Prevalence of undernourishment in Gambia
Gambia: Prevalence of undernourishment was 16.8% in 2023. ▬ Flat
Prevalence of undernourishment in Gambia, 2001–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in % of population.
Analysis
Gambia recorded 16.8% for prevalence of undernourishment in 2023.
That represents a change of down 8.2% on the previous year and up 51.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of undernourishment in Gambia peaked at 19.9% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 9.5%, in 2011.
That places Gambia 34th out of 168 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
Prevalence of undernourishment in Gambia, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 16.9% | — |
| 2002 | 18.9% | +11.8% |
| 2003 | 19.9% | +5.3% |
| 2004 | 19.1% | -4.0% |
| 2005 | 17.6% | -7.9% |
| 2006 | 15.5% | -11.9% |
| 2007 | 13.7% | -11.6% |
| 2008 | 12.0% | -12.4% |
| 2009 | 10.5% | -12.5% |
| 2010 | 9.7% | -7.6% |
| 2011 | 9.5% | -2.1% |
| 2012 | 10.2% | +7.4% |
| 2013 | 11.1% | +8.8% |
| 2014 | 11.9% | +7.2% |
| 2015 | 12.6% | +5.9% |
| 2016 | 12.8% | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 14.2% | +10.9% |
| 2018 | 15.0% | +5.6% |
| 2019 | 16.8% | +12.0% |
| 2020 | 18.0% | +7.1% |
| 2021 | 18.9% | +5.0% |
| 2022 | 18.3% | -3.2% |
| 2023 | 16.8% | -8.2% |
Gambia compared with similar countries
- Gambia's 16.8% is below the median for low income countries, which is 24.1%, 70% of the median. (21 countries reporting)
- Gambia's 16.8% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 19.7%, 85% of the median. (43 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 16.0% | 10.5% | 19.9% | 9 |
| 2010s | 12.4% | 9.5% | 16.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 18.0% | 16.8% | 18.9% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Gambia
More health data for Gambia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.27 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 1.15 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,044 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 700 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.9696 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0686 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.9636 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of undernourishment in Gambia?
- Prevalence of undernourishment in Gambia was 16.8% in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest prevalence of undernourishment recorded in Gambia?
- The highest recorded value was 19.9% in 2003.
- What is the lowest prevalence of undernourishment recorded in Gambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.5% in 2011.
- How does Gambia rank for prevalence of undernourishment?
- Gambia ranks 34th out of 168 countries with data for 2023.
- Is prevalence of undernourishment rising or falling in Gambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 51.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Gambia data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Prevalence of undernourishment (% of population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Prevalence of undernourishment is the percentage of the population whose habitual food consumption is insufficient to provide the dietary energy levels that are required to maintain a normal active and healthy life. Data showing as 2.5 may signify a prevalence of undernourishment below 2.5%.