Gabon

Sub-Saharan Africa·Upper middle income

Population: 2.48M; 143rd of 217
GDP: $20.9B; 127th of 214 · 2024
GDP per capita: $8,219; 112th of 214 · 2024
Life expectancy: 68.3; 164th of 217
Human development: 0.706; 110th of 189 · 2021

Benchmarked against

Gabon

Botswana

Equatorial Guinea

South Africa

Mauritius

Default peers are drawn from region, income, and bloc membership — swap in any country you like. The gray tick on each strip is the world median.

natural-resource-rich, upper-middle-income, Central African economy; significant reliance on oil and mineral exports; highly urbanized population; high levels of poverty and unemployment; uncertainty on institutional and development reform progress following 2023 military coup

Area: 267,667 km²
Languages: French (official), Fang, Myene, Nzebi, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi
Resources: petroleum, natural gas, diamond, niobium, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore…
Borders: Cameroon; Republic of the Congo 2,567 km; Equatorial Guinea

Religion

who identifies with what, 2020

world view →

Christian83.7%▼ 2.3pt
Muslim8.6%▲ 3.2pt
Unaffiliated5.8%▼ 2.0pt
Other1.9%▲ 1.1pt

Religious diversity: 3.36 / 10 · moderate · 89th of 193

Change markers show percentage-point shifts from 2010 to 2020 · Pew Research Center, Religious Composition 2010–2020.

Score card

quartile grades among all countries with data

A · Top quartileB · Above medianC · Below medianD · Bottom quartile

Topic

GAB

BWA

GNQ

ZAF

GDP

current US$

$20.9B–––

GDP per capita

current US$

–––

GDP per capita, PPP

international $

–––

GDP growth

annual %

–––

GNI per capita

Atlas method, US$

–––

Inflation

GDP deflator, annual %

–––

FDI inflows

current US$

$1.15B–––

Merchandise trade

% of GDP

81.9%–––

Agriculture value added

% of GDP

6.2%–––

Industry value added

% of GDP

50.9%–––

Unemployment

% of labor force

–––

Gini index

0–100

–––

Extreme poverty

% below $2.15/day

–––

GDP per capita, long run

2011 int'l $

–––

Human capital index

PWT, schooling × returns

–––

Annual hours worked

hours per worker

2,174.2–––

Labor share of GDP

share, 0–1

0.275–––

Total factor productivity

level, US = 1

–––

Population

people

2.48M–––

Population density

people per km²

9.4–––

Urban population

% of total

91%–––

Life expectancy

years at birth

–––

Fertility rate

births per woman

3.6–––

Net migration

people

1,105–––

Population under 15

% of total

36.5%–––

Population 65+

% of total

4.1%–––

Infant mortality

per 1,000 live births

–––

Under-5 mortality

per 1,000 live births

–––

Health expenditure

% of GDP

2.9%–––

Physicians

per 1,000 people

–––

Adult literacy

% ages 15+

–––

Education expenditure

% of GDP

2.2%–––

Tertiary enrollment

% gross

–––

Internet users

% of population

–––

Mobile subscriptions

per 100 people

–––

Fixed broadband

per 100 people

–––

Secure internet servers

per 1M people

–––

Access to electricity

% of population

–––

Energy use per capita

kWh

6,477.3–––

Electricity per capita

kWh

1,283.8–––

Electricity generation

TWh

3.2–––

Renewable electricity

% of generation

–––

Fossil electricity

% of generation

–––

CO₂ emissions

Mt per year

–––

CO₂ per capita

t per person

–––

Share of global CO₂

0%–––

GHG per capita

t CO₂e per person

–––

Top 1% income share

% of pre-tax income

–––

Top 10% income share

% of pre-tax income

–––

Bottom 50% income share

% of pre-tax income

–––

Top 1% wealth share

% of net wealth

–––

Gini, pre-tax income

0–1

–––

Electoral democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Liberal democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Civil liberties

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Political corruption

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Academic freedom

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Corruption perceptions

CPI, 0–100

–––

Control of corruption

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Government effectiveness

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Rule of law

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Political stability

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Women's political empowerment

