Communications: Broadband - fixed subscriptions: subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
3 (2022 est.)
Communications: Broadband - fixed subscriptions: total
80,000 (2022 est.)
Communications: Broadcast media
2 state-run TV stations and 2 state-run radio stations; a few private radio and TV stations; transmissions of at least 2 international broadcasters are accessible; satellite service subscriptions are available
Communications: Internet country code
.ga
Communications: Internet users: percent of population
68.72% (2024 est.)
Communications: Telephones - fixed lines: subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
3 (2024 est.)
Communications: Telephones - fixed lines: total subscriptions
67,100 (2024 est.)
Communications: Telephones - mobile cellular: subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
125 (2024 est.)
Communications: Telephones - mobile cellular: total subscriptions
3.18 million (2024 est.)
Economy: Agricultural products
oil palm fruit, plantains, cassava, sugarcane, yams, taro, vegetables, maize, groundnuts, game meat (2023)
Economy: Budget: expenditures
$3.226 billion (2021 est.)
Economy: Budget: revenues
$2.939 billion (2021 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2013
$1.463 billion (2013 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2014
$1.112 billion (2014 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2015
$140.996 million (2015 est.)
Economy: Debt - external: Debt - external 2022
$7.991 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Debt - external: Debt - external 2023
$6.442 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates
606.345 (2024 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Currency
Coopération Financière en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) per US dollar -
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2013
493.900 (2013 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2014
493.757 (2014 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2015
591.212 (2015 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2016
592.606 (2016 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2017
580.657 (2017 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2018
555.446 (2018 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2019
585.911 (2019 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2020
575.586 (2020 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2021
554.531 (2021 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2022
623.760 (2022 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2023
606.570 (2023 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2024
606.345 (2024 est.)
Economy: Exports - commodities
crude petroleum, ships, manganese ore, refined petroleum, wood (2023)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2011
$11.244 billion (2011 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2014
$8.105 billion (2014 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2015
$6.621 billion (2015 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2016
$6.175 billion (2016 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2017
$7.499 billion (2017 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2018
$9.159 billion (2018 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2019
$8.679 billion (2019 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2020
$7.303 billion (2020 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2021
$11.850 billion (2021 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2022
$13.814 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2023
$12.869 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2024
$13.622 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: exports of goods and services
65.3% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: government consumption
12.2% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption
33.7% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: imports of goods and services
-29.2% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: investment in fixed capital
18.1% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: investment in inventories
0% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture
6.2% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: industry
50.9% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: services
37.5% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - per capita (PPP)
$21,510 (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP (official exchange rate)
$20.867 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP (purchasing power parity) - real
$54.613 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2017
38.0 (2017 est.)
Economy: Household income or consumption by percentage share: highest 10%
27.7% (2017 est.)
Economy: Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%
2.2% (2017 est.)
Economy: Imports - commodities
ships, refined petroleum, iron pipes, cars, packaged medicine (2023)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2010
$4.527 billion (2010 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2015
$4.015 billion (2015 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2016
$3.660 billion (2016 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2017
$3.709 billion (2017 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2018
$3.835 billion (2018 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2019
$3.712 billion (2019 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2020
$3.454 billion (2020 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2021
$4.746 billion (2021 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2022
$5.005 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2023
$5.38 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2024
$6.094 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: Industrial production growth rate
2.8% (2024 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2015
-0.34% (2015 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2016
2.11% (2016 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017
2.65% (2017 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018
4.75% (2018 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019
2.46% (2019 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020
1.35% (2020 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021
1.09% (2021 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022
4.23% (2022 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023
3.63% (2023 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024
1.17% (2024 est.)
Economy: Labor force
824,400 (2024 est.)
Economy: Population below poverty line
33.40% (2017 est.)
Economy: Public debt: Public debt 2016
64.2% of GDP (2016 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2014
$29.386 billion (2014 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2015
$29.199 billion (2015 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2016
$29.400 billion (2016 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2017
$31.915 billion (2017 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019
$36.169 billion (2019 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020
$33.624 billion (2020 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021
$44.025 billion (2021 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
$45.363 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
$46.472 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024
$48.045 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2015
3.88% (2015 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2016
2.09% (2016 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2017
0.47% (2017 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2018
0.84% (2018 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2019
3.92% (2019 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2020
-1.84% (2020 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2021
1.47% (2021 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2022
3.04% (2022 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2023
2.44% (2023 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2024
3.39% (2024 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2014
$14,854 (2014 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2015
$14,306 (2015 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2016
$13,998 (2016 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2017
$14,797 (2017 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2019
$15,950 (2019 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2020
$14,477 (2020 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2021
$18,524 (2021 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2022
$19,993 (2022 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2023
$20,756 (2023 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2013
$16.5 million (2013 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2014
$29.5 million (2014 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2015
$18.5 million (2015 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2021
0.1% of GDP (2021 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2022
0.1% of GDP (2022 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2023
0.1% of GDP (2023 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2015
$1.863 billion (2015 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2016
$789.3 million (2016 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2017
$965.1 million (2017 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2018
$1.321 billion (2018 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2019
$1.372 billion (2019 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2020
$1.386 billion (2020 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021
$1.304 billion (2021 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022
$1.415 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023
$1.447 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024
$638.8 million (2024 est.)
