Gambia vs Senegal
Senegal is 17.4 times larger than Gambia. Gambia would fit into Senegal about 17 times.
GambiaSenegalGambia moved onto Senegal · Equal-area projection
0.06×
Gambia is 0.06× the area of Senegal. Put the other way, Senegal is 17.4× the size of Gambia.
 Gambia |  Senegal | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | ||
| AreaSenegal: 17.4× the area | 11,300 km²#160 of 194 | 196,722 km²#86 of 194 |
| Coastline | Has a coast | Has a coast |
| Land neighbours | 1 | 5 |
| People | ||
| PopulationSenegal: 6.71× the population | 2,822,093#139 of 194 · 2025 | 18,931,966#69 of 194 · 2025 |
| DensityGambia: 2.6× the density | 250 / km²#41 of 194 | 96 / km²#94 of 194 |
| Urban populationGambia: 1.16× the urban share | 65%#89 of 192 · 2025 | 56%#119 of 192 · 2025 |
| Fertility rateGambia: 1.04× the births per woman | 3.91 per woman#26 of 192 · 2024 | 3.77 per woman#33 of 192 · 2024 |
| Population growthSenegal: 0.07 points higher | +2.23%#35 of 192 · 2025 | +2.30%#34 of 192 · 2025 |
| Birth rateAbout the same birth rate | 29.9 per 1,000#31 of 192 · 2024 | 29.2 per 1,000#34 of 192 · 2024 |
| Death rateGambia: 1.13× the death rate | 6.2 per 1,000#129 of 192 · 2024 | 5.5 per 1,000#156 of 192 · 2024 |
| Children under 15Gambia: 2.0 points higher | 39.7%#27 of 192 · 2025 | 37.7%#35 of 192 · 2025 |
| People over 65Senegal: 0.4 points higher | 3.2%#161 of 192 · 2025 | 3.6%#150 of 192 · 2025 |
| Net migrationSenegal: 0.4 per 1,000 higher | −1.1 per 1,000#119 of 192 · 2025 | −0.7 per 1,000#111 of 192 · 2025 |
| Refugees abroadGambia: 3.45× the refugees for its size | 2.38 per 1,000#38 of 190 · 2025 | 0.69 per 1,000#68 of 190 · 2025 |
| Health & education | ||
| Life expectancySenegal: 2.8 years longer | 66.1 years#162 of 192 · 2024 | 68.9 years#137 of 192 · 2024 |
| Infant mortalityGambia: 1.13× the infant mortality | 32.7 per 1,000 births#41 of 191 · 2024 | 28.9 per 1,000 births#49 of 191 · 2024 |
| DoctorsSenegal: 1.22× the doctors per person | 0.09 per 1,000#168 of 178 · 2023 | 0.11 per 1,000#166 of 178 · 2023 |
| University enrolmentSenegal: 1.13× the university enrolment | 13.5%#125 of 145 · 2024 | 15.3%#120 of 145 · 2024 |
| Human Development IndexSenegal: 0.006 higher | 0.524#167 of 190 · 2023 | 0.530#166 of 190 · 2023 |
| Economy | ||
| GNI per capitaSenegal: 1.91× the income per person | $930#172 of 185 · 2025 | $1,780#153 of 185 · 2025 |
| GDPSenegal: 14.3× the economy | $2.59B2025 | $37.01B2025 |
| Income group | Low income | Lower-middle income |
| GDP per capita (PPP)Senegal: 1.47× the output per person | $3,706#164 of 184 · 2025 | $5,463#149 of 184 · 2025 |
| GDP growthSenegal: 0.8 points higher | +5.9%#33 of 187 · 2025 | +6.7%#21 of 187 · 2025 |
| InflationGambia: 10.1 points higher | +11.6%#19 of 176 · 2024 | +1.5%#128 of 176 · 2025 |
| UnemploymentGambia: 2.41× the unemployment | 6.5%#65 of 178 · 2025 | 2.7%#149 of 178 · 2025 |
| Extreme povertyGambia: 1.23× the share in extreme poverty | 22.0%#33 of 149 · 2020 | 17.9%#38 of 149 · 2021 |
| Income inequality (Gini)Gambia: 2.6 higher | 38.8#46 of 149 · 2020 | 36.2#60 of 149 · 2021 |
| Jobs in agricultureSenegal: 2.0 points higher | 27.6% of jobs#66 of 178 · 2025 | 29.6% of jobs#61 of 178 · 2025 |
| Jobs in industrySenegal: 3.7 points higher | 18.8% of jobs#93 of 178 · 2025 | 22.5% of jobs#59 of 178 · 2025 |
| Jobs in servicesGambia: 5.7 points higher | 53.6% of jobs#102 of 178 · 2025 | 47.9% of jobs#128 of 178 · 2025 |
| Foreign investmentGambia: 10.5 points higher | 10.6% of GDP#14 of 184 · 2025 | 0.1% of GDP#158 of 184 · 2025 |
| ExportsSenegal: 19.8 points higher | 12.7% of GDP#156 of 168 · 2025 | 32.5% of GDP#91 of 168 · 2025 |
