World Sites & Apps
Africa · #150 · 2025–2026

Gambia: internet and everyday apps

Gambia has about 1.2 million people online — a penetration rate of 42.9% and rank #150 worldwide. This page walks through the local digital scene, the app categories people lean on, and 10 apps worth knowing.

Internet users 1.2 million Penetration 42.9% World rank #150 Updated 2026-11-12
TL;DR
  • Gambia has roughly 1.2 million internet users (1,200,000 people) — about 42.9% of the population and rank #150 globally.
  • The apps people open most: WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube. They cover Messaging, Social, Video, Shopping, Mobility, News, Payments, Banking and more.
  • The one to know first: WhatsApp — The most widely used messenger on earth.

Gambia in numbers

2025–2026
Internet users
1.2 million1,200,000 · #150
Penetration
42.9%#179
Population
2.8 million2,800,000 · #141
GDP
$2B#190
GDP growth
+5.6%#32
GDP per person
$857#206
Land area
10.7k km²#164
Capital
Banjul
Region
Africa
Official languages
English

How Gambia goes online

Banjul's daily chat is WhatsApp, with Facebook close behind for news, wedding photos and the sort of argument that spills into every family group. Africell and the state-backed Gamcel both sell SIMs and bundles, and Africell Money handles transfers for a growing share of people. In the tourist season the whole network feels busier, as visitors and seasonal workers add to the load. For many households, the cost of a data bundle is still the deciding factor in how much of this happens.

Around 42.9%. With a population of about 2.8 million and 1.2 million online, roughly 1.6 million people are still offline — mostly because of rural coverage, device cost and age.

All 10 apps below are grouped by category.

What people actually use

10 Most-used apps

Messaging

1 Most-used apps →
WhatsApp Messaging · Meta · 2009

Social

2 Most-used apps →
Facebook Social · Meta · 2004 Instagram Social · Meta · 2010

Video

2 Most-used apps →
YouTube Video · Google · 2005 TikTok Video · ByteDance · 2016

Shopping

1 Most-used apps →
Jumia Shopping · Jumia Technologies · 2012

Mobility

1 Most-used apps →
inDrive Mobility · inDrive · 2012

News

1 Most-used apps →
BBC News · BBC（英国公共广播机构） · 1997

Payments

1 Most-used apps →
Wave Payments · Wave Mobile Money · 2018

Banking

1 Most-used apps →
GTBank Banking · Guaranty Trust Holding · 1990

Websites people in Gambia actually use

8

The 8 sites locals open most often — news, shopping, search, banking and government services. Every link goes to the official site.

News2Telecom2Government1Banking1Education1Transport1
The PointNewsthepoint.gmThe Point is the paper everyone in Banjul quotes. The StandardNewsstandard.gmThe Standard kept reporting through the worst years, so I trust it. GamtelTelecomgamtel.gmThe landline and the home internet are Gamtel, and when the line drops in Serrekunda the site is where I find the numbers and the top-up options. Africell GambiaTelecomafricell.gmThe largest mobile network. Gambia Revenue AuthorityGovernmentgra.gmClearing goods at the port or filing my turnover tax means the GRA, and the site has the rates and forms before you join the queue at the counter. Central Bank of The GambiaBankingcbg.gmThe central bank and the dalasi. University of The GambiaEducationutg.edu.gmThe country’s only university. Gambia Ports AuthorityTransportgamport.comThe port of Banjul, and the river wharves.

2808 websites →

Frequently asked questions

6 Q&A
How many people in Gambia are online?

About 1.2 million (1,200,000 people). That works out to roughly 42.9% of the population, which puts Gambia at #150 in the world for total internet users. Figures come from DataReportal’s Digital 2026, which draws on ITU and national statistics.

Which apps do people in Gambia use most?

Mostly WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube — they cover Messaging, Social, Video, Shopping, Mobility, News, Payments, Banking. The full list, grouped by category, is further down this page.

What is the leading Messaging app in Gambia?

WhatsApp dominate this space. The best-known is WhatsApp — The most widely used messenger on earth.

How high is internet penetration in Gambia?

Around 42.9%. With a population of about 2.8 million and 1.2 million online, roughly 1.6 million people are still offline — mostly because of rural coverage, device cost and age.

Where do these app facts come from?

Usage figures come from DataReportal’s Digital 2026 (Kepios, based on ITU and national statistics); app details come from each product’s official site. Updated 2026-11-12.

Which websites are most popular in Gambia?

The everyday ones are The Point, The Standard, Gamtel, plus the other 8 sites listed above. They cover news, shopping, search, banking and official paperwork, and every link points to the official site.

Sources

Updated 2026-11-12
Cite this pageWorld Sites & Apps. “Gambia: internet and everyday apps”. 2026. https://abcvv.com/c/gm.html