Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Gambia instead of Central African Republic, you would:
Health
be 45.8% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Central African Republic, 2.4% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Gambia, that number is 1.3% of people as of 2024.
live 8.4 years longer
In Central African Republic, the average life expectancy is 58 years (56 years for men, 60 years for women) as of 2024. In Gambia, that number is 66 years (64 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024.
have 21.6% more doctors per person
Central African Republic has 0.7 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Gambia has 0.9 as of 2023.
have 43.8% more access to essential health services
Central African Republic scores 32 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Gambia scores 46 as of 2021.
be 47.7% less likely to die by suicide
Central African Republic has a suicide rate of 9.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Gambia, it is 4.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 13.4% more likely to be obese
In Central African Republic, 10.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Gambia, that number is 12.4% of people as of 2024.
see 31.1% less spent on your healthcare
Central African Republic spends $137 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Gambia spends $94 as of 2023.
Economy
be 22.4% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Central African Republic, 68.8% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Gambia, however, that number is 53.4% as of 2020.
make 65.3% more money
Central African Republic has a GDP per capita of $556 as of 2025, while in Gambia, the GDP per capita is $919 as of 2025.
Life
be 48.8% less likely to die during childbirth
In Central African Republic, approximately 692.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Gambia, 354.0 women do as of 2023.
be 37.7% more likely to be literate
In Central African Republic, the literacy rate is 37.5% as of 2020. In Gambia, it is 51.6% as of 2021.
be 44.4% less likely to die during infancy
In Central African Republic, approximately 58.8 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 35.4% fewer children
In Central African Republic, there are approximately 46.2 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 3.8 times more likely to have access to electricity
In Central African Republic, approximately 18% of people have electricity access (37% in urban areas, and 2% 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.
be 3.6 times more likely to have internet access
In Central African Republic, approximately 13.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Gambia, about 49.5% do as of 2024.
be 2.4 times more likely to have access to drinking water
In Central African Republic, approximately 36% of people have access to drinking water (48% in urban areas, and 27% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Gambia, that number is 87% of people on average (92% in urban areas, and 78% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 72.9% less on healthcare
Central African Republic spends 10.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Gambia, that number is 2.9% of GDP as of 2023.
spend 53.6% more on education
Central African Republic spends 1.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Gambia spends 2.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Safety
be 15.1% less likely to die in a road accident
In Central African Republic, road accidents kill 25.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Gambia, they kill 22.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 26.0 times more home broadband
Central African Republic has 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Gambia has 0.5 as of 2024.
live with 6.5 times more strain on fresh water
Central African Republic withdraws 0% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Gambia withdraws 2% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 3.0 times more CO2
Central African Republic emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Gambia emits 0.2 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2020). How we calculate this
Compare further: Central African Republic vs. Gambia
MORE COMPARISONS
Gambia: At a glance
How big is Gambia compared to Central African Republic? See an in-depth size comparison.