Share of women using contraceptives in Gambia
Gambia: Share of women using contraceptives was 18.9% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Share of women using contraceptives in Gambia, 1990–2020
Source: Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), and UN Population Division, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of women ages 15-49.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of women using contraceptives in Gambia is 18.9%, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 7 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 13.3% on the previous year and up 42.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of women using contraceptives in Gambia peaked at 18.9% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 9.0%, in 2013.
Gambia ranks 108th of 116 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Share of women using contraceptives in Gambia, year by year
| Year | % of women ages 15-49 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 11.8% | — |
| 2000 | 9.5% | -19.6% |
| 2001 | 17.5% | +84.4% |
| 2010 | 13.3% | -24.1% |
| 2013 | 9.0% | -32.3% |
| 2018 | 16.7% | +85.4% |
| 2020 | 18.9% | +13.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 11.8% | 11.8% | 11.8% | 1 |
| 2000s | 13.5% | 9.5% | 17.5% | 2 |
| 2010s | 13.0% | 9.0% | 16.7% | 3 |
| 2020s | 18.9% | 18.9% | 18.9% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Gambia
- 105 Guinea-Bissau 21.2% compare
- 106 Sierra Leone 21.2% compare
- 107 Cameroon 19.3% compare
- 109 Maldives 18.8% compare
- 110 Central African Republic 17.8% compare
- 111 Mali 17.2% compare
More gender data for Gambia
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 1,149 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 0.4019 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 1,981 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 1,981 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 2.94 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 39,680 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 40,675 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 39,327 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 40,247 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 38,827 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of women using contraceptives in Gambia?
- Share of women using contraceptives in Gambia was 18.9% in 2020, according to Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), and UN Population Division, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of women using contraceptives recorded in Gambia?
- The highest recorded value was 18.9% in 2020.
- What is the lowest share of women using contraceptives recorded in Gambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.0% in 2013.
- How does Gambia rank for share of women using contraceptives?
- Gambia ranks 108th out of 116 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of women using contraceptives rising or falling in Gambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 42.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Gambia data come from?
- The figures come from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), and UN Population Division, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of women using contraceptives. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 7 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Contraceptive prevalence rate is the percentage of women who are practicing, or whose sexual partners are practicing, any form of contraception. It is usually measured for women ages 15-49 who are married or in union.