Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Uganda instead of Gambia, you would:
Health
live 2.4 years longer
In Gambia, the average life expectancy is 66 years (64 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024. In Uganda, that number is 68 years (65 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.
be 23.6% less likely to be obese
In Gambia, 12.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Uganda, that number is 9.5% of people as of 2024.
see 47.4% more spent on your healthcare
Gambia spends $94 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Uganda spends $139 as of 2023.
have 2.1 times more doctors per person
Gambia has 0.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Uganda has 1.9 as of 2022.
be 3.8 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Gambia, 1.3% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Uganda, that number is 4.9% of people as of 2024.
be 14.3% more likely to die by suicide
Gambia has a suicide rate of 4.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Uganda, it is 5.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 57.8% less likely to be unemployed
In Gambia, 6.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Uganda, that number is 2.8% as of 2025.
be 69.9% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Gambia, 53.4% live below the poverty line as of 2020. In Uganda, however, that number is 16.1% as of 2023.
make 31.3% more money
Gambia has a GDP per capita of $919 as of 2025, while in Uganda, the GDP per capita is $1,206 as of 2025.
Life
be 52.0% 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 Uganda, 170.0 women do as of 2023.
be 49.2% more likely to be literate
In Gambia, the literacy rate is 51.6% as of 2021. In Uganda, it is 77.0% as of 2024.
have 15.3% more children
In Gambia, there are approximately 29.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Uganda, there are 34.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 23.0% less 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 Uganda, that number is 52% of people on average (76% in urban areas, and 42% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 81.9% less likely to have internet access
In Gambia, approximately 49.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Uganda, about 8.9% do as of 2024.
be 27.7% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Gambia, approximately 87% of people have access to drinking water (92% in urban areas, and 78% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Uganda, that number is 63% of people on average (80% in urban areas, and 57% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 46.7% more on healthcare
Gambia spends 2.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Uganda, that number is 4.2% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 27.3% less likely to die in a road accident
In Gambia, road accidents kill 22.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Uganda, they kill 16.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 59.6% less home broadband
Gambia has 0.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Uganda has 0.2 as of 2024.
live with 2.6 times more strain on fresh water
Gambia withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Uganda withdraws 6% as of 2022.
Environment
be 33.3% less likely to die from air pollution
In Gambia, air pollution causes 90.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Uganda, it causes 60.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Gambia vs. Uganda
Uganda: At a glance
How big is Uganda compared to Gambia? See an in-depth size comparison.