Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Gambia
Gambia: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) was 6.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Gambia, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Gambia stood at 6.5%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.6% on the previous year and down 9.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Gambia peaked at 10.4% in 2007 and was at its lowest, 4.1%, in 2018.
That places Gambia 70th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Gambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 9.8% | — |
| 1992 | 9.9% | +1.1% |
| 1993 | 9.9% | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 10.0% | +1.3% |
| 1995 | 10.2% | +1.1% |
| 1996 | 10.2% | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 10.0% | -1.9% |
| 1998 | 9.9% | -1.0% |
| 1999 | 9.7% | -1.6% |
| 2000 | 9.7% | -0.2% |
| 2001 | 9.6% | -0.8% |
| 2002 | 10.0% | +4.1% |
| 2003 | 10.0% | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 9.9% | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 9.9% | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 10.2% | +3.2% |
| 2007 | 10.4% | +1.8% |
| 2008 | 10.1% | -3.5% |
| 2009 | 9.8% | -2.9% |
| 2010 | 9.7% | -1.1% |
| 2011 | 10.3% | +6.2% |
| 2012 | 10.3% | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 9.5% | -8.6% |
| 2014 | 8.2% | -13.4% |
| 2015 | 7.2% | -11.8% |
| 2016 | 6.2% | -13.6% |
| 2017 | 5.1% | -18.4% |
| 2018 | 4.1% | -20.4% |
| 2019 | 4.5% | +10.5% |
| 2020 | 5.8% | +30.3% |
| 2021 | 6.2% | +6.4% |
| 2022 | 6.1% | -2.3% |
| 2023 | 6.5% | +6.8% |
| 2024 | 6.5% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 6.5% | +0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 10.0% | 9.7% | 10.2% | 9 |
| 2000s | 10.0% | 9.6% | 10.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.5% | 4.1% | 10.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.3% | 5.8% | 6.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Gambia
- 67 Mozambique 6.6% compare
- 68 Latvia 6.6% compare
- 69 Barbados 6.5% compare
- 71 Italy 6.4% compare
- 72 Luxembourg 6.3% compare
- 73 Central African Republic 6.3% 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 unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Gambia?
- Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Gambia was 6.5% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Gambia?
- The highest recorded value was 10.4% in 2007.
- What is the lowest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Gambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.1% in 2018.
- How does Gambia rank for unemployment, total (% of total labor force)?
- Gambia ranks 70th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) rising or falling in Gambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Gambia data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment.