Country profile
Gambia
Republic of The Gambia
Africa · Sub-Saharan Africa
GM · GMB
- Capital
- Banjul
- Population
- 2,422,712
- Area
- 10,689 km²
- Democracy index
- 55
- Regime type
- Hybrid Regime
Events
Ballots from Gambia
The latest elections, referendums, and opinion polls from Gambia. Community totals are not official results.
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Classification
Democracy profile
The score and regime label are assigned by Porto Voto using our in-house democracy index and classification framework, not ratings from governments or external agencies.
Democracy index
55/100
Regime type
Hybrid Regime
The Gambia has made significant progress in transitioning away from the authoritarian structures that dominated its politics for decades, with a current system defined by competitive, albeit strained, electoral processes. Recent years have seen the reemergence of a vibrant civil society and a press that functions with more freedom than in the past, yet the political environment remains influenced by a strong executive and concerns about the slow pace of institutional reforms, particularly regarding security sector oversight and the lingering influence of partisan loyalties. While elections are widely viewed as credible, the administration frequently struggles with administrative inefficiency and the challenge of balancing popular demands with the need for deep, systematic legal corrections. The country remains a hybrid regime where democratic gains are tangible but not yet fully consolidated, as the government continues to work within a framework that requires more robust judicial independence and transparent governance to ensure long-term stability.
Last evaluation:
How we classify regimes →World Factbook
Country background
A concise introduction to Gambia, together with notes on how power and law are organized, to put local ballots in context.
In the 10th century, Muslim merchants established some of The Gambia’s earliest large settlements as trans-Saharan trade hubs. These settlements eventually grew into major export centers sending slaves, gold, and ivory across the Sahara. Between the 16th and 17th centuries, European colonial powers began establishing trade with The Gambia.
In 1664, the United Kingdom established a colony in The Gambia focused on exporting enslaved people across the Atlantic. During the roughly 300 years of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, the UK and other European powers may have exported as many as 3 million people from The Gambia. The Gambia gained its independence from the UK in 1965.
Geographically surrounded by Senegal, it formed the short-lived confederation of Senegambia between 1982 and 1989. In 1994, Yahya JAMMEH led a military coup overthrowing the president and banning political activity. He subsequently won every presidential election until 2016, when he lost to Adama BARROW, who headed an opposition coalition during free and fair elections.
BARROW won reelection in 2021. The Gambia is the only member of the Economic Community of West African States that does not have presidential term limits. Since the 2016 election, The Gambia and the US have enjoyed improved relations.
US assistance to the country has supported democracy-strengthening activities, capacity building, economic development, and security sector education and training programs.