School enrollment, primary (% gross) in Gambia
Gambia: School enrollment, primary (% gross) was 100.4% in 2025. ▲ Rising
School enrollment, primary in Gambia, 1971–2025
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % gross.
Analysis
Gambia recorded 100.4% for school enrollment, primary in 2025. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.8% on the previous year and up 20.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school enrollment, primary in Gambia peaked at 100.4% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 21.1%, in 1972.
That places Gambia 104th out of 205 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.
School enrollment, primary (% gross) in Gambia, year by year
| Year | % gross | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 21.4% | — |
| 1972 | 21.1% | -1.4% |
| 1973 | 22.8% | +7.8% |
| 1974 | 23.6% | +3.5% |
| 1975 | 24.7% | +4.7% |
| 1976 | 26.2% | +6.2% |
| 1977 | 27.3% | +3.9% |
| 1978 | 29.5% | +8.2% |
| 1979 | 33.3% | +12.9% |
| 1980 | 37.3% | +12.0% |
| 1981 | 45.0% | +20.8% |
| 1982 | 48.7% | +8.0% |
| 1983 | 51.4% | +5.7% |
| 1984 | 54.5% | +6.0% |
| 1985 | 56.3% | +3.3% |
| 1986 | 56.7% | +0.6% |
| 1987 | 55.5% | -2.1% |
| 1988 | 53.5% | -3.4% |
| 1989 | 50.2% | -6.3% |
| 1990 | 50.6% | +0.7% |
| 1991 | 51.0% | +0.8% |
| 1992 | 51.0% | -0.0% |
| 1993 | 52.2% | +2.3% |
| 1994 | 54.2% | +3.8% |
| 1995 | 55.8% | +3.0% |
| 1996 | 58.9% | +5.6% |
| 1997 | 60.7% | +3.0% |
| 1998 | 62.0% | +2.1% |
| 1999 | 71.8% | +15.9% |
| 2000 | 71.0% | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 71.4% | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 69.3% | -2.9% |
| 2003 | 72.4% | +4.4% |
| 2004 | 73.6% | +1.6% |
| 2005 | 72.2% | -1.9% |
| 2006 | 71.5% | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 74.0% | +3.5% |
| 2008 | 73.6% | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 73.4% | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 73.5% | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 72.2% | -1.7% |
| 2012 | 75.5% | +4.5% |
| 2013 | 77.5% | +2.7% |
| 2014 | 80.7% | +4.0% |
| 2015 | 83.7% | +3.7% |
| 2016 | 85.5% | +2.2% |
| 2017 | 88.7% | +3.7% |
| 2018 | 91.5% | +3.1% |
| 2019 | 95.1% | +4.0% |
| 2020 | 96.9% | +1.9% |
| 2021 | 96.3% | -0.6% |
| 2022 | 97.3% | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 98.7% | +1.5% |
| 2024 | 98.6% | -0.1% |
| 2025 | 100.4% | +1.8% |
Gambia compared with similar countries
- Gambia's 100.4% is above the median for low income countries, which is 96.8%, 1.0× the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Gambia's 100.4% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 100.4%, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 25.5% | 21.1% | 33.3% | 9 |
| 1980s | 50.9% | 37.3% | 56.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 56.8% | 50.6% | 71.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 72.2% | 69.3% | 74.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 82.4% | 72.2% | 95.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 98.0% | 96.3% | 100.4% | 6 |
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 school enrollment, primary in Gambia?
- School enrollment, primary in Gambia was 100.4% in 2025, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest school enrollment, primary recorded in Gambia?
- The highest recorded value was 100.4% in 2025.
- What is the lowest school enrollment, primary recorded in Gambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.1% in 1972.
- How does Gambia rank for school enrollment, primary?
- Gambia ranks 104th out of 205 countries with data for 2025.
- Is school enrollment, primary rising or falling in Gambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Gambia data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of School enrollment, primary (% gross). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Gross enrollment ratio is the ratio of total enrollment, regardless of age, to the population of the age group that officially corresponds to the level of education shown. Primary education provides children with basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills along with an elementary understanding of such subjects as history, geography, natural science, social science, art, and music.