National Identity
- Official name
- Gabonese Republic
- Official name (in French)
- République Gabonaise
- Name etymology
name originates from the Portuguese word gabão, meaning "cloak," possibly used by early explorers to describe the shape of the Komo River estuary
Sources:- Constitution of the Gabonese Republic ↗ - Official Gazette of the Gabonese Republic
- The World Factbook: Gabon - CIA
- Coat of arms
- National flag
- National anthem
- La Concorde1:45
- Title (in French)
- La Concorde
- Title (in English, translated)
- The Concord
- Lyrics
ChorusUni dans la Concorde et la fraternité Eveille-toi Gabon, une aurore se lève, Encourage l’ardeur qui vibre et nous soulève! C’est enfin notre essor vers la félicité. C’est enfin notre essor vers la félicité.
1Eblouissant et fier, le jour sublime monte Pourchassant à jamais l’injustice et la honte. Qu’il monte, monte encore et calme nos alarmes, Qu’il prône la vertu et repousse les armes.
Uni dans la Concorde et la fraternité2Oui que le temps heureux rêvé par nos ancêtres Arrive enfin chez nous, rejouisse les êtres, Et chasse les sorciers, ces perfides trompeurs. Qui semaient le poison et répandaient la peur.
Uni dans la Concorde et la fraternité3Afin qu’aux yeux du monde et des nations amies Le Gabon immortel reste digne d’envie, Oublion nos querelles, emsemble bâtissons L’édifice nouveau au quel tous nous rêvons.
Uni dans la Concorde et la fraternité4Des bords de l’Ocean au cœur de la forêt, Demeurons vigilants, sans faiblesse et sans haine! Autour de ce drapeau, qui vers l’honneurs nous mène, Saluons la Patrie et chantons sans arrêt!
Uni dans la Concorde et la fraternitéSource: - Citizens
- Gabonese
- Official name:Constitution of the Gabonese Republic ↗ - Official Gazette of the Gabonese Republic
- Official name, Citizens:The World Factbook: Gabon - CIA
- National anthem:nationalanthems.info ↗
Geography
- Location
- Central Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea
- Total area
- 267,667 km²
- Land area
- 257,667 km²
- Water area
- 10,000 km²
- Land borders
- 3,261 km(3 countries)
- Republic of the Congo
- 2,567 km
- Cameroon
- 349 km
- Equatorial Guinea
- 345 km
Source:- The World Factbook: Gabon - CIA
- Coastline
- 885 km
- Terrain
Narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south - Mean elevation
- 377 m
- Highest point
- 1,050 mMont Bengoue
- Lowest point
- 0 mAtlantic Ocean
- Climate
Tropical always hot, humid - Avg. temperature
- 24.6 °C
- Avg. daily range
- 21.5 to 29.1 °C
- Annual precipitation
- 2,041 mm
Temperature °CMeanDaily rangePrecipitation mmMonthly climate normals Month Avg. high, °C Mean, °C Avg. low, °C Precipitation, mm January 29.8 25 21.7 193 February 30.3 25.3 21.9 182 March 30.6 25.5 22 218 April 30.3 25.4 22.1 210 May 29.7 25.1 22 173 June 28 24 21.1 71 July 27.1 23.2 20.3 49 August 27.4 23.5 20.6 58 September 28.5 24.2 21.4 130 October 28.9 24.4 21.6 249 November 29.1 24.5 21.6 276 December 29.3 24.7 21.7 232 Country-wide averages over 1991–2020.
Sources:- The World Factbook: Gabon - CIA
- Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Weather
- Loading
- Land use2023
- Arable1.3%Perm. crops0.7%Pasture6.4%Forest91.5%Other0.2%
- Arable land
- 325,000 hectares (1.3%)
- Permanent crops
- 170,000 hectares (0.7%)
- Permanent meadows & pastures
- 1,658,236 hectares (6.4%)
- Forest
- 23,568,774 hectares (91.5%)
- Other land
- 44,990 hectares (0.2%)
Source: - Natural hazards2026
- Epidemics6.8Very high#29/191River floods5.6High#85/191Coastal floods5.1High#59/191Drought0.9Very low#153/191Earthquakes0.1Very low#127/191Tsunamis0.0Very lowTropical cyclones0.0Very low
Scores out of 10, ranks out of 191 countries.
Source:- INFORM Risk Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
- Location, Land borders, Coastline, Terrain, Mean elevation, Highest point, Lowest point, Climate:The World Factbook: Gabon - CIA
- Climate:Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Land use:FAOSTAT Land Use domain ↗ - FAO
- Natural hazards:INFORM Risk Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
Demographics
- Population change2026
- +2.09% per year+54,270 people/yearWorld Rank41stof 237
- Birth rate
- 26.2 per 1,000 population
- Death rate
- 6.1 per 1,000 population
- Net migration rate
- +0.4 per 1,000 population
- 2026
- 21.6 yearsWorld Rank186thof 237
- Age structure2026
- 0-14 years35.9%15-64 years59.9%65 years +4.2%
- Share aged 65 and over
- 4.2%
- Share aged under 18
- 41.9%
- Total dependency ratio
- 67
- Youth dependency ratio
- 60
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 7
- Sex ratio
- 1.03 male / female
MaleAgeFemalePopulation by age group, % of total population Age Male Female 80+ 0.3% 0.4% 70-79 0.9% 1.0% 60-69 1.9% 2.0% 50-59 3.6% 3.4% 40-49 6.0% 5.3% 30-39 7.3% 6.8% 20-29 7.9% 7.8% 10-19 10.4% 10.3% 0-9 12.5% 12.3% - 2026
- 1.39 above the replacement level for Gabon ()3.49 births per womanreplacement 2.101234World Rank41stof 237
- 1.64 daughters per woman0.64 above replacement, long-run each generation larger than the lastreplacement 1.000.511.52
- 2026
- +20.1 per 1,000 populationfor every 1,000 people, 20.1 more births than deaths a year
- 2026
- +0.4 per 1,000 population
- Urbanization2026
- 92.3% live in 2,443,689 urban residents
- Largest cities2013latest available
- Libreville, Port-Gentil, Franceville, OwendoRankCity or Urban PlacePopulation (2013 census)1Libreville703,9402Port-Gentil136,4623Franceville110,5684Owendo79,3005Oyem60,6856Moanda59,1547Ntoum51,9548Lambaréné38,7759Mouila36,06110Akanda34,548Source:
- Directorate General of Statistics, Gabon (2013 census), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff ↗
- Population distribution
- The relatively small population is spread in pockets throughout the country; the largest urban center is the capital of Libreville, located along the Atlantic coast in the northwest.
- Ethnic groups2021
- Fang23.5%Shira-Punu'Vii20.6%Nzabi-Duma11.2%Mbede-Teke5.6%Myene4.4%Kota-Kele4.3%Okande-Tsogho1.6%Other12.6%Foreigner16.2%
- Religions2019
- Protestant46.4%Roman Catholic29.8%Other Christian4.0%Muslim10.8%Traditional/animist1.1%Other0.9%None7.0%
- Protestant
- 46.4%
- Revival Church
- 37.0%
- Other Protestant
- 9.4%
Source:- The World Factbook: Gabon - CIA
- Languages
- French (Français)
- Population, Population change, Median age, Age structure, Total fertility rate, Net reproduction rate, Natural change, Net migration rate:UN World Population Prospects ↗
- Urbanization:UN World Urbanization Prospects ↗
- Largest cities:Directorate General of Statistics, Gabon (2013 census), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff ↗
- Population distribution, Ethnic groups, Religions:The World Factbook: Gabon - CIA
Government & Administration
- Form of state
- RepublicThe President of the Republic is head of state, elected by direct universal suffrage for seven years and re-eligible once only (Arts. 41, 42).
- System of government
- PresidentialThe President is also Head of Government, assisted by a Vice-President of the Government; members of the Government answer to the President, not Parliament, and the President may dissolve the National Assembly after consultation (Arts. 69, 62).
- Territorial organisation
- Unitary
- Capital
- Libreville703,940 people(2013)
- National holidays
- 16 days in 2026
- ThuJan 1New Year's Day
- FriMar 20Eid al-Fitr (estimated)
- SunApr 5Easter Sunday
- MonApr 6Easter Monday
- FriApr 17Women's Rights Day
- FriMay 1Labor Day
- ThuMay 14Ascension Day
- SunMay 24Pentecost
- MonMay 25Pentecost Monday
- WedMay 27Eid al-Adha (estimated)
- SatAug 15Assumption Day
- SunAug 16Independence Day
- MonAug 17Independence Day Holiday
- SunAug 30Liberation Day
- SunNov 1All Saints' Day
- FriDec 25Christmas Day
Nationwide public holidays only, excluding regional, bank and government-only days.
- Time
- WATWest Africa TimeUTC+1
- Currency
- Central African CFA Franc (XAF)
- Calling code
- +241
- Internet TLD
- .ga
- ISO 3166-1 codes
- GA, GAB
- Infrastructure
- Passengers carried
- 77,320 by the country's airlines(2016, latest available)
- Aircraft departures
- 2,305 by the country's airlines(2016, latest available)
- Aircraft registration prefix
- TR
Sources:- The World Factbook: Gabon - CIA
- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Passenger rail
- Setrag (in French)
- 2025
- 29 / 100World Rank135thof 182
Significant declinerDown 6 points since 2016, when it scored 35.
Confidence intervalCorruption index score by year Year Score Lower bound Upper bound 2012 35 32 38 2013 34 32 36 2014 37 30 44 2015 34 31 37 2016 35 33 36 2017 32 27 37 2018 31 25 37 2019 31 27.1 34.9 2020 30 26.1 33.9 2021 31 27.1 34.9 2022 29 25.6 32.4 2023 28 24.2 31.8 2024 27 24.7 29.3 2025 29 26.9 31.1 Source:- Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 ↗ - Transparency International, CC BY 4.0
- Form of state, System of government, Territorial organisation:Loi référendaire n° 002-R/2024 du 19/12/2024 portant Constitution de la République Gabonaise, Journal Officiel de la République Gabonaise n° 47 BIS du 19 décembre 2024 ↗
- National holidays:Open World Holidays Framework (vacanza/holidays) ↗
- Infrastructure:The World Factbook: Gabon - CIA
- Infrastructure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Corruption Perceptions Index:Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 ↗ - Transparency International, CC BY 4.0
Economy
- Upper middle income
- GDP growth (real)2026
- +3% per yearWorld Rank100thof 195
- GDP per capita (PPP)2026
- GDP per capita (nominal)
- $11,034 (90th in the world)
Source:- 2025
- Services42.3% of GDPIndustry47.2% of GDPAgriculture6.8% of GDPManufacturing19.1%part of industry
- Households
- +37.9%
- Government
- +11.2%
- Investment
- +24.8%
- Exports
- +55.5%
- Imports
- −29.4%
The shape of the economyGDP by end useSource:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Inflation2026
- 0.8%down 0.9 percentage points0.9pp from 2025
- Labor force2024
- 827,516 (33% of population)World Rank149thof 187
- Labor force participation2024
- 51.3% of people aged 15+
- Unemployment2024
- 20.1%
- Youth unemployment2024
- 36.3% ages 15 to 24
- Labor productivity2024
- $33 per hour worked at PPP
- Budget balance2026
- 10.4% of GDP deficit
- Current account
- 1.3% of GDP, $325 million surplus
Source: - Debt2024
- Central government debt73.4% of GDPInterest on debt3.1% of GDP
- Trade2015latest available
- Goods$5.1 billion94.9%
- Services$277.3 million5.1%
- Total exports
- $5.4 billion
- Change from 2014
- down 36.1 percent on the previous year36.1%
Sources:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- The World Factbook: Gabon - CIA
- 2024
- −1.82World Rank137thof 145
- Projected GDP growth
- +1.8% a year over the next 10 years
Source:- Atlas of Economic Complexity ↗ - Harvard Growth Lab
- Agricultural products2024
- Game meat (fresh or chilled or frozen), Plantains and cooking bananas, Taro, and 7 more
- 1Game meat (fresh or chilled or frozen)77.7×
- 2Plantains and cooking bananas42.5×
- 3Taro26.1×
- 4Yams13.3×
- 5Natural rubber in primary forms10×
- 6Oil palm fruit7.8×
- 7Cassava (fresh)4.8×
- 8Groundnuts (in shell)3×
- 9Sugar cane0.8×
- 10Maize (corn)0.2×
ProductSource:- FAOSTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Industries
- petroleum extraction and refining
- manganese, gold
- chemicals, ship repair, food and beverages, textiles, lumbering and plywood, cement
- Income level, GDP by sector, Trade:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- GDP (nominal), GDP growth (real), GDP per capita (PPP), Inflation, Budget balance:IMF World Economic Outlook ↗
- Labor force, Labor force participation, Unemployment, Youth unemployment, Labor productivity:ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
- Debt:IMF Global Debt Database ↗
- Debt:IMF Public Finances in Modern History ↗
- Trade, Industries:The World Factbook: Gabon - CIA
- Economic Complexity Index:Atlas of Economic Complexity ↗ - Harvard Growth Lab
- Agricultural products:FAOSTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
Cost of Living
- Cost of living index
- Loading
- Monthly costs (excluding rent)
- Loading
- Rent
- Loading
- Buying an apartment
- Loading
- 2024
- FCFA 150,000 per month, gross$247 (USD), $529 (PPP)
- Minimum wage:ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
Society
- 2023
- 0.733HighWorld Rank108thof 193GabonWorld