Economy: Taxes and other revenues
9.5% (of GDP) (2021 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2019
20.37% (2019 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2020
21.28% (2020 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2021
21.22% (2021 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2022
20.32% (2022 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2023
20.16% (2023 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2024
20.09% (2024 est.)
Economy: Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): female
42.3% (2024 est.)
Economy: Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): male
31.1% (2024 est.)
Economy: Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): total
36% (2024 est.)
Energy: Coal: imports
75,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity access: electrification - rural areas
29%
Energy: Electricity access: electrification - total population
93.5% (2022 est.)
Energy: Electricity access: electrification - urban areas
98.5%
Energy: Electricity generation sources: biomass and waste
0.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: fossil fuels
51.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: hydroelectricity
47.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: consumption
3.173 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: imports
584.039 million kWh (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: installed generating capacity
785,000 kW (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: transmission/distribution losses
604 million kWh (2023 est.)
Energy: Energy consumption per capita: Total energy consumption per capita 2023
22.101 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Energy: Natural gas: consumption
463 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
Energy: Natural gas: production
463 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
Energy: Natural gas: proven reserves
25.995 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Energy: Petroleum: crude oil estimated reserves
2 billion barrels (2021 est.)
Energy: Petroleum: refined petroleum consumption
14,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Energy: Petroleum: total petroleum production
204,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Environment: Carbon dioxide emissions: from coal and metallurgical coke
230,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Environment: Carbon dioxide emissions: from consumed natural gas
908,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Environment: Carbon dioxide emissions: from petroleum and other liquids
2.005 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Environment: Carbon dioxide emissions: total emissions
3.144 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Environment: Climate
tropical; always hot, humid
Environment: Environmental issues
deforestation from logging; solid-waste disposal; water pollution from oil industry; wildlife poaching
Environment: International environmental 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
Environment: International environmental agreements: signed, but not ratified
none of the selected agreements
Environment: Land use: agricultural land
8.4% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 1.3% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 0.7% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 6.4% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: forest
91.5% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: other
0.2% (2023 est.)
Environment: Methane emissions: agriculture
4.9 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Environment: Methane emissions: energy
272.4 kt (2022-2024 est.)
Environment: Methane emissions: other
5.4 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Environment: Methane emissions: waste
18.6 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Environment: Particulate matter emissions
29.6 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Environment: Total renewable water resources
166 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Environment: Total water withdrawal: agricultural
40.3 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Environment: Total water withdrawal: industrial
14.1 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Environment: Total water withdrawal: municipal
84.7 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Environment: Urbanization: rate of urbanization
2.27% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Environment: Urbanization: urban population
91.86% (2024 est.)
Environment: Waste and recycling: municipal solid waste generated annually
238,100 tons (2024 est.)
Environment: Waste and recycling: percent of municipal solid waste recycled
22.4% (2022 est.)
Geography: Area - comparative
slightly smaller than Colorado
Geography: Area: land
257,667 sq km
Geography: Area: water
10,000 sq km
Geography: Coastline
885 km
Geography: Elevation: highest point
Mont Bengoue 1,050 m
Geography: Elevation: lowest point
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Geography: Elevation: mean elevation
377 m
Geography: Geographic coordinates
1 00 S, 11 45 E
Geography: Geography - note
the country has maintained its pristine rain forest and rich biodiversity
Geography: Irrigated land
40 sq km (2012)
Geography: Land boundaries: border countries
Cameroon 349 km; Republic of the Congo 2,567 km; Equatorial Guinea 345 km
Geography: Land boundaries: total
3,261 km
Geography: Land use: agricultural land
8.4% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 1.3% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 0.7% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 6.4% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: forest
91.5% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: other
0.2% (2023 est.)
Geography: Major aquifers
Congo Basin
Geography: Major watersheds (area sq km): Atlantic Ocean drainage
Congo (3,730,881 sq km)
Geography: Map references
Africa
Geography: Maritime claims: contiguous zone
24 nm
Geography: Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Geography: Maritime claims: territorial sea
12 nm
Geography: Natural hazards
none
Geography: 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
Geography: Terrain
narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south
Government: Administrative divisions
9 provinces; Estuaire, Haut-Ogooue, Moyen-Ogooue, Ngounie, Nyanga, Ogooue-Ivindo, Ogooue-Lolo, Ogooue-Maritime, Woleu-Ntem
Government: Capital: etymology
the city was founded in 1849 by freed slaves, and the name means "free town" in French
Government: Capital: geographic coordinates
0 23 N, 9 27 E
Government: Capital: time difference
UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Government: Citizenship: citizenship by birth
no
Government: Citizenship: citizenship by descent only
at least one parent must be a citizen of Gabon
Government: Citