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Hunger · Sub-Saharan Africa

Hunger and malnutrition in The Gambia

18.4Global Hunger Index 2026, rank 82Moderate

18% of people in The Gambia do not get enough to eat, about 494 thousand. 18% of young children are too short for their age, a sign of long-term undernutrition, and 5.1% are dangerously thin. Stunting ranges from 10% in Banjul to 25% in Kuntaur.

18%undernourished (2024, FAO)
47%moderately or severely food insecure (2024)
18%children under 5 stunted (2020)
5.1%children under 5 wasted (2020)
12%children under 5 underweight (2020)
2.1%children under 5 overweight (2020)
52%children 6-59 months anaemic (2019, WHO)
42 per 1,000children who die before age five (2024)

Child stunting by region in The Gambia

Children under five too short for their age, the 2019 Demographic and Health Survey (2019). Survey figures can differ from the UN estimate above, which is modelled across surveys.

  1. 1Kuntaur25%
  2. 2Basse21%
  3. 3Janjanbureh19%
  4. 4Kerewan17%
  5. 5Brikama17%
  6. 6Mansakonko16%
  7. 7Kanifing13%
  8. 8Banjul10%

Global Hunger Index score over time

Out of 100, lower is better. The index rescores past years with the latest data, so these are comparable with each other.

  1. 200029.4
  2. 200625.1
  3. 201221
  4. 201819.3
  5. 202618.4

Undernourishment in The Gambia since 2002

Share of people not getting enough calories, FAO. Each figure is a three-year average centred on the year.

  1. 200219%
  2. 200419%
  3. 200616%
  4. 200812%
  5. 20109.4%
  6. 20129.6%
  7. 201412%
  8. 201613%
  9. 201816%
  10. 202020%
  11. 202220%
  12. 202418%

How The Gambia compares

The Gambia has the 56th highest child stunting of 129 countries with an estimate since 2015. In Sub-Saharan Africa it is 42nd of 47.

Frequently asked questions

What is The Gambia's rank in the Global Hunger Index?

The Gambia ranks 82 in the 2026 Global Hunger Index with a score of 18.4, which the index calls moderate. It scored 29.4 in 2000. The score combines undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting and deaths of children under five.

How many people are hungry in The Gambia?

FAO estimates 18% of people in The Gambia were undernourished in 2024, about 494 thousand people. 47% faced moderate or severe food insecurity (2024).

What percentage of children are stunted in The Gambia?

18% of children under five in The Gambia were stunted in 2020, which WHO rates medium. 5.1% were wasted (2020). That ranks The Gambia 56 of 129 countries with an estimate since 2015, highest first.

Which region of The Gambia has the most malnutrition?

In the 2019 Demographic and Health Survey, Kuntaur had the highest share of stunted children, 25%, and Banjul the lowest, 10%.

Sources: FAO (undernourishment, food insecurity), UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Joint Malnutrition Estimates (stunting, wasting, underweight, overweight), WHO (anaemia) and UN IGME (child deaths), as published by the World Bank; Global Hunger Index 2026; regions from the DHS Program (GM2019DHS).

Hunger in other countries of Sub-Saharan Africa

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