Gabon

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 44,607 (2020 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

state owns and operates 2 TV stations and 2 radio broadcast stations; a few private radio and TV stations; transmissions of at least 2 international broadcasters are accessible; satellite service subscriptions are available

Internet country code

.ga

Internet users

total: 1.656 million (2021 est.) percent of population: 72% (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

general assessment: the telecom market was liberalized in 1999 when the government awarded three mobile telephony licenses and two ISP licenses and established an independent regulatory authority; in contrast with the mobile market, Gabon s fixed-line and internet sectors have remained underdeveloped due to a lack of competition and high prices; the country has sufficient international bandwidth on the SAT-3/WASC/SAFE submarine cable; the arrival of the ACE submarine cable, combined with progressing work on the CAB cable, has increased back haul capacity supporting mobile data traffic (2022) domestic: fixed-line 1 per 100 subscriptions; mobile cellular subscriptions are 134 per 100 persons (2021) international: country code - 241; landing points for the SAT-3/WASC, ACE and Libreville-Port Gentil Cable fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and West Africa; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 43,000 (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 2.995 million (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 125 (2022 est.)

Agricultural products

plantains, cassava, sugarcane, yams, taro, vegetables, maize, groundnuts, game meat, rubber (2022) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Budget

revenues: $2.939 billion (2021 est.) expenditures: $2.732 billion (2021 est.) note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Credit ratings

Fitch rating: CCC (2020) Moody's rating: Caa1 (2018) Standard & Poors rating: N/A (2016) note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Current account balance

$140.996 million (2015 est.) $1.112 billion (2014 est.) $1.463 billion (2013 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Debt - external

$6.06 billion (2022 est.) note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

Economic overview

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

Exchange rates

Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) per US dollar - 606.57 (2023 est.) 623.76 (2022 est.) 554.531 (2021 est.) 575.586 (2020 est.) 585.911 (2019 est.)

Exports

$12.935 billion (2022 est.) $11.229 billion (2021 est.) $7.275 billion (2020 est.) note: GDP expenditure basis - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

crude petroleum, manganese ore, wood, veneer sheets, refined petroleum (2022) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

China 43%, South Korea 8%, Italy 7%, India 7%, Indonesia 5% (2022) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP (official exchange rate)

$20.516 billion (2023 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 32.3% (2023 est.) government consumption: 11.6% (2023 est.) investment in fixed capital: 17.1% (2023 est.) exports of goods and services: 56.7% (2023 est.) imports of goods and services: -17.4% (2023 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 5.8% (2023 est.) industry: 52.9% (2023 est.) services: 36.4% (2023 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

38 (2017 est.) note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.2% (2017 est.) highest 10%: 27.7% (2017 est.) note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports

$3.499 billion (2022 est.) $3.353 billion (2021 est.) $3.454 billion (2020 est.) note: GDP expenditure basis - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

poultry, plastic products, iron pipes, fish, excavation machinery (2022) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

China 22%, France 21%, UAE 5%, US 5%, Belgium 4% (2022) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

3.5% (2023 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

petroleum extraction and refining; manganese, gold; chemicals, ship repair, food and beverages, textiles, lumbering and plywood, cement

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.63% (2023 est.) 4.23% (2022 est.) 1.09% (2021 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

763,000 (2023 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Population below poverty line

33.4% (2017 est.) note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt

62.7% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$48.201 billion (2023 est.) $47.134 billion (2022 est.) $45.776 billion (2021 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP growth rate

2.26% (2023 est.) 2.97% (2022 est.) 1.47% (2021 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP per capita

$19,800 (2023 est.) $19,700 (2022 est.) $19,600 (2021 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

Remittances

0.09% of GDP (2023 est.) 0.09% of GDP (2022 est.) 0.09% of GDP (2021 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$1.372 billion (2019 est.) $1.321 billion (2018 est.) $965.054 million (2017 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Taxes and other revenues

9.13% (of GDP) (2021 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Unemployment rate

20.36% (2023 est.) 20.5% (2022 est.) 21.23% (2021 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 36.5% (2023 est.) male: 31.7% (2023 est.) female: 42.9% (2023 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Carbon dioxide emissions

