Demographics of the Gambia

Demographics of The Gambia
Gambia population pyramid in 2020
Population	2,639,916 (2021 est.)
Density	176.1/sq km (2013)
Growth rate	38.3%
Birth rate	29.4 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)
Death rate	7 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)
Life expectancy	65.1 (2017 est.)
• male	62.8 (2017 est.)
• female	67.5 (2017 est.)
Fertility rate	3.52 children born/woman (2017 est.)
Infant mortality rate	60.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.)
Age structure
0–14 years	37.44% (2017 est.)
15–64 years	59.08% (2017 est.)
65 and over	3.48% (2017 est.)
Sex ratio
Total	0.98 (2013)
At birth	1.03 (2013 est.)
Under 15	1.01 (2013 est.)
15–64 years	0.96 (2013 est.)
65 and over	0.90 (2013 est.)
Nationality
Nationality	Noun: Gambian
Major ethnic	African (99%) (2003)
Minor ethnic	Non-African (1%) (2003)
Language
Official	English
Spoken	Mandinka, Wolof, Fula

The demographic characteristics of the population of The Gambia are known through national censuses, conducted in ten-year intervals and analyzed by The Gambian Bureau of Statistics (GBOS) since 1963. The latest census was conducted in 2013. The population of The Gambia at the 2013 census was 1.8 million. The population density is 176.1 per square kilometer, and the overall life expectancy in The Gambia is 64.1 years. Since the first census of 1963, the population of The Gambia has increased every ten years by an average of 43.2 percent. Since 1950s, the birth rate has constantly exceeded the death rate; the natural growth rate is positive. The Gambia is in the second stage of demographic transition. In terms of age structure, The Gambia is dominated by 15- to 24-year-old segment (57.6%). The median age of the population is 19.9 years, and the gender ratio of the total population is 0.98 males per female.