Human Development Index by year Year Gabon World 1990 0.621 0.608 1991 0.627 0.611 1992 0.628 0.614 1993 0.631 0.617 1994 0.636 0.620 1995 0.640 0.625 1996 0.644 0.631 1997 0.648 0.636 1998 0.654 0.641 1999 0.653 0.646 2000 0.652 0.651 2001 0.657 0.657 2002 0.661 0.662 2003 0.664 0.669 2004 0.665 0.675 2005 0.671 0.681 2006 0.670 0.688 2007 0.674 0.694 2008 0.675 0.698 2009 0.681 0.701 2010 0.684 0.707 2011 0.690 0.713 2012 0.699 0.717 2013 0.707 0.721 2014 0.716 0.726 2015 0.720 0.731 2016 0.724 0.735 2017 0.726 0.739 2018 0.727 0.741 2019 0.730 0.745 2020 0.732 0.742 2021 0.720 0.742 2022 0.730 0.752 2023 0.733 0.756 Source:- Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- 2017
- 38
- Mean years of schooling2023
- 9.7 years
- Expected for a child today
- 12.5 years
Source:- Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- Literacy2021
- 88.9% of adults
- Education expenditure2023
- 2.3% of GDP
- Share of government spending
- 13.6%
Source:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Internet users2024
- 68.7% of the population
- Households with Internet access
- 74.9%
Source:- ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Mobile subscriptions2024
- 3.2 million
- Fixed telephone lines
- 67,119
- Fixed broadband
- 4.7 subscriptions per 100 people
Counts subscriptions, not people.
Source:- ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Credit-card ownership2024
- 3% of adults
- Debit-card ownership
- 9%
- Account at a bank or mobile-money provider
- 68%
- Mobile-money account
- 62%
- Made or received a digital payment
- 67%
Source:- Global Findex Database ↗ - World Bank
- Refugees hosted2025
- 165 people
- Asylum seekers
- 79
- Internally displaced persons
- 1,500All due to disasters
- Refugees from Gabon abroad
- 932
Sources:- Refugee Data Finder ↗ - UN Refugee Agency
- Global Internal Displacement Database ↗ - Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre
- UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- 2 sites1 natural1 mixed
Site Type Ecosystem and Relict Cultural Landscape of Lopé-Okanda Mixed Ivindo National Park Natural Source:- The World Factbook: Gabon - CIA
- Human Development Index, Mean years of schooling:Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- Income inequality (Gini), Education expenditure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Literacy:UIS Data Browser ↗ - UNESCO Institute for Statistics
- Internet users, Mobile subscriptions:ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Credit-card ownership:Global Findex Database ↗ - World Bank
- Refugees hosted:Refugee Data Finder ↗ - UN Refugee Agency
- Refugees hosted:Global Internal Displacement Database ↗ - Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre
- UNESCO World Heritage Sites:The World Factbook: Gabon - CIA
Crime & Safety
- Travel advisory (US)
- Loading
- Active humanitarian crisisAug 2026
- None - no active crisis
- Prison population2021
- 219.9 per 100,000 people
- Persons held
- 5,226
Source:- UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
- Active humanitarian crisis:INFORM Severity Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
- Prison population:UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
Health
- Life expectancy2026
- 68.9 years
- Health expenditure2023
- 3.1% of GDP$253 per person
- Physicians2022
- 0.52 per 1,000 population
- Hospital beds2011
- 2 per 1,000 population
- Infant mortality2026
- 25.2 per 1,000 live births
- Maternal mortality2023
- 233 per 100,000 live births
- Alcohol consumption2022
- 7.9 litres of pure alcohol per adult per year
- Tobacco use2020
- 13.3% of adults
- Men
- 23%
- Women
- 3.5%
Source:- Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Road traffic deaths2019
- 23.9 per 100,000 population
- Life expectancy, Infant mortality:UN World Population Prospects ↗
- Health expenditure, Physicians, Hospital beds, Road traffic deaths:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Maternal mortality:Maternal mortality estimates ↗ - UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-agency Group
- Alcohol consumption, Tobacco use:Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
Environment
- CO₂ emissions2024
- 5.2 Mt per yearup 1.5 percent on the previous year1.5% from 2023
- CO₂ per capita
- 2.2 t per personWorld Rank120thof 207
- Share of global CO₂
- 0.01%
- Methane (CH₄)
- 14.9 Mt CO₂-eq
- Nitrous oxide (N₂O)
- 0.48 Mt CO₂-eq
- Fluorinated gases
- 1.21 Mt CO₂-eq
- All greenhouse gases
- 21.8 Mt CO₂-eq
Source:- Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- 2024
- 28.5 µg/m³ of PM2.52.3 years of life expectancy lost against the WHO guidelineMost polluted29thof 236
- WHO guideline
- 5 µg/m³
Source:- Air Quality Life Index ↗ - Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- Environmental issues
- deforestation from logging
- solid-waste disposal
- water pollution from oil industry
- wildlife poaching
Source:- The World Factbook: Gabon - CIA
- International agreements