3.47 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 251,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 2.311 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.) from consumed natural gas: 908,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Coal

imports: 82,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

Electricity

installed generating capacity: 784,000 kW (2022 est.) consumption: 2.497 billion kWh (2022 est.) imports: 544.035 million kWh (2022 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 433.104 million kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 93.5% (2022 est.) electrification - urban areas: 98.5% electrification - rural areas: 29%

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels: 58.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.) solar: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.) hydroelectricity: 41.4% of total installed capacity (2022 est.) biomass and waste: 0.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

23.955 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

Natural gas

production: 463 million cubic meters (2022 est.) consumption: 463 million cubic meters (2022 est.) proven reserves: 25.995 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

total petroleum production: 204,000 bbl/day (2023 est.) refined petroleum consumption: 16,000 bbl/day (2022 est.) crude oil estimated reserves: 2 billion barrels (2021 est.)

Air pollutants

particulate matter emissions: 26.29 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.) carbon dioxide emissions: 5.32 megatons (2016 est.) methane emissions: 1.13 megatons (2020 est.)

Climate

tropical; always hot, humid

Environment - current issues

deforestation (the forests that cover three-quarters of the country are threatened by excessive logging); burgeoning population exacerbating disposal of solid waste; oil industry contributing to water pollution; wildlife poaching

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Land use

agricultural land: 19% (2018 est.) arable land: 1.2% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.6% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 17.2% (2018 est.) forest: 81% (2018 est.) other: 0% (2018 est.)

Major aquifers

Congo Basin

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Congo (3,730,881 sq km)

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

2.6% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

166 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

municipal: 80 million cubic meters (2020 est.) industrial: 10 million cubic meters (2020 est.) agricultural: 40 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 91% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 2.27% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually: 238,102 tons (1995 est.)

Area

total : 267,667 sq km land: 257,667 sq km water: 10,000 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Colorado

Climate

tropical; always hot, humid

Coastline

885 km

Elevation

highest point: Mont Bengoue 1,050 m lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 377 m

Geographic coordinates

1 00 S, 11 45 E

Geography - note

a small population and oil and mineral reserves have helped Gabon become one of Africa's wealthier countries; in general, these circumstances have allowed the country to maintain and conserve its pristine rain forest and rich biodiversity

Irrigated land

40 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

total: 3,261 km border countries (3): Cameroon 349 km; Republic of the Congo 2,567 km; Equatorial Guinea 345 km

Land use

agricultural land: 19% (2018 est.) arable land: 1.2% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.6% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 17.2% (2018 est.) forest: 81% (2018 est.) other: 0% (2018 est.)

Location

Central Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea

Major aquifers

Congo Basin

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Congo (3,730,881 sq km)

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards

none

Natural resources

petroleum, natural gas, diamond, niobium, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore, hydropower

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 as shown in this population distribution map

Terrain

narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south

Administrative divisions

9 provinces; Estuaire, Haut-Ogooue, Moyen-Ogooue, Ngounie, Nyanga, Ogooue-Ivindo, Ogooue-Lolo, Ogooue-Maritime, Woleu-Ntem

Capital

name: Libreville geographic coordinates: 0 23 N, 9 27 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: original site settled by freed slaves and the name means "free town" in French; named in imitation of Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Gabon dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years

Constitution

history: previous 1961, 1991; latest approved in November 2024 referendum amendments: proposed by the president of the republic, by the Council of Ministers, or by one third of either house of Parliament; passage requires Constitutional Court evaluation, at least two-thirds majority vote of two thirds of the Parliament membership convened in joint session, and approval in a referendum; constitutional articles on Gabon s democratic form of government cannot be amended; amended several times, last in 2023 (presidential term reduced to 5 years and election reduced to a single vote)

Country name

conventional long form: Gabonese Republic conventional short form: Gabon local long form: R publique Gabonaise local short form: Gabon etymology: name originates from the Portuguese word "gabao" meaning "cloak," which is roughly the shape that the early explorers gave to the estuary of the Komo River by the capital of Libreville

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Vernelle Trim FITZPATRICK (since 26 January 2024); note - also accredited to Sao Tome and Principe embassy: Sabliere, B.P. 4000, Libreville mailing address: 2270 Libreville Place, Washington, DC 20521-2270 telephone: [241] 011-45-71-00 FAX: [241] 011-45-71-05 email address and website: ACSLibreville@state.gov https://ga.usembassy.gov/