| Military spendingSenegal: 2.74× the military spending | 0.6% of GDP#138 of 155 · 2025 | 1.6% of GDP#84 of 155 · 2025 |
| Internet usersSenegal: 1.21× the share online | 50%#144 of 184 · 2024 | 60%#135 of 184 · 2024 |
| Mobile subscriptionsAbout as many mobile subscriptions | 126 per 100#64 of 191 · 2024 | 124 per 100#71 of 191 · 2024 |
| Energy & environment | ||
| Forest areaSenegal: 2.11× the forest share | 21% of land#119 of 192 · 2024 | 45% of land#55 of 192 · 2024 |
| CO₂ per personSenegal: 4.28× the CO₂ per person | 0.18 t a year#169 of 185 · 2024 | 0.77 t a year#136 of 185 · 2024 |
| Renewable energyGambia: 12.3 points higher | 47.7%#52 of 190 · 2022 | 35.4%#68 of 190 · 2021 |
| Access to electricitySenegal: 13.9 points higher | 69.0%#156 of 192 · 2024 | 82.9%#145 of 192 · 2024 |
| Air pollution (PM2.5)Senegal: 1.09× the air pollution | 38.3 µg/m³#25 of 191 · 2023 | 41.6 µg/m³#21 of 191 · 2023 |
| Protected landSenegal: 19.8 points higher | 7.7% of land#155 of 191 · 2025 | 27.5% of land#47 of 191 · 2025 |
| Arable landGambia: 23.6 points higher | 43.5% of land#11 of 190 · 2023 | 19.9% of land#54 of 190 · 2024 |
| Water stressSenegal: 7.41× the water stress | 2.2%#143 of 176 · 2022 | 16.3%#73 of 176 · 2022 |
| PrecipitationGambia: 1.22× the rain and snow | 836 mm#103 of 180 · 2022 | 686 mm#115 of 180 · 2022 |
| Governance & safety | ||
| Political stabilityGambia: 0.21 higher | +0.04#102 of 193 · 2025 | −0.17#117 of 193 · 2025 |
| Control of corruptionSenegal: 0.66 higher | −0.51#120 of 193 · 2025 | +0.15#73 of 193 · 2025 |
| State | ||
| Status | Independent state | Independent state |
| Government | Presidential republic | Presidential republic |
| Capital | Banjul | Dakar |
| Currency | Dalasi (GMD) | West African CFA franc (XOF) |
| Official languages | English | French, Wolof, Balanta, Badyara |
| Traffic drives | On the right | On the right |
| Time zone | UTC | UTC |
| Calling code | +220 | +221 |
| Region | Western Africa, Africa | Western Africa, Africa |
Area: Wikidata. Population, income, health, economy, environment and governance: World Bank. Human Development Index: UNDP. Government: CIA World Factbook. Ranks among the 194 independent states. All sources
Why the map you grew up with disagrees
On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Gambia sits at about 13° N and is stretched to 1.06× its true area; Senegal at 14° N is stretched to 1.07×. Here the two are distorted about the same amount, so Mercator gets this pair roughly right. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Questions about this pair
- Is Gambia bigger than Senegal?
- No. Gambia is 17.4 times smaller than Senegal. Gambia covers 11,300 km² and Senegal covers 196,722 km².
- How many times does Gambia fit into Senegal?
- About 17 times: Senegal has 17.4× the area of Gambia.
- Why do Gambia and Senegal look different on Google Maps?
- Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Gambia is drawn about 1.06× its true area there and Senegal about 1.07×. For this pair the distortion is similar, so Mercator gets the comparison roughly right. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
- Which has more people, Gambia or Senegal?
- Senegal: 18,931,966 people against 2,822,093. Density: Gambia 250 per km², Senegal 96 per km².
- Which is richer, Gambia or Senegal?
- By gross national income per person, Senegal: $1,780 against $930 (World Bank, Atlas method, 2025) — 1.91× as much.
- Where do people live longer, Gambia or Senegal?
- In Senegal: life expectancy at birth is 68.9 years, against 66.1 — 2.8 years longer (World Bank, 2024).
- What kind of government do Gambia and Senegal have?
- The same form of government, by constitution: presidential republic (CIA World Factbook).