Banjul, 4 August 2026: The 2025 Gambia Human Development Report has highlighted significant progress in health, education, youth development and social inclusion, while also identifying areas requiring continued attention as the country seeks to accelerate human development.
The report notes that life expectancy in The Gambia has increased from 56.9 years to 62.9 years, while access to basic education has reached near-universal levels.
It attributes these gains to sustained national efforts and partnerships in implementing the country’s development plans.
The report also highlights the Government’s Recovery-Focused National Development Plan (RF-NDP), which followed the 2017–2021 National Development Plan. The RF-NDP focuses on economic recovery, green growth, resilience, climate adaptation, digitalisation, human capital development and greater inclusion of young people, women and persons with disabilities.
Employment creation is identified as another key area of focus. In 2023, the Government launched the National Employment Policy and Action Plan, which targets the creation of 150,000 jobs over five years.
According to the report, the policy seeks to align skills development with labour-market demands while promoting entrepreneurship, access to finance, rural economic development and the formalisation of the informal sector.
The report also points to increased institutional support for youth development. The National Youth Council operates across all seven administrative regions and 53 districts, while youth development centres, national youth conferences and festivals provide platforms for young Gambians to participate in national development.
Targeted training programmes in sectors including agriculture and tourism have also been identified as part of efforts to expand opportunities for young people.
On social inclusion, the report highlights the adoption of the National Gender Policy 2025–2034 and the Women’s Enterprise Fund Act, which supports women entrepreneurs.
It also references the Persons with Disabilities Act of 2021, which establishes principles of non-discrimination, accessibility, equality of opportunity and inclusion for persons with disabilities.
The report further highlights programmes aimed at supporting vulnerable groups. Approximately 6,000 girls and women have reportedly received assistance to return to school following childbirth, while initiatives providing digital, technical and entrepreneurial skills are creating additional pathways into education and employment.
The report was prepared with financial and technical support from the Government of The Gambia and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). It also recognises the contribution of the Gambia Bureau of Statistics in facilitating access to data and providing technical support.
The report concludes that while The Gambia continues to face significant development challenges, progress in health, education, employment, youth development and social inclusion provides an important foundation for advancing human development.
It underscores the need to consolidate existing gains, address remaining development gaps and ensure that the benefits of development reach communities across the country.
Gambia News Agency