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador No l Nelson MESSONE (12 December 2022) chancery: 2034 20th Street NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 797-1000 FAX: [1] (301) 332-0668 email address and website: info@gaboneembassyusa.org https://gabonembassyusa.org/en/ consulate(s) general: New York

Executive branch

chief of state: Transitional President Gen. Brice OLIGUI Nguema (since 4 September 2023) head of government: Prime Minister Raymond NDONG SIMA (since 7 September 2023) cabinet: formerly the Council of Ministers, appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the president elections/appointments: formerly, the president directly elected by plurality vote for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 26 August 2023; prime minister appointed by the president; note - in August 2023, Gen. Brice OLIGUI Nguema led a military group called Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions in a coup in which President Ali BONGO Ondimba was arrested and detained, election results were canceled, and state institutions were dissolved; in September 2023, OLIGUI was sworn in as transitional president; a general election is planned for August 2025; note - November 2024 voters in Gabon voted on a referendum to extend the presidential term to seven years and replace the prime minister with a vice president, elections slated for August 2025 election results: 2016: Ali BONGO Ondimba reelected president; percent of vote - Ali BONGO Ondimba (PDG) 49.8%, Jean PING (UFC) 48.2%, other 2.0% 2009: Ali BONGO Ondimba elected president; percent of vote - Ali BONGO Ondimba (PDG) 41.7%, Andre MBA OBAME (independent) 25.9%, Pierre MAMBOUNDOU (UPG) 25.2%, Zacharie MYBOTO (UGDD) 3.9%, other 3.3%

Flag description

three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and blue; green represents the country's forests and natural resources, gold represents the equator (which transects Gabon) as well as the sun, blue represents the sea

Government type

presidential republic

Independence

17 August 1960 (from France)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU (suspended), BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSCA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of 4 permanent specialized supreme courts - Supreme Court or Cour de Cassation, Administrative Supreme Court or Conseil d'Etat, Accounting Supreme Court or Cour des Comptes, Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle, and the non-permanent Court of State Security, initiated only for cases of high treason by the president and criminal activity by executive branch officials) judge selection and term of office: appointment and tenure of Supreme, Administrative, Accounting, and State Security courts NA; Constitutional Court judges appointed - 3 by the national president, 3 by the president of the Senate, and 3 by the president of the National Assembly; judges serve single renewable 7-year terms subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; county courts; military courts

Legal system

mixed legal system of French civil law and customary law

Legislative branch

description: Transitional Parliament (formerly the bicameral Parliament) consists of: Senate (70 seats; members appointed by Transitional president; member term NA) National Assembly (98 seats; members appointed by the Transitional president; member term NA) elections: on 11 September 2023, Transitional President Gen. Brice OLIGUI Nguema appointed 168 members to the Transitional Parliament; elections for a permanent legislature reportedly to follow 2-year transition; note - the military government announced on 13 November 2023 that presidential and legislative elections will be held in August 2025 election results: all members of the Transitional Parliament appointed by the Transitional president

National anthem

name: "La Concorde" (The Concorde) lyrics/music: Georges Aleka DAMAS note: adopted 1960

National heritage

total World Heritage Sites: 2 (1 natural, 1 mixed) selected World Heritage Site locales: Ecosystem and Relict Cultural Landscape of Lop -Okanda (m); Ivindo National Park (n)

National holiday

Independence Day, 17 August (1960)

National symbol(s)

black panther; national colors: green, yellow, blue

Political parties

Gabonese Democratic Party or PDG Restoration of Republican Values or RV The Democrats or LD Paul Mba Abessole

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

Gabon, a sparsely populated country known for its dense rainforests and vast petroleum reserves, is one of the most prosperous and stable countries in central Africa. Approximately 40 ethnic groups are represented, the largest of which is the Fang, a group that covers the northern third of Gabon and expands north into Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon. From about the early 1300s, various kingdoms emerged in present-day Gabon and the surrounding area, including the Kingdoms of Loango and Orungu. Because most early Bantu languages spoken in these kingdoms did not have a written form, much of Gabon's early history was lost over time. Portuguese traders who arrived in the mid-1400s gave the area its name of Gabon. At that time, indigenous trade networks began to engage with European traders, exchanging goods such as ivory and wood. For a century beginning in the 1760s, trade came to focus mostly on enslaved people. While many groups in Gabon participated in the slave trade, the Fang were a notable exception. As the slave trade declined in the late 1800s, France colonized the country and directed a widespread extraction of Gabonese resources. Anti-colonial rhetoric by Gabon s educated elites increased significantly in the early 1900s, but no widespread rebellion materialized. French decolonization after World War II led to the country s independence in 1960. Within a year of independence, the government changed from a parliamentary to a presidential system, and Leon M BA won the first presidential election in 1961. El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba was M BA s vice president and assumed the presidency after M BA s death in 1967. BONGO went on to dominate the country's political scene for four decades (1967-2009). In 1968, he declared Gabon a single-party state and created the still-dominant Parti Democratique Gabonais (PDG). In the early 1990s, he reintroduced a multiparty system under a new constitution in response to growing political opposition. He was reelected by wide margins in 1995, 1998, 2002, and 2005 against a divided opposition and amidst allegations of fraud. After BONGO's death in 2009, a new election brought his son, Ali BONGO Ondimba, to power, and he was reelected in 2016. He won a third term in the August 2023 election but was overthrown in a military coup a few days later. Gen. Brice OLIGUI Nguema led a military group called the Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions that arrested BONGO, canceled the election results, and dissolved state institutions. In September 2023, OLIGUI was sworn in as transitional president of Gabon.

Military - note

the Gabonese military is a small and lightly armed force that is responsible for both external and internal security; the military may also participate in the economic and social development work of the nation; in August 2023, officers from the Republican Guard seized control of the government and placed the president under arrest; the coup leader and chief of the Republican Guard, Gen. Brice OLIGUI Nguema, was subsequently announced as the leader of a transitional government (2024)

Military and security forces

Gabonese Armed Forces (Force Arm es Gabonaise or FAG; aka National Defense and Security Forces of Gabon or des Forces Nationales de D fense et de S curit (FNDS) du Gabon ): Army (Arm e de Terre, AT), Navy (Marine Nationale, MN), Air Force (l'Arm e de l'Air, AA), Light Aviation (L Aviation L g re des Arm es, ALA), Fire Brigade (du Corps des Sapeurs-Pompiers); National Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Gabonaise, GENA); Republican Guard (Garde R publicaine, GR); Military Health Service (Service de Sant Militaire, SSM); Military Engineering (G nie Militaire) (2024) note 1: the National Police Forces, under the Ministry of Interior, and the National Gendarmerie (GENA), under the Ministry of Defense, are responsible for law enforcement and public security; elements of the armed forces and the Republican Guard, an elite unit that protects the president under his direct authority, sometimes perform internal security functions note 2: the GENA is organized into regionally-based legions, mobile forces, a national parks security unit, and a special intervention group

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 7,000 active-duty troops including the Republican Guard and Gendarmerie (2023)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the Gabonese military has a mix of older and more modern weapons and equipment from a variety of suppliers including Brazil, China, France, Germany, Russia/former Soviet Union, and South Africa (2024)

Military expenditures

1.3% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.3% of GDP (2022 est.) 1.7% of GDP (2021 est.) 1.8% of GDP (2020 est.) 1.6% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18-24 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2024)

Age structure

0-14 years: 34.6% (male 429,133/female 421,120) 15-64 years: 61.1% (male 787,480/female 711,913) 65 years and over: 4.3% (2024 est.) (male 53,410/female 52,049)

Alcohol consumption per capita

total: 6.47 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 5.31 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 0.62 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 0.5 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

25.7 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

6.4% (2019/20)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

31.1% (2012)

Current health expenditure

3.4% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

49.7% (2023 est.)

Death rate

5.5 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Demographic profile

Gabon s oil revenues have given it one of the highest per capita income levels in Sub-Saharan Africa, but the wealth is not evenly distributed and poverty is widespread. Unemployment is especially prevalent among the large youth population; more than 60% of the population is under the age of 25 as of 2020. With a fertility rate still averaging more than 3 children per woman, the youth population will continue to grow and further strain the mismatch between Gabon s supply of jobs and the skills of its labor force. Gabon has been a magnet to migrants from neighboring countries since the 1960s because of the discovery of oil, as well as the country s political stability and timber, mineral, and natural gas resources. Nonetheless, income inequality and high unemployment have created slums in Libreville full of migrant workers from Senegal, Nigeria, Cameroon, Benin, Togo, and elsewhere in West Africa. In 2011, Gabon declared an end to refugee status for 9,500 remaining Congolese nationals to whom it had granted asylum during the Republic of the Congo s civil war between 1997 and 2003. About 5,400 of these refugees received permits to reside in Gabon.

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 67.6 youth dependency ratio: 61 elderly dependency ratio: 6.5 potential support ratio: 15.3 (2021 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 97.2% of population rural: 55.3% of population total: 93.1% of population unimproved: urban: 2.8% of population rural: 44.7% of population total: 6.9% of population (2020 est.)

Education expenditures

3.2% of GDP (2020 est.)

Ethnic groups

Fang 23.5%, Shira-Punu'Vii 20.6%, Nzabi-Duma 11.2%, Mbede-Teke 5.6%, Myene 4.4%, Kota-Kele 4.3%, Okande-Tsogho 1.6%, other 12.6%, foreigner 16.2% (2021 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

1.58 (2024 est.)

Hospital bed density

6.3 beds/1,000 population

Infant mortality rate

total: 26.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.) male: 29.7 deaths/1,000 live births female: 24 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

French (official), Fang, Myene, Nzebi, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 70.4 years (2024 est.) male: 68.6 years female: 72.1 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 85.5% male: 86.2% female: 84.7% (2021)

Major urban areas - population

870,000 LIBREVILLE (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

227 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

total: 22 years (2024 est.) male: 22.5 years female: 21.5 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

19.6 years (2012 est.) note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49

Nationality

noun: Gabonese (singular and plural) adjective: Gabonese

Net migration rate

3.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

15% (2016)

Physician density

0.65 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Population

total: 2,455,105 male: 1,270,023 female: 1,185,082 (2024 est.)

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 as shown in this population distribution map

Population growth rate

2.37% (2024 est.)

Religions

Protestant 46.4% (Revival Church 37%, other Protestant 9.4%), Roman Catholic 29.8%, other Christian 4%, Muslim 10.8%, traditional/animist 1.1%, other 0.9%, none 7% (2019-21 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 81.3% of population rural: 55.1% of population total: 78.7% of population unimproved: urban: 18.7% of population rural: 44.9% of population total: 21.3% of population (2020 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.03 male(s)/female total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.21 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 91% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 2.27% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Space agency/agencies

Gabonese Studies and Space Observations Agency (Agence Gabonaise d Etudes et d Observations Spatiales or AGEOS; established 2015) (2024)

Space program overview

has a small space program focused on the acquisition, processing, analysis, and furnishing of data from foreign remote sensing (RS) satellites for environmental management, mapping, natural resources, land use planning, and maritime surveillance, as well as research and innovation; has relationships with Brazil, China, the European Space Agency (ESA) and its member states (particularly France), Kenya, Niger, Rwanda, South Africa, and the US; shares RS data with neighboring countries (2024) note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in the Space Programs reference guide

Trafficking in persons

tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List Gabon does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, but the government has devoted sufficient resources to a written plan that, if implemented, would constitute significant efforts to meet the minimum standards; therefore, Gabon was granted a waiver per the Trafficking Victims Protection Act from an otherwise required downgrade to Tier 3 and remained on Tier 2 Watch List for the third consecutive year; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2024-trafficking-in-persons-report/gabon/

Airports

40 (2024)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

TR

Merchant marine

total: 87 (2023) by type: bulk carrier 1, general cargo 19, oil tanker 30, other 37

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 3 (2020) inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 8

Pipelines

807 km gas, 1,639 km oil, 3 km water (2013)

Ports

total ports: 9 (2024) large: 0 medium: 2 small: 2 very small: 5 ports with oil terminals: 7 key ports: Libreville, Oguendjo Terminal, Port Gentil, Port Owendo

Railways

total: 649 km (2014) standard gauge: 649 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge

Roadways

total: 14,300 km paved: 900 km unpaved: 13,400 km (2001)

Waterways

1,600 km (2010) (310 km on Ogooue River)