.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Afghanistan, 0.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Gambia, that number is 1.3% of people as of 2024.
see 71.5% less spent on your healthcare
Afghanistan spends $330 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Gambia spends $94 as of 2023.
have 71.6% fewer doctors per person
Afghanistan has 3.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Gambia has 0.9 as of 2023.
be 33.6% more likely to die by suicide
Afghanistan has a suicide rate of 3.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Gambia, it is 4.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 51.2% less likely to be unemployed
In Afghanistan, 13.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Gambia, that number is 6.5% as of 2025.
make 2.2 times more money
Afghanistan has a GDP per capita of $417 as of 2024, while in Gambia, the GDP per capita is $919 as of 2025.
be 13.4% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Afghanistan, 47.1% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Gambia, however, that number is 53.4% as of 2020.
Life
be 32.1% less likely to die during childbirth
In Afghanistan, approximately 521.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Gambia, 354.0 women do as of 2023.
be 38.6% more likely to be literate
In Afghanistan, the literacy rate is 37.3% as of 2021. In Gambia, it is 51.6% as of 2021.
be 32.3% less likely to die during infancy
In Afghanistan, approximately 48.3 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Gambia, on the other hand, 32.7 children do as of 2024.
have 14.7% fewer children
In Afghanistan, there are approximately 35.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Gambia, there are 29.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 3.1 times more likely to have internet access
In Afghanistan, approximately 16.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Gambia, about 49.5% do as of 2024.
be 21.6% less likely to have access to electricity
In Afghanistan, approximately 85% of people have electricity access (96% in urban areas, and 81% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Gambia, that number is 67% of people on average (85% in urban areas, and 35% in rural areas) as of 2023.
Expenditures
spend 80.7% less on healthcare
Afghanistan spends 15.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Gambia, that number is 2.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Infrastructure
find 6.5 times more home broadband
Afghanistan has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Gambia has 0.5 as of 2024.
live with 96.0% less strain on fresh water
Afghanistan withdraws 55% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Gambia withdraws 2% as of 2022.
Environment
be 37.1% less likely to die from air pollution
In Afghanistan, air pollution causes 143.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Gambia, it causes 90.0 as of 2019.
emit 35.7% less CO2
Afghanistan emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Gambia emits 0.2 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Afghanistan vs. Gambia
Gambia: At a glance
How big is Gambia compared to Afghanistan? See an in-depth size comparison.