Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Gabon instead of Gambia, you would:
Health
live 2.5 years longer
In Gambia, the average life expectancy is 66 years (64 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024. In Gabon, that number is 69 years (66 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.
see 7.1 times more spent on your healthcare
Gambia spends $94 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Gabon spends $673 as of 2023.
have 5.8 times more doctors per person
Gambia has 0.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Gabon has 5.2 as of 2022.
be 2.2 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Gambia, 1.3% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Gabon, that number is 2.8% of people as of 2024.
be 83.0% more likely to be obese
In Gambia, 12.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Gabon, that number is 22.7% of people as of 2024.
be 51.8% more likely to die by suicide
Gambia has a suicide rate of 4.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Gabon, it is 7.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 37.5% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Gambia, 53.4% live below the poverty line as of 2020. In Gabon, however, that number is 33.4% as of 2017.
make 9.0 times more money
Gambia has a GDP per capita of $919 as of 2025, while in Gabon, the GDP per capita is $8,263 as of 2025.
be 3.1 times more likely to be unemployed
In Gambia, 6.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Gabon, that number is 20.1% as of 2025.
Life
be 34.2% less likely to die during childbirth
In Gambia, approximately 354.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Gabon, 233.0 women do as of 2023.
be 72.1% more likely to be literate
In Gambia, the literacy rate is 51.6% as of 2021. In Gabon, it is 88.9% as of 2021.
be 20.8% less likely to die during infancy
In Gambia, approximately 32.7 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Gabon, on the other hand, 25.9 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 40.7% more likely to have access to electricity
In Gambia, approximately 67% of people have electricity access (85% in urban areas, and 35% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Gabon, that number is 94% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 29% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 38.9% more likely to have internet access
In Gambia, approximately 49.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Gabon, about 68.7% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 17.4% less on education
Gambia spends 2.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Gabon spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Geography
see 11.1 times more coastline
Gambia has a total of 80 km of coastline. In Gabon, that number is 885 km.
Safety
be 43.2% less likely to die in a road accident
In Gambia, road accidents kill 22.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Gabon, they kill 12.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 9.0 times more home broadband
Gambia has 0.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Gabon has 4.7 as of 2024.
live with 77.4% less strain on fresh water
Gambia withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Gabon withdraws 0% as of 2022.
Environment
be 41.1% less likely to die from air pollution
In Gambia, air pollution causes 90.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Gabon, it causes 53.0 as of 2019.
emit 11.4 times more CO2
Gambia emits 0.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Gabon emits 2.0 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2017–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Gambia vs. Gabon
Gabon: At a glance
How big is Gabon compared to Gambia? See an in-depth size comparison.