Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Gambia instead of France, you would:
Health
be 71.0% less likely to die by suicide
France has a suicide rate of 16.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Gambia, it is 4.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 4.3 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In France, 0.3% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2023. In Gambia, that number is 1.3% of people as of 2024.
live 16.9 years less
In France, the average life expectancy is 83 years (80 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2024. In Gambia, that number is 66 years (64 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024.
be 10.7% more likely to be obese
In France, 11.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Gambia, that number is 12.4% of people as of 2024.
see 98.6% less spent on your healthcare
France spends $6,868 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Gambia spends $94 as of 2023.
have 97.3% fewer doctors per person
France has 32.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Gambia has 0.9 as of 2023.
have 45.9% less access to essential health services
France scores 85 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Gambia scores 46 as of 2021.
Economy
be 13.5% less likely to be unemployed
In France, 7.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Gambia, that number is 6.5% as of 2025.
be 3.4 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In France, 15.6% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Gambia, however, that number is 53.4% as of 2020.
make 98.1% less money
France has a GDP per capita of $48,986 as of 2025, while in Gambia, the GDP per capita is $919 as of 2025.
Life
have 3.1 times more children
In France, there are approximately 9.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Gambia, there are 29.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 50.6 times more likely to die during childbirth
In France, approximately 7.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Gambia, 354.0 women do as of 2023.
be 9.6 times more likely to die during infancy
In France, approximately 3.4 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.
Basic Needs
be 33.1% less likely to have access to electricity
In France, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% 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 44.2% less likely to have internet access
In France, approximately 88.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Gambia, about 49.5% do as of 2024.
be 12.9% less likely to have access to drinking water
In France, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water (100% in urban areas, and 100% 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 47.2% less on education
France spends 5.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Gambia spends 2.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 75.0% less on healthcare
France spends 11.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Gambia, that number is 2.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 98.4% less coastline
France has a total of 4,853 km of coastline. In Gambia, that number is 80 km.
Safety
be 28.5% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In France, 82% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2022. In Gambia, that number is 59% as of 2020.
be 4.7 times more likely to die in a road accident
In France, road accidents kill 4.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Gambia, they kill 22.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 89.7% less strain on fresh water
France withdraws 21% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Gambia withdraws 2% as of 2022.
find 98.9% less home broadband
France has 48.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Gambia has 0.5 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 95.5% less CO2
France emits 4.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Gambia emits 0.2 tonnes as of 2024.
be 9.0 times more likely to die from air pollution
In France, air pollution causes 10.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Gambia, it causes 90.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: France vs. Gambia
Gambia: At a glance
How big is Gambia compared to France? See an in-depth size comparison.