- 20 of 20 landmark treaties in forceParty to 79 multilateral environmental agreements
Treaty Standing Joined Climate Paris Agreement in force 2016 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in force 1998 Kyoto Protocol in force 2007 Ozone layer Montreal Protocol in force 1994 Vienna Convention (Ozone Layer) in force 1994 Biodiversity Convention on Biological Diversity in force 1997 CITES in force 1989 Convention on Migratory Species (Bonn) in force 2008 Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in force 2007 Nagoya Protocol in force 2014 Land and heritage Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in force 1987 World Heritage Convention in force 1987 UN Convention to Combat Desertification in force 1996 Chemicals and waste Basel Convention in force 2008 Rotterdam Convention (PIC) in force 2004 Stockholm Convention (POPs) in force 2007 Minamata Convention on Mercury in force 2017 Oceans UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in force 1998 High Seas Treaty (BBNJ) in force 2026 MARPOL 73/78 in force 1983 Source:- International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
- CO₂ emissions:Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- Air pollution:Air Quality Life Index ↗ - Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- Environmental issues:The World Factbook: Gabon - CIA
- International agreements:International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
Food & Water
- No access to safe drinking water2022
- 6.8% of the population
- Renewable water2022
- 166 billion m³ per year
- Per person
- 68,292 m³ per year
- Dependency ratio
- 1% originates outside the country
- Annual water withdrawal
- 0.1 billion m³ per year
- Withdrawn for agriculture
- 29%
- Water stress
- 1% of available freshwater withdrawn
Source:- AQUASTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Undernourishment2022
- 20.1% of the population500,000 people
- Obesity2024
- 22.7% of adults
- Men
- 11.8%
- Women
- 34.1%
Source:- Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Underweight children2020
- 5.4% of children under five
- No access to safe drinking water, Renewable water:AQUASTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Undernourishment:Food security indicators (FAOSTAT) ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Obesity:Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Underweight children:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
Energy
- Energy consumption2024
- Per capita
- 24.3 GJ per person
- Share of world total
- 0.01%
- Supply
- Surplusproduces 8.3× what it consumes, 2024
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Electricity2024
- Imports only, 0.6 TWh imported, nothing exported in 20242.6 TWh generated per year
- Generation
- 2.6 TWh per year
- Consumption
- 2.6 TWh per year
- Imports
- 0.6 TWh per year
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Energy consumption, Electricity, Oil, gas & coal:International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Oil, gas & coal:Worldwide Oil and Gas Survey ↗ - Oil & Gas Journal
Defense
- Military expenditure2024
- 1.5% of GDP$319.1 million, 6.6% of government spending
- Military personnel2025
- approximately 7,000active-duty Armed Forces including the Republican Guard and Gendarmerie
- Military service2025
- Voluntaryno conscription; ages 18–24
- Space program2025
- Gabonese Studies and Space Observations Agency (Agence Gabonaise d’Etudes et d’Observations Spatiales or AGEOS; established 2015)
Has a small space program focused on using data from remote sensing (RS) satellites for environmental and natural-resource management, mapping, land-use planning, maritime surveillance, and research; member of the African Space Agency; has relationships with Brazil, China, the ESA, individual ESA member states (particularly France), and the US, as well as African countries such as Kenya, Niger, Rwanda, and South Africa; shares RS satellite data with neighboring countries
- 1986
- ESA established a ground station in Gabon
- 2018
- Completed mapping Gabon’s forests
- 2019
- Founding member of the Space Climate Observatory
- 2021
- Began acquisition process for first satellite in joint project with Japan, known as BIRDs
- 2025
- Became member of new African Space Agency
Key milestones
Source:- The World Factbook: Gabon - CIA
- Nuclear weapons2026
- None - no nuclear arsenal
- Military expenditure:SIPRI Military Expenditure Database ↗ - Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
- Military expenditure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Military personnel, Military service, Space program:The World Factbook: Gabon - CIA
- Nuclear weapons:Status of World Nuclear Forces ↗ - Federation of American Scientists