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Religious diversity

Pew RDI, 0–10

3.36–––

Religiously unaffiliated

% of population

5.8%–––

Human Development Index

UNDP, 0–1

–––

Gender inequality

GII, 0–1

–––

Happiness

Cantril ladder, 0–10

–––

Global Peace Index

1–5

–––

Military expenditure

% of GDP

1.2%–––

Economy & Trade

Output, growth, prices, and openness

theme overview →

GDP

current US$

#127/214

$20.9B2024

GDP per capita

current US$

#112/214

$8,2192024

GDP per capita, PPP

international $

#97/203

$20,757latest

GDP growth

annual %

#102/214

3.4%2024

GNI per capita

Atlas method, US$

#107/207

$7,5502024

Inflation

GDP deflator, annual %

#25/213

0.6%2024

FDI inflows

current US$

#87/201

$1.15B2023

Merchandise trade

% of GDP

#46/205

81.9%2024

Agriculture value added

% of GDP

#101/206

6.2%2024

Industry value added

% of GDP

#8/208

50.9%2024

Unemployment

% of labor force

#182/187

20.3%latest

Gini index

0–100

#105/168

38latest

Extreme poverty

% below $2.15/day

#90/168

3.8%latest

GDP per capita, long run

2011 int'l $

#71/165

$15,7212022

Human capital index

PWT, schooling × returns

#58/144

3.042023

Annual hours worked

hours per worker

#35/129

2,174.22023

Labor share of GDP

share, 0–1

#134/139

0.2752023

Total factor productivity

level, US = 1

#24/119

0.8432023

People & Society

Population structure, urbanization, and migration

theme overview →

Population

people

#143/217

2.48Mlatest

Population density

people per km²

#202/216

9.4latest

Urban population

% of total

#28/215

91%latest

Life expectancy

years at birth

#164/217

68.3latest

Fertility rate

births per woman

#40/217

3.6latest

Net migration

people

#67/217

1,1052024

Population under 15

% of total

#49/217

36.5%2024

Population 65+

% of total

#163/217

4.1%2024

Health & Education

Longevity, mortality, learning, and public spending

theme overview →

Infant mortality

per 1,000 live births

#142/196

26.5latest

Under-5 mortality

per 1,000 live births

#141/196

33.2latest

Health expenditure

% of GDP

#181/192

2.9%latest

Physicians

per 1,000 people

#144/195

0.5latest

Adult literacy

% ages 15+

#107/160

85.7%latest

Education expenditure

% of GDP

#175/199

2.2%latest

Tertiary enrollment

% gross

#148/194

14.7%latest

Connectivity

Internet, mobile, and digital infrastructure

theme overview →

Internet users

% of population

#131/210

71.9%latest

Mobile subscriptions

per 100 people

#84/214

122.62023

Fixed broadband

per 100 people

#142/208

42023

Secure internet servers

per 1M people

#171/215

872024

Access to electricity

% of population

#157/215

94.1%latest

Energy & Climate

Energy use, electricity mix, and emissions

theme overview →

Energy use per capita

kWh

#132/198

6,477.32023

Electricity per capita

kWh

#127/202

1,283.82023

Electricity generation

TWh

#134/202

3.22023

Renewable electricity

% of generation

#69/202

48%2023

Fossil electricity

% of generation

#79/202

52%2023

CO₂ emissions

Mt per year

#72/204

5.42024

CO₂ per capita

t per person

#83/204

2.12024

Share of global CO₂

#134/204

0%2024

GHG per capita

t CO₂e per person

#158/193

102023

Inequality

Who gets what — top and bottom shares of income and wealth, from tax data and national accounts

theme overview →

Top 1% income share

% of pre-tax income

#32/210

0.1%2024

Top 10% income share

% of pre-tax income

#76/210

0.4%2024

Bottom 50% income share

% of pre-tax income

#112/210

0.1%2024

Top 1% wealth share

% of net wealth

#55/210

0.2%2024

Gini, pre-tax income

0–1

#85/210

0.5592024

Governance & Democracy

Democratic institutions, corruption, and rule of law

theme overview →

Electoral democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

#114/175

0.3022025

Liberal democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

#111/175

0.1782025

Civil liberties

V-Dem, 0–1

#81/175

0.7882025

Political corruption

V-Dem, 0–1

#124/175

0.722025

Academic freedom

V-Dem, 0–1

#110/175

0.4282025

Corruption perceptions

CPI, 0–100

#134/178

292022

Control of corruption

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#159/193

-1.052022

Government effectiveness

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#142/193

-0.7262022

Rule of law

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#146/193

-0.8412022

Political stability

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#90/193

0.06992022

Women's political empowerment

V-Dem, 0–1

#79/175

0.7982025

Values & Beliefs

What people hold sacred, permit, and pass on — from 40 years of World Values Survey interviews

theme overview →

Religious diversity

Pew RDI, 0–10

#89/193

3.362020

Religiously unaffiliated

% of population

#85/193

5.8%2020

Development & Wellbeing

Composite measures of how life is going

theme overview →

Human Development Index

UNDP, 0–1

#110/189

0.7062021

Gender inequality

GII, 0–1

#140/170

0.5412021

Happiness

Cantril ladder, 0–10

#103/164

5.172025

Global Peace Index

1–5

#90/158

2.072023

Military expenditure

% of GDP

#115/161

1.2%latest

Explore any measure in depth on its own page — try GDP per capita or electoral democracy.