Current account balance in Gambia
Gambia: Current account balance was -4.1% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Current account balance in Gambia, 1978–2024
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for current account balance in Gambia is -4.1%, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 17.7% on the previous year and up 39.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, current account balance in Gambia peaked at 12.1% in 1988 and was at its lowest, -37.6%, in 1980.
That places Gambia 136th out of 200 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Current account balance in Gambia, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | -27.3% | — |
| 1979 | -17.9% | -34.6% |
| 1980 | -37.6% | +110.0% |
| 1981 | -19.9% | -46.9% |
| 1982 | -9.9% | -50.2% |
| 1983 | -14.8% | +48.8% |
| 1984 | 3.7% | -125.2% |
| 1985 | 3.4% | -8.6% |
| 1986 | 1.7% | -51.1% |
| 1987 | 6.5% | +287.7% |
| 1988 | 12.1% | +87.4% |
| 1989 | 5.5% | -54.9% |
| 1990 | 7.6% | +39.6% |
| 1991 | 1.7% | -77.3% |
| 1992 | 5.3% | +208.5% |
| 1993 | -0.7% | -112.8% |
| 1994 | 1.1% | -258.6% |
| 1995 | -1.0% | -195.4% |
| 1996 | -5.6% | +436.0% |
| 1997 | -2.9% | -48.5% |
| 2003 | 0.5% | -118.9% |
| 2004 | -3.2% | -682.5% |
| 2005 | -4.2% | +33.9% |
| 2006 | -6.2% | +47.4% |
| 2007 | -6.2% | -0.5% |
| 2008 | -0.4% | -93.5% |
| 2009 | 1.9% | -579.6% |
| 2010 | 1.1% | -41.3% |
| 2011 | -7.7% | -776.5% |
| 2012 | -6.6% | -14.5% |
| 2013 | -7.1% | +7.7% |
| 2014 | -6.9% | -2.6% |
| 2015 | -3.9% | -43.3% |
| 2016 | -5.1% | +31.4% |
| 2017 | -6.3% | +23.4% |
| 2018 | -8.1% | +27.7% |
| 2019 | -2.0% | -74.7% |
| 2020 | -4.8% | +133.6% |
| 2021 | -4.3% | -9.7% |
| 2022 | -4.1% | -5.1% |
| 2023 | -5.0% | +23.1% |
| 2024 | -4.1% | -17.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | -22.6% | -27.3% | -17.9% | 2 |
| 1980s | -4.9% | -37.6% | 12.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.7% | -5.6% | 7.6% | 8 |
| 2000s | -2.5% | -6.2% | 1.9% | 7 |
| 2010s | -5.3% | -8.1% | 1.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | -4.5% | -5.0% | -4.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Gambia
- 133 Uzbekistan -3.9% compare
- 134 Burkina Faso -4.0% compare
- 135 Kazakhstan -4.1% compare
- 137 Solomon Islands -4.2% compare
- 138 Madagascar -4.3% compare
- 139 Botswana -4.3% compare
More economy & growth data for Gambia
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 2.69 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 5.02 Percent per annum (2029)
- Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$), per capita 686.38 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current US$), annual growth rate 17.27 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current US$), per unit of GDP 1.37 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current US$), per capita 1,256 current US$ per person (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current LCU), annual growth rate 24.22 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current LCU), per unit of GDP 98.08 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current LCU), per capita 90,142 current LCU per person (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 5.37 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is current account balance in Gambia?
- Current account balance in Gambia was -4.1% in 2024, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest current account balance recorded in Gambia?
- The highest recorded value was 12.1% in 1988.
- What is the lowest current account balance recorded in Gambia?
- The lowest recorded value was -37.6% in 1980.
- How does Gambia rank for current account balance?
- Gambia ranks 136th out of 200 countries with data for 2024.
- Is current account balance rising or falling in Gambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 39.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Gambia data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Current account balance (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Balance of current transactions (transactions in goods and services, earned income and transfer income) between residents and non-residents. The term current account balance is used in the external accounts and is expressed from the perspective of resident units. The term current external balance is used in the national accounts and is expressed from the perspective of the non-resident units, and therefore with the opposite sign. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.