About seven in 10 Gambians have considered emigrating, with the proportion of citizens
who have given it “a lot” of thought almost doubling since 2018, a new Afrobarometer
survey shows.
The most common reasons cited by potential migrants are the desire to escape economic
hardship and the search for work opportunities.
Those who are most likely to emigrate are young adults, part-time workers, unemployed
individuals, and those with post-secondary education. North America and Europe are the
most popular destinations for citizens considering migration.
As the world observes International Migrants Day (18 December), the Gambia and other
African countries contend with “brain drain,” high-risk irregular migration, and other
emigration-related challenges while also benefiting from remittances by citizens working
abroad.
Key findings
▪ More than two-thirds (68%) of Gambians say they have considered leaving their
country, a 12-percentage-point increase compared to 2018 (56%) (Figure 1). The
share of citizens who say they have given “a lot” of thought to emigration has almost
doubled, from 29% to 53%.
▪ Thoughts of emigrating are most common among part-time workers (83%),
unemployed citizens (80%), and those with post-secondary education (81%)
(Figure 2).
o Young adults (75% of those aged 18-35) are more likely than older cohorts (37%-
70%) to consider emigrating.
▪ Among those who have considered emigrating, three in 10 (30%) cite the desire to
escape economic hardship or poverty, while a similar proportion points to the search
for work opportunities (28%) (Figure 3).
▪ The most popular destinations for potential emigrants are North America (30%) and
Europe (28%) (Figure 4).
Afrobarometer surveys
Afrobarometer is a pan-African, non-partisan survey research network that provides reliable
data on African experiences and evaluations of democracy, governance, and quality of life.
Nine survey rounds in up to 42 countries have been completed since 1999. Round 10 was
launched in January 2024. Afro barometer’s national partners conduct face-to-face
interviews in the language of the respondent’s choice.
The Afrobarometer team in the Gambia, led by the Center for Research and Policy
Development interviewed a nationally representative sample of 1,200 adult Gambians in
Copyright ©Afrobarometer 2024
Economic challenges push more Gambians to consider
emigration, new Afrobarometer study finds
About seven in 10 Gambians have considered emigrating, with the proportion of citizens
who have given it “a lot” of thought almost doubling since 2018, a new Afrobarometer
survey shows.
The most common reasons cited by potential migrants are the desire to escape economic
hardship and the search for work opportunities.
Those who are most likely to emigrate are young adults, part-time workers, unemployed
individuals, and those with post-secondary education. North America and Europe are the
most popular destinations for citizens considering migration.
As the world observes International Migrants Day (18 December), the Gambia and other
African countries contend with “brain drain,” high-risk irregular migration, and other
emigration-related challenges while also benefiting from remittances by citizens working
abroad.
Key findings
▪ More than two-thirds (68%) of Gambians say they have considered leaving their
country, a 12-percentage-point increase compared to 2018 (56%) (Figure 1). The
share of citizens who say they have given “a lot” of thought to emigration has almost
doubled, from 29% to 53%.
▪ Thoughts of emigrating are most common among part-time workers (83%),
unemployed citizens (80%), and those with post-secondary education (81%)
(Figure 2).
o Young adults (75% of those aged 18-35) are more likely than older cohorts (37%-
70%) to consider emigrating.
▪ Among those who have considered emigrating, three in 10 (30%) cite the desire to
escape economic hardship or poverty, while a similar proportion points to the search
for work opportunities (28%) (Figure 3).
▪ The most popular destinations for potential emigrants are North America (30%) and
Europe (28%) (Figure 4).
Afrobarometer surveys
Afrobarometer is a pan-African, non-partisan survey research network that provides reliable
data on African experiences and evaluations of democracy, governance, and quality of life.
Nine survey rounds in up to 42 countries have been completed since 1999. Round 10 was
launched in January 2024. Afro barometer’s national partners conduct face-to-face
interviews in the language of the respondent’s choice.
The Afrobarometer team in the Gambia, led by the Center for Research and Policy
Development interviewed a nationally representative sample of 1,200 adult Gambians in April-May 2024. A sample of this size yields country-level results with a margin of error of +/-3
percentage points at a 95% confidence level. Previous surveys were conducted in the
Gambia in 2018, 2021, and 2022.
