The Gambia


The Gambia Country Report: GDP data and GDP forecasts; economic, financial and trade information; the best banks in The Gambia; country and population overview

DATA ON GDP AND ECONOMIC INFORMATION
Central bankCentral Bank of The Gambia
International ReservesUS$ 201.628 million (Source: World Bank; Data updated: November 2010)
Gross Domestic Product - GDPUS$ 1.144 billion (2009 estimate)
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)3.726 billion of International dollars (2009 estimate)
Real GDP growth
20002001200220032004200520062007
5.5%5.8%-3.2%6.9%7%0.3%3.4%6%
2008200920102011*
6.3%6.7%5.7%5.5%

*Estimate

GDP per capita - current pricesUS$ 639 (2009 estimate)
GDP per capita - PPP$2,081 International Dollars (2009 estimate)
GDP (PPP) - share of world total
19801990200020102015**
0%0%0%0.01%0.01%

**Forecast

GDP - composition by sector
  • agriculture: 30.4% 
  • industry: 14.3% 
  • services: 55.3% (2009 estimate)

    • (Data released on November 2010)

Gross domestic expenditure on R&D (% of GDP)N/A

(Data released on November 2010)

Inflation
2008200920102011*
4.5%(2008)4.6%5%5.9%

*Estimate

Unemployment rate
2008200920102011*
N/AN/AN/A(2009)N/A

*Estimate

Household saving ratesN/A

(Data released on November 2010)

Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP)
20072008200920102011*
56.7%63.1%57%57.4%55.5%

*Estimate

Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP)
2007200820092010*2011**
0.5%-1.3%-2.9%-2.8%-2.5%

*Estimate    **Forecast

Government bond ratings

Standard & Poor's: N/A

Moody's rating: N/A

Moody's outlook: N/A

(Foreign Currency Government Bond Ratings; Data last updated Nov 2010)

Market value of publicly traded shares
200720082009
N/AN/AN/A
Largest companies in The GambiaN/A
DATA ON TRADE AND COMPETITIVENESS
Current account balanceUS$ -0.1 billion (2009 estimate)(After 2008)
Current account balance by percentage of GDP-12% of GDP (2009 estimate)(2009)
Exports as percent of GDP

(Exports of goods and services)

30.4% (2009)

(Data released on December 2010)

Shares in world total merchandising export0%(2007)

(Data were released in Nov 2011 and refer to 2010)

Shares in world total commercial services export0%(2007)

(Data were released in Nov 2011 and refer to 2010)

Total exportsUS$107 million f.o.b. (2010 estimate)
Export commoditiespeanut products, fish, cotton lint, palm kernels, re-exports
Total importsUS$301 million f.o.b. (2008 estimate)
Import commoditiesfoodstuffs, manufactures, fuel, machinery and transport equipment
Exports - major partnersIndia 37.7%, China 17.5%, UK 8.7%, France 5.1%, Belgium 4.2% (2007)
Imports - major partnersChina 23.7%, Senegal 11.5%, Cote d'Ivoire 8.3%, Brazil 8%, Netherlands 5.2% (2007)
FDI inflows
200820092010
US$70 millionUS$47 million(2009)US$37 million(2009)
FDI outflows
200820092010
N/AN/AN/A
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser
2008200920102011
N/AN/A(2009)N/A(2009)N/A
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2008

(Acquiring company, Acquired company, Country of the acquired company, Value of the deal)

N/A

(for a monthly update on M&A click here )

Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2010

(Acquiring company, Acquired company, Country of the acquired company, Value of the deal)

N/A(2008 estimate)

(for a monthly update on M&A click here )

Best countries for doing business

World Bank/IFC Doing Business Project

(Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business, from 1 – 183. A high ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.)

Overall ranking: 146 out of 183 countries(2009) (2010)

Subcategories:

Starting a business: 115 out of 183 countries(2009)

Registering property: 121 out of 183 countries

Paying Taxes: 176 out of 183 countries

Getting credit: 138 out of 183 countries

Protecting investors: 173 out of 183 countries

Trading across border: 87 out of 183 countries

Enforcing Contracts: 67 out of 183 countries

(2010)

Global competitiveness ranking
(ranking by country on a basis of 142, the first is the best)		99

(2011/2012)

Index of Economic Freedom

WSJ and Heritage Foundation

Ranking: 105 Score: 57.4 (Mostly Unfree) (2009)

(100=totally free 0=totally repressed )

COUNTRY AND POPULATION OVERVIEW
Time zoneUTC 0
Total area 11,295 km2 (2006)
CapitalBanjul (2009)
Currencydalasis (GMD) (2009)
Government typerepublic (2009)
LanguagesEnglish (official), Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, other indigenous vernaculars
ReligionsMuslim 90%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs 2%
Total population
1980199020002010*2015**
0.6 million0.91 million1.33 million1.72 million1.95 million

*Estimate    **Forecast

Urban population as % of total population
1960198020002009
12.1%28.4%49.1%57.3%
Population median age20.0 years (2006)
Population growth rate2.7% (2009)
Life expectancy59 years (2007)
Adult literacyN/A
% of population living on less than $2 a day56.7% (2011)
Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index)

47.3 (2003)

(0=perfect equality, 100=absolute inequality)

Freedom House rating

Political Rights:5
Civil Liberties:5 (2010)

(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free)

Total telephone subscribers as % of population

88.36% (2010)

(sum of fixed telephone lines and mobile cellular subscribers)

Internet users as % of total population9.2% (Data were released in 2011 and refer to 2010)
Cost of living index

(ranking by city on a basis of 214; the 1st is the most expensive and the 214th is the least expensive)

Banjul: 176th (2011)

CO2 emissions
(Metric tons of CO2 per capita)

0.2476 (2008)

GLOBAL FINANCE RANKINGS AND AWARDS

WORLD'S BEST FOREIGN EXCHANGE BANKS

2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Standard Chartered Bank Gambia (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Standard Chartered Gambia (National, 2009)

WORLD'S BEST EMERGING MARKET BANKS

2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Standard Chartered Bank Gambia (National, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Standard Chartered Bank Gambia (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Trust Bank (National, 2009)

WORLD'S BEST FOREIGN EXCHANGE PROVIDERS

2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Standard Chartered Bank Gambia (National, 2011)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Standard Chartered (National, 2011)
ARTICLES AND COUNTRIES REPORTS FROM GLOBAL FINANCE ARCHIVE