Healthcare Spending: Gambia, The

Analysis# Gambia, The Healthcare Spending Gambia's healthcare spending stood at 2.893% of GDP in 2023, representing a historic low for the country. This figure marks a dramatic 73.2% decline from the peak of 10.785% in 2000, when healthcare commanded a substantially larger share of national resources. The current spending level sits at the bottom of the entire 23-year measurement period, signaling a fundamental shift in how Gambia allocates its budgetary priorities. The most striking trend emerged around 2020, when healthcare spending spiked to 4.014% of GDP—likely reflecting pandemic-related pressures. That uptick proved temporary; spending contracted sharply over the subsequent three years, falling below pre-pandemic levels by 2023. The consistent downward trajectory since 2000 suggests persistently constrained healthcare investment, with only brief interruptions from emergency health crises.