Basse: population, jobs, poverty, health and schooling

Basse is a local government area of the Gambia, number 3 of 8 by population. Basse local government area had 261,160 residents at the 2024 Population and Housing Census (preliminary results), 10.8% of The Gambia's 2,422,712; it is the 3rd largest of the 8 local government areas.

In depth

• Economy, jobs and prices in Basse: 10.7% of the labour force aged 15 and over in Basse was unemployed in the first quarter of 2026, the 2nd highest rate of the 8 areas (The Gambia: 6.2%); a year earlier the rate was 4.2%.
• Health in Basse: 74.7% of births in Basse in the five years before the 2019-20 survey took place in a health facility, the 3rd lowest share of the 8 areas (The Gambia: 83.7%).
• Education in Basse: 74.1% of children of primary-school age (7-12) in Basse were attending primary school in 2019-20, the 4th lowest net attendance of the 8 areas (The Gambia: 74.1%).
• Poverty and living standards in Basse: 71.1% of people in Basse lived below the national poverty line in 2020, the 3rd highest poverty rate of the 8 areas (The Gambia: 53.4%); in 2015/16 the rate was 59.4%.

How local government areas are governed in the Gambia

Administrative regions (5) and the 2 municipalities. Regional governor appointed by the president. Represents central government and supervises chiefs.

Every tier of government in the Gambia

Other local government areas of the Gambia

• Brikama 1,151,128
• Kanifing 379,348
• Kerewan 248,475
• Janjanbureh 147,412
• Kuntaur 118,104
• Mansakonko 90,624
• Banjul 26,461

Up a level: the Gambia · government and power in the Gambia

Sources

• Gambia Bureau of Statistics and Ministry of Health (with ICF): The Gambia Demographic and Health Survey 2019-20, Final Report (tables by Local Government Area), read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 bbe8f65f5280…)
• Gambia Bureau of Statistics: Integrated Household Survey 2020, Volume II: Prevalence and Depth of Poverty (Tables 13, 18, 19, 20 and 21 by LGA), read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 87b8e1aa0542…)
• Gambia Bureau of Statistics: The Gambia Labour Force Survey 2026 (Q1) Findings Report (Tables 0.3, 0.4, 2.3 and the child labour table by LGA), read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 cec405f9bf4c…)
• Gambia Bureau of Statistics: The Gambia 2024 Population and Housing Census, Preliminary Report (Tables 2, 3, 5, 11 and 12 by LGA), read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 4277026e8648…)

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