In 2023, electricity consumption in Gambia was about **190 kWh per person**, compared with the global average of about **3,800 kWh per person**—just 5% of the global level. The supplied figures record zero low-carbon electricity generation per person, but do not provide a breakdown of fossil-fuel electricity or imports, so the consumption mix cannot be established precisely. Such low electricity availability can constrain healthcare, education, refrigeration and business activity, while limiting opportunities for electrification and digital services. Expanding clean electricity would help meet these needs without increasing the climate and air-pollution impacts of fossil fuels.

Is Electricity Growing in Gambia?

The latest figures do not show electricity consumption reaching a new high. Consumption in 2023 was **189 kWh per person**, about 5 kWh, or 3%, below the previous record of 194 kWh in 2021. This shortfall is concerning given Gambia’s already low consumption, although these two figures alone do not establish a continuous decline. Low-carbon generation also shows no progress against its recorded benchmark: the 2023 figure and the previous record in 2000 were both zero kWh per person. Greater growth in clean electricity is needed to support development and future demand.

Suggestions

Gambia should prioritize solar electricity through grid-connected projects, rooftop systems and local mini-grids, supported by storage and stronger electricity networks. Useful African examples include **South Africa**, with about 20 TWh of solar generation and 12 TWh each from wind and nuclear. Other relevant places include Pakistan, with about 41 TWh of solar electricity, and India, with about 192 TWh, demonstrating the substantial contribution solar can make in sunny settings. Gambia could also assess suitable wind locations and learn from South Africa’s experience. For dependable low-carbon supply over the longer term, it should consider nuclear opportunities through regional cooperation and electricity trade, drawing lessons from France’s roughly 379 TWh of nuclear generation and South Africa’s nuclear experience, while tailoring any plans to local electricity needs.

History

The supplied historical information is limited: no year-by-year changes in low-carbon electricity generation appear after the history prompt. The only historical benchmark provided is zero kWh per person in 2000, matched again in 2023. These endpoints show no recorded improvement between the benchmark and the latest figure, but they do not establish what happened in every intervening year or support a decade-by-decade account. The clear priority is to move beyond this zero-generation benchmark by developing a growing supply of clean electricity, especially solar, alongside consideration of nuclear through appropriate national or regional pathways.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade