Life Expectancy in Gambia (2024): Men 64.4, Women 67.8

Life expectancy in Gambia since 1960

Women
Men

Since 1960, life expectancy in Gambia has risen by 31.5 years, from 34.6 to 66.1. During the COVID-19 pandemic it fell by 0.6 years (from 64.4 in 2019 to 63.8 in 2021) and has since recovered. Women live 3.4 years longer than men (67.8 vs 64.4).

Expected age at death in Gambia by age

Life expectancy at birth includes deaths in childhood. Once people reach adulthood they can expect to live longer — here is the average expected age at death for people who have already reached each age:

Current age	Birth	20	40	60	80
Men	64.4	67.8	68.9	72.7	83.2
Women	67.8	71.3	72.3	75.3	84.3

Birth: World Bank. Other ages: our survival model calibrated to Gambia’s figures (method).

How people die in Gambia

Chronic diseases: 42.2%
Infections, maternal & nutritional: 49%
Injuries: 8.8%

In 2019, 42% of deaths in Gambia were caused by chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes (world: 74%). A Gambia man has a 23% chance and a woman 21% of dying of one of these diseases between the ages of 30 and 70 (world: 21% and 16%). Road traffic accidents kill 29.6 people per 100,000 each year (world: 16.7).

See which causes of death are most likely for you →

Child mortality

Out of every 1,000 babies born in Gambia, about 42.4 die before their fifth birthday (world: 37.4). This is one of the main reasons life expectancy at birth differs so much between countries.

Gambia compared with its region

Gambia is in the World Bank’s Sub-Saharan Africa region, where the average life expectancy is 64.8 years. It ranks #20 of 48 countries there.

#	Country	Overall	Men	Women
16	Comoros	67.0	65.0	69.2
17	Sudan	66.5	63.4	69.8
18	Zambia	66.5	64.1	68.9
19	South Africa	66.3	62.8	69.8
20	Gambia	66.1	64.4	67.8
21	Congo	66.0	64.3	67.7
22	Ghana	65.7	63.3	68.2
23	Angola	64.8	62.3	67.3
24	Eswatini	64.3	61.3	67.1

See all 217 countries ranked →

Frequently asked questions

What is the life expectancy in Gambia?

66.1 years in 2024: 64.4 for men and 67.8 for women, according to the World Bank.

Do women live longer than men in Gambia?

Yes. Women in Gambia live about 3.4 years longer than men. Worldwide the gap is 4.9 years in favour of women.

How does Gambia rank for life expectancy?

Gambia ranks #187 out of 217 countries and territories with data. That is 7.4 years below the world average of 73.5.

What is the average age of death in Gambia?

Life expectancy at birth (66.1) is pulled down by deaths in childhood. Adults live longer: a 40-year-old man in Gambia can expect to live to about 68.9, and a 40-year-old woman to about 72.3.

Sources

World Bank, World Development Indicators: life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.MA.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.FE.IN), under-5 mortality (SH.DYN.MORT), causes of death (SH.DTH.NCOM.ZS, SH.DTH.INJR.ZS), mortality from major chronic diseases (SH.DYN.NCOM.MA.ZS, SH.DYN.NCOM.FE.ZS) and road traffic deaths (SH.STA.TRAF.P5). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Link

Data updated October 25, 2026.