Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Gambia instead of Rwanda, you would:
Health
be 35.0% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Rwanda, 2.0% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Gambia, that number is 1.3% of people as of 2024.
be 44.6% less likely to die by suicide
Rwanda has a suicide rate of 8.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Gambia, it is 4.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 2.0 years less
In Rwanda, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 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 2.2 times more likely to be obese
In Rwanda, 5.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Gambia, that number is 12.4% of people as of 2024.
see 46.8% less spent on your healthcare
Rwanda spends $177 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Gambia spends $94 as of 2023.
Economy
be 42.6% less likely to be unemployed
In Rwanda, 11.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Gambia, that number is 6.5% as of 2025.
be 94.9% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Rwanda, 27.4% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Gambia, however, that number is 53.4% as of 2020.
make 18.2% less money
Rwanda has a GDP per capita of $1,124 as of 2025, while in Gambia, the GDP per capita is $919 as of 2025.
Life
be 54.6% more likely to die during childbirth
In Rwanda, approximately 229.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Gambia, 354.0 women do as of 2023.
be 34.4% less likely to be literate
In Rwanda, the literacy rate is 78.8% as of 2022. In Gambia, it is 51.6% as of 2021.
be 11.2% more likely to die during infancy
In Rwanda, approximately 29.4 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 56.1% more likely to have internet access
In Rwanda, approximately 31.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Gambia, about 49.5% do as of 2024.
be 41.9% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Rwanda, approximately 61% of people have access to drinking water (88% in urban areas, and 56% 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 39.0% less on education
Rwanda spends 4.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Gambia spends 2.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 43.7% less on healthcare
Rwanda spends 5.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Gambia, that number is 2.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 89.7% more likely to die in a road accident
In Rwanda, road accidents kill 11.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Gambia, they kill 22.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 89.1% less strain on fresh water
Rwanda withdraws 20% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Gambia withdraws 2% as of 2022.
find 13.3% less home broadband
Rwanda has 0.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Gambia has 0.5 as of 2024.
Environment
be 45.2% more likely to die from air pollution
In Rwanda, air pollution causes 62.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Gambia, it causes 90.0 as of 2019.
emit 12.5% more CO2
Rwanda emits 0.2 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 (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Rwanda vs. Gambia
Gambia: At a glance
How big is Gambia compared to Rwanda? See an in-depth size comparison.