Rural population growth in Gambia
Gambia: Rural population growth was 0.3% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Rural population growth in Gambia, 1961–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in annual %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for rural population growth in Gambia is 0.3%, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 69.1% on the previous year and down 76.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population growth in Gambia peaked at 3.4% in 1989 and was at its lowest, -0.0%, in 2000.
Gambia ranks 96th of 209 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Rural population growth in Gambia, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 2.8% | — |
| 1962 | 2.8% | -1.5% |
| 1963 | 2.7% | -2.4% |
| 1964 | 2.6% | -6.7% |
| 1965 | 2.3% | -8.7% |
| 1966 | 2.1% | -8.7% |
| 1967 | 2.0% | -6.2% |
| 1968 | 1.9% | -4.5% |
| 1969 | 1.8% | -4.8% |
| 1970 | 1.8% | -3.6% |
| 1971 | 1.7% | -1.0% |
| 1972 | 1.8% | +1.3% |
| 1973 | 1.8% | +0.8% |
| 1974 | 1.6% | -12.5% |
| 1975 | 1.2% | -20.7% |
| 1976 | 1.1% | -13.7% |
| 1977 | 1.0% | -7.9% |
| 1978 | 1.0% | -2.3% |
| 1979 | 1.0% | +7.0% |
| 1980 | 1.2% | +15.9% |
| 1981 | 1.4% | +16.9% |
| 1982 | 1.7% | +25.0% |
| 1983 | 2.3% | +30.7% |
| 1984 | 2.7% | +18.8% |
| 1985 | 2.9% | +9.5% |
| 1986 | 3.1% | +6.0% |
| 1987 | 3.3% | +4.1% |
| 1988 | 3.3% | +2.5% |
| 1989 | 3.4% | +1.1% |
| 1990 | 3.4% | -0.5% |
| 1991 | 3.3% | -2.8% |
| 1992 | 3.0% | -8.8% |
| 1993 | 2.4% | -20.5% |
| 1994 | 1.6% | -33.3% |
| 1995 | 1.0% | -38.8% |
| 1996 | 0.6% | -39.8% |
| 1997 | 0.3% | -48.6% |
| 1998 | 0.1% | -63.4% |
| 1999 | 0.0% | -92.4% |
| 2000 | -0.0% | -257.8% |
| 2001 | 0.1% | -680.0% |
| 2002 | 0.3% | +277.5% |
| 2003 | 0.6% | +121.1% |
| 2004 | 0.9% | +39.3% |
| 2005 | 1.0% | +14.2% |
| 2006 | 1.2% | +14.5% |
| 2007 | 1.3% | +9.8% |
| 2008 | 1.3% | +4.5% |
| 2009 | 1.4% | +2.8% |
| 2010 | 1.4% | +2.1% |
| 2011 | 1.4% | +1.9% |
| 2012 | 1.4% | +1.2% |
| 2013 | 1.4% | -2.6% |
| 2014 | 1.3% | -6.8% |
| 2015 | 1.2% | -8.1% |
| 2016 | 1.1% | -8.3% |
| 2017 | 1.0% | -8.5% |
| 2018 | 0.9% | -9.1% |
| 2019 | 0.9% | -5.8% |
| 2020 | 0.9% | +3.4% |
| 2021 | 0.9% | +2.1% |
| 2022 | 0.9% | -2.8% |
| 2023 | 0.9% | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 0.9% | +0.6% |
| 2025 | 0.3% | -69.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.3% | 1.8% | 2.8% | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.4% | 1.0% | 1.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.5% | 1.2% | 3.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.5% | 0.0% | 3.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.8% | -0.0% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.2% | 0.9% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.8% | 0.3% | 0.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Gambia
- 93 Bangladesh 0.4% compare
- 94 Brunei Darussalam 0.3% compare
- 95 Azerbaijan 0.3% compare
- 97 New Zealand 0.3% compare
- 98 Palestine, State of 0.3% compare
- 99 New Caledonia 0.2% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Gambia
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 25.87 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2385 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 219.17 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.2766 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0004 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3501 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 23.8% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 23.8% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.1% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.3% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population growth in Gambia?
- Rural population growth in Gambia was 0.3% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest rural population growth recorded in Gambia?
- The highest recorded value was 3.4% in 1989.
- What is the lowest rural population growth recorded in Gambia?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.0% in 2000.
- How does Gambia rank for rural population growth?
- Gambia ranks 96th out of 209 countries with data for 2025.
- Is rural population growth rising or falling in Gambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 76.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Gambia data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Rural population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Annual rural population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear rural population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population.