Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Gambia instead of Iowa, you would:
Health
live 9.9 years less
In Iowa, the average life expectancy is 78 years (76 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020. In Gambia, that number is 68 years (66 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2022.
Economy
make 95.5% less money
Iowa has a GDP per capita of $63,747 as of 2024, while in Gambia, the GDP per capita is $2,900 as of 2023.
be 96.4% more likely to be unemployed
In Iowa, 3.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Gambia, that number is 6.5% as of 2023.
be 5.1 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Iowa, 10.5% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Gambia, however, that number is 53.4% as of 2020.
Basic Needs
be 62.5% less likely to have internet access
In Iowa, approximately 87.9% of the population has internet access as of 2023. In Gambia, about 33.0% do as of 2021.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, OECD Regional Demography, Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Compare further: Iowa vs. Gambia
Gambia: At a glance
How big is Gambia compared to Iowa? See an in-depth size comparison.