Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
The Gambia fits inside Senegal 17 times.
Gambia: 11,300 km² (2023) · Senegal: 196,710 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Senegal’s coastline is 6.6 times as long as the Gambia’s.
Gambia: 80 km (2026 edition) · Senegal: 531 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Senegal’s highest peak towers 585 m above the Gambia’s.
Gambia: 63 m (2026 edition) · Senegal: 648 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Senegal has 6.7 times as many people as the Gambia.
Gambia: 2.82 million (2025) · Senegal: 18.9 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
The Gambia is 2.8 times as densely populated as Senegal.
Gambia: 279 per km² (2025) · Senegal: 98 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Senegal are 7.8 cm taller than in the Gambia.
Gambia: 168.4 cm (2019) · Senegal: 176.2 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Senegal are 2.2 cm taller than in the Gambia.
Gambia: 161.7 cm (2019) · Senegal: 163.9 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Senegal is 0.96 year older than in the Gambia.
Gambia: 18.2 years (2023) · Senegal: 19.1 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in the Gambia have 0.1 more children on average than in Senegal.
Gambia: 3.91 children per woman (2024) · Senegal: 3.77 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
Senegal and the Gambia are practically level.
Gambia: 3.2% (2025) · Senegal: 3.6% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
The Gambia and Senegal are practically level.
Gambia: 0 (2025) · Senegal: 0 (2025)
How many official languages?
The Gambia and Senegal are practically level.
Gambia: 1 (2026) · Senegal: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Senegal’s economy is 14 times the size of the Gambia’s.
Gambia: $2.59 billion (2025) · Senegal: $37 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Senegal produces 47% more per person than the Gambia.
Gambia: Int$3,706 (2025) · Senegal: Int$5,463 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in the Gambia than in Senegal (Gini 2.6 points higher).
Gambia: 38.8 (2020) · Senegal: 36.2 (2021)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 6.5% in the Gambia, versus 2.7% in Senegal.
Gambia: 6.5% (2025) · Senegal: 2.7% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Senegal spends 1.6% of its GDP on the military, the Gambia 0.6%.
Gambia: 0.6% (2024) · Senegal: 1.6% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Senegal’s price level (US = 100) is 1.4× the Gambia’s.
Gambia: 25% (2025) · Senegal: 36% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Senegal spends 2.8 times as much on health per person as the Gambia.
Gambia: $26 (2023) · Senegal: $73 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Senegal live 2.9 years longer than in the Gambia.
Gambia: 66.1 years (2024) · Senegal: 68.9 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in the Gambia is 13% more likely to die before turning one than in Senegal.
Gambia: 32.7 per 1,000 (2024) · Senegal: 28.9 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Senegal has 21% more doctors per person than the Gambia.
Gambia: 0.1 per 1,000 (2023) · Senegal: 0.1 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is obesity?
11% of adults in the Gambia are obese, versus 10% in Senegal.
Gambia: 11.2% (2024) · Senegal: 10.3% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
11% of adults in the Gambia smoke, versus 5.4% in Senegal.
Gambia: 11.1% (2024) · Senegal: 5.4% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Senegal rate their lives 0.48 points higher than in the Gambia.
Gambia: 4.31 (2025) · Senegal: 4.79 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in the Gambia drink 48% more alcohol than in Senegal.
Gambia: 0.5 litres (2023) · Senegal: 0.3 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Senegal has 5% more meat per person than the Gambia.
Gambia: 19.1 kg (2023) · Senegal: 20 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Senegal has 445 kcal more food per person per day than the Gambia.
Gambia: 2,402 kcal (2023) · Senegal: 2,848 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Gambia: no data · Senegal: 2,335 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in the Gambia went to school 1.7 years longer than in Senegal.
Gambia: 4.7 years (2023) · Senegal: 2.9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
The Gambia welcomed 2.5 times as many tourists per resident as Senegal (2019).
Gambia: 0.22 (2022) · Senegal: 0.09 (2017)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
60% of people in Senegal are online, versus 49% in the Gambia.
Gambia: 49% (2024) · Senegal: 60% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
83% of people in Senegal have electricity, versus 69% in the Gambia.
Gambia: 69% (2024) · Senegal: 82.9% (2024)
How many live in cities?
65% of people in the Gambia live in cities, versus 56% in Senegal.
Gambia: 65% (2025) · Senegal: 56% (2025)
How many phones per person?
The Gambia has 126 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Senegal 124.
Gambia: 126 (2024) · Senegal: 124 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Gambia: no data · Senegal: 906 km (2017)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Senegal fly 46% more passengers per resident than those from the Gambia.
Gambia: 0.04 (2019) · Senegal: 0.06 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 41% of Senegal, but only 22% of the Gambia.
Gambia: 22.3% (2023) · Senegal: 41.3% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Senegal emits 2.6 times as much CO₂ as someone in the Gambia.
Gambia: 0.3 t (2024) · Senegal: 0.8 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
20% of Senegal’s electricity is renewable, versus 0.0% in the Gambia.
Gambia: 0% (2024) · Senegal: 19.8% (2024)
How clean is the air?
The air in Senegal carries 2% more fine dust than in the Gambia.
Gambia: 35.7 µg/m³ (2024) · Senegal: 36.5 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in the Gambia are 6% deadlier than in Senegal.
Gambia: 22 per 100k (2021) · Senegal: 20.8 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Senegal is on average 1.0 °C warmer than the Gambia.
Gambia: 28.1°C (2016–2025 avg) · Senegal: 29.1°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
The Gambia gets 49% more rain than Senegal.
Gambia: 774 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Senegal: 518 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is the Gambia bigger than Senegal?
Senegal is larger. The Gambia fits inside Senegal 17 times.
Which has more people, the Gambia or Senegal?
Senegal has 6.7 times as many people as the Gambia (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, the Gambia or Senegal?
People in Senegal live 2.9 years longer than in the Gambia. Life expectancy at birth is 66.1 years in the Gambia and 68.9 in Senegal.
Are people taller in the Gambia or Senegal?
Men in Senegal are 7.8 cm taller than in the Gambia (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
