Public spending on healthcare as percent of total healthcare spending in Gambia
Gambia: Public spending on healthcare as percent of total healthcare spending was 44.9% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Public spending on healthcare as percent of total healthcare spending in Gambia, 2000–2023
Source: Global Health Expenditure Database, WHO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of current health expenditure.
Analysis
In 2023, public spending on healthcare as percent of total healthcare spending in Gambia stood at 44.9%.
That represents a change of up 3.0% on the previous year and up 62.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, public spending on healthcare as percent of total healthcare spending in Gambia peaked at 48.6% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 5.6%, in 2000.
That places Gambia 125th out of 193 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Public spending on healthcare as percent of total healthcare spending in Gambia, year by year
| Year | % of current health expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 5.6% | — |
| 2001 | 7.4% | +31.9% |
| 2002 | 8.7% | +18.2% |
| 2003 | 11.1% | +27.4% |
| 2004 | 14.4% | +30.0% |
| 2005 | 15.2% | +5.3% |
| 2006 | 16.3% | +7.3% |
| 2007 | 14.3% | -12.4% |
| 2008 | 15.6% | +9.8% |
| 2009 | 20.3% | +29.7% |
| 2010 | 22.3% | +9.9% |
| 2011 | 23.9% | +7.2% |
| 2012 | 28.3% | +18.3% |
| 2013 | 27.7% | -2.0% |
| 2014 | 35.8% | +29.2% |
| 2015 | 31.4% | -12.2% |
| 2016 | 40.4% | +28.4% |
| 2017 | 31.6% | -21.6% |
| 2018 | 32.9% | +4.0% |
| 2019 | 40.9% | +24.4% |
| 2020 | 48.6% | +18.8% |
| 2021 | 34.4% | -29.3% |
| 2022 | 43.6% | +26.9% |
| 2023 | 44.9% | +3.0% |
Gambia compared with similar countries
- Gambia's 44.9% is above the median for low income countries, which is 19.7%, 2.3× the median. (24 countries reporting)
- Gambia's 44.9% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 30.1%, 1.5× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 12.9% | 5.6% | 20.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 31.5% | 22.3% | 40.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 42.9% | 34.4% | 48.6% | 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 public spending on healthcare as percent of total healthcare spending in Gambia?
- Public spending on healthcare as percent of total healthcare spending in Gambia was 44.9% in 2023, according to Global Health Expenditure Database, WHO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest public spending on healthcare as percent of total healthcare spending recorded in Gambia?
- The highest recorded value was 48.6% in 2020.
- What is the lowest public spending on healthcare as percent of total healthcare spending recorded in Gambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.6% in 2000.
- How does Gambia rank for public spending on healthcare as percent of total healthcare spending?
- Gambia ranks 125th out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
- Is public spending on healthcare as percent of total healthcare spending rising or falling in Gambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 62.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Gambia data come from?
- The figures come from Global Health Expenditure Database, WHO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Public spending on healthcare as percent of total healthcare spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of current health expenditures funded from domestic public sources for health.