Average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling in Gambia

Gambia: Average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling was 4.67 years in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
4.67 years
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
173rd
of 192 countries
All-time high
4.67 years
in 2021
All-time low
1.4 years
in 1990
Years of data
34
1990–2023

Average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling in Gambia, 1990–2023

123451990200620231990: 1.4 years1991: 1.5 years1992: 1.6 years1993: 1.8 years1994: 1.9 years1995: 2 years1996: 2.1 years1997: 2.1 years1998: 2.2 years1999: 2.2 years2000: 2.2 years2001: 2.3 years2002: 2.4 years2003: 2.5 years2004: 2.6 years2005: 2.7 years2006: 2.8 years2007: 2.9 years2008: 3 years2009: 3.1 years2010: 3.2 years2011: 3.3 years2012: 3.4 years2013: 3.6 years2014: 3.7 years2015: 3.8 years2016: 3.9 years2017: 4 years2018: 4.1 years2019: 4.3 years2020: 4.5 years2021: 4.7 years2022: 4.7 years2023: 4.7 years

Source: UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.

Analysis

The most recent figure for average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling in Gambia is 4.67 years, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 30.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling in Gambia peaked at 4.67 years in 2021 and was at its lowest, 1.4 years, in 1990.

That places Gambia 173rd out of 192 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 1.88 years 1.4 years 2.2 years 10
2000s 2.63 years 2.24 years 3.07 years 10
2010s 3.72 years 3.17 years 4.31 years 10
2020s 4.63 years 4.51 years 4.67 years 4

Countries ranked near Gambia

  1. 170 Rwanda 4.88 years compare
  2. 171 Cote d'Ivoire 4.87 years compare
  3. 172 Mauritania 4.85 years compare
  4. 174 Madagascar 4.59 years compare
  5. 175 Mozambique 4.59 years compare
  6. 176 Nepal 4.5 years compare

See the full ranking of 192 places →

More education data for Gambia

All data for Gambia →

Frequently asked questions

What is average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling in Gambia?
Average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling in Gambia was 4.67 years in 2023, according to UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling recorded in Gambia?
The highest recorded value was 4.67 years in 2021.
What is the lowest average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling recorded in Gambia?
The lowest recorded value was 1.4 years in 1990.
How does Gambia rank for average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling?
Gambia ranks 173rd out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
Is average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling rising or falling in Gambia?
Over the last ten years it is up 30.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Gambia data come from?
The figures come from UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling
Unit
years
Source
UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
192 places, 6,079 data points, 1990–2023
Last refreshed

Average number of years (excluding years spent repeating individual grades) adults over 25 years participated in formal education.