Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Gambia
Gambia: Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions was 66.6% in 2021. ▼ Falling
Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Gambia, 1999–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Gambia is 66.6%, measured in 2021. That is the lowest value across all 23 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.9% on the previous year and down 8.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Gambia peaked at 86.4% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 66.6%, in 2021.
That places Gambia 169th out of 201 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 23 years of available data.
Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Gambia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 86.3% | — |
| 2000 | 86.4% | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 84.8% | -1.8% |
| 2002 | 84.9% | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 84.9% | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 85.1% | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 83.8% | -1.5% |
| 2006 | 83.2% | -0.7% |
| 2007 | 79.2% | -4.8% |
| 2008 | 79.9% | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 76.9% | -3.7% |
| 2010 | 74.3% | -3.4% |
| 2011 | 73.0% | -1.8% |
| 2012 | 71.8% | -1.6% |
| 2013 | 70.1% | -2.3% |
| 2014 | 72.1% | +2.8% |
| 2015 | 71.6% | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 71.7% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 71.3% | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 70.0% | -1.9% |
| 2019 | 68.5% | -2.1% |
| 2020 | 67.9% | -0.8% |
| 2021 | 66.6% | -1.9% |
Gambia compared with similar countries
- Gambia's 66.6% is below the median for low income countries, which is 89.4%, 75% of the median. (21 countries reporting)
- Gambia's 66.6% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 84.0%, 79% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 86.3% | 86.3% | 86.3% | 1 |
| 2000s | 82.9% | 76.9% | 86.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 71.4% | 68.5% | 74.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 67.3% | 66.6% | 67.9% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Gambia
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 percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Gambia?
- Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Gambia was 66.6% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions recorded in Gambia?
- The highest recorded value was 86.4% in 2000.
- What is the lowest percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions recorded in Gambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 66.6% in 2021.
- How does Gambia rank for percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions?
- Gambia ranks 169th out of 201 countries with data for 2021.
- Is percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions rising or falling in Gambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Gambia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release