Population in the largest city in Gambia
Gambia: Population in the largest city was 27.8% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Population in the largest city in Gambia, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of urban population.
Analysis
In 2025, population in the largest city in Gambia stood at 27.8%. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and down 12.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in the largest city in Gambia peaked at 100.0% in 1960 and was at its lowest, 27.8%, in 2025.
Gambia ranks 84th of 153 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Population in the largest city in Gambia, year by year
| Year | % of urban population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 100.0% | — |
| 1961 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 95.3% | -4.7% |
| 1968 | 93.7% | -1.7% |
| 1969 | 91.8% | -2.0% |
| 1970 | 90.1% | -1.9% |
| 1971 | 88.6% | -1.7% |
| 1972 | 87.4% | -1.3% |
| 1973 | 86.2% | -1.4% |
| 1974 | 83.1% | -3.6% |
| 1975 | 79.3% | -4.6% |
| 1976 | 75.3% | -5.0% |
| 1977 | 71.6% | -5.0% |
| 1978 | 68.2% | -4.7% |
| 1979 | 65.4% | -4.2% |
| 1980 | 63.1% | -3.5% |
| 1981 | 61.5% | -2.6% |
| 1982 | 60.4% | -1.7% |
| 1983 | 60.0% | -0.8% |
| 1984 | 59.9% | -0.2% |
| 1985 | 59.9% | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 60.1% | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 60.4% | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 60.8% | +0.6% |
| 1989 | 61.1% | +0.5% |
| 1990 | 61.4% | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 61.5% | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 61.6% | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 61.4% | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 59.5% | -3.1% |
| 1995 | 57.5% | -3.3% |
| 1996 | 55.5% | -3.5% |
| 1997 | 53.6% | -3.5% |
| 1998 | 51.7% | -3.5% |
| 1999 | 50.0% | -3.3% |
| 2000 | 48.4% | -3.1% |
| 2001 | 47.1% | -2.8% |
| 2002 | 46.0% | -2.4% |
| 2003 | 44.9% | -2.2% |
| 2004 | 43.5% | -3.1% |
| 2005 | 42.2% | -3.1% |
| 2006 | 40.9% | -3.0% |
| 2007 | 39.7% | -3.0% |
| 2008 | 38.6% | -2.9% |
| 2009 | 37.5% | -2.8% |
| 2010 | 36.5% | -2.8% |
| 2011 | 35.5% | -2.7% |
| 2012 | 34.5% | -2.7% |
| 2013 | 33.6% | -2.7% |
| 2014 | 32.7% | -2.6% |
| 2015 | 31.9% | -2.5% |
| 2016 | 31.1% | -2.3% |
| 2017 | 30.5% | -2.2% |
| 2018 | 29.8% | -2.1% |
| 2019 | 29.3% | -1.9% |
| 2020 | 28.8% | -1.6% |
| 2021 | 28.4% | -1.3% |
| 2022 | 28.1% | -1.0% |
| 2023 | 28.0% | -0.6% |
| 2024 | 27.9% | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 27.8% | -0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 98.1% | 91.8% | 100.0% | 10 |
| 1970s | 79.5% | 65.4% | 90.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 60.7% | 59.9% | 63.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 57.4% | 50.0% | 61.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 42.9% | 37.5% | 48.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 32.5% | 29.3% | 36.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 28.2% | 27.8% | 28.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Gambia
More urban development data for Gambia
- Population density 266.58 people per sq. km of land area (2023)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 38.27 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in largest city 510,303 (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 11.57 Hectares (2020)
- PM2.5 air pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO 100.0% (2017)
- Dollar value of all resources made available to strengthen 3.71 million (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in the largest city in Gambia?
- Population in the largest city in Gambia was 27.8% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest population in the largest city recorded in Gambia?
- The highest recorded value was 100.0% in 1960.
- What is the lowest population in the largest city recorded in Gambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.8% in 2025.
- How does Gambia rank for population in the largest city?
- Gambia ranks 84th out of 153 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population in the largest city rising or falling in Gambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Gambia data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as part of Population in the largest city (% of urban population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population in largest city is the percentage of a country's urban population living in that country's largest metropolitan area.