Official entrance age to primary education (years) in Gambia
Gambia: Official entrance age to primary education (years) was 7 years in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
7 years
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
1st
of 224 countries
All-time high
8 years
in 1978
All-time low
6 years
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Official entrance age to primary education in Gambia, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for official entrance age to primary education in Gambia is 7 years, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, official entrance age to primary education in Gambia peaked at 8 years in 1978 and was at its lowest, 6 years, in 1970.
Gambia ranks 1st of 224 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Official entrance age to primary education (years) in Gambia, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 6 years | — |
| 1971 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 7 years | +16.7% |
| 1978 | 8 years | +14.3% |
| 1979 | 8 years | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 8 years | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 8 years | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 8 years | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 8 years | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 8 years | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 8 years | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 8 years | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 8 years | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 8 years | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 8 years | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 8 years | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 7 years | -12.5% |
| 1992 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 7 years | +0.0% |
Gambia compared with similar countries
- Gambia's 7 years is above the median for low income countries, which is 6 years, 1.2× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Gambia's 7 years is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 6 years, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 6.5 years | 6 years | 8 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 8 years | 8 years | 8 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 7.1 years | 7 years | 8 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 7 years | 7 years | 7 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 7 years | 7 years | 7 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 7 years | 7 years | 7 years | 6 |
Countries ranked near Gambia
- 1 Afghanistan 7 years compare
- 1 Bulgaria 7 years compare
- 1 Estonia 7 years compare
- 1 Ethiopia 7 years compare
- 1 Finland 7 years compare
- 1 Guinea 7 years compare
- 1 Equatorial Guinea 7 years compare
- 1 Guatemala 7 years compare
- 1 Croatia 7 years compare
- 1 Hungary 7 years compare
- 1 Indonesia 7 years compare
- 1 Kyrgyzstan 7 years compare
- 1 Liechtenstein 7 years compare
- 1 Lithuania 7 years compare
- 1 Latvia 7 years compare
- 1 Moldova 7 years compare
- 1 Mali 7 years compare
- 1 Namibia 7 years compare
- 1 Niger 7 years compare
- 1 Papua New Guinea 7 years compare
- 1 Poland 7 years compare
- 1 North Korea 7 years compare
- 1 Russia 7 years compare
- 1 El Salvador 7 years compare
- 1 Serbia 7 years compare
- 1 Sweden 7 years compare
- 1 Tajikistan 7 years compare
- 1 Tanzania 7 years compare
- 1 Uzbekistan 7 years compare
- 1 South Africa 7 years compare
- 1 Zambia 7 years compare
More education data for Gambia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 12,452 (2021)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 16,389 (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 71,238 (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 77,061 (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 369,783 (2021)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 442,901 (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.4 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1569 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is official entrance age to primary education in Gambia?
- Official entrance age to primary education in Gambia was 7 years in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest official entrance age to primary education recorded in Gambia?
- The highest recorded value was 8 years in 1978.
- What is the lowest official entrance age to primary education recorded in Gambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 6 years in 1970.
- How does Gambia rank for official entrance age to primary education?
- Gambia ranks 1st out of 224 countries with data for 2025.
- Is official entrance age to primary education rising or falling in Gambia?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Gambia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Official entrance age to primary education (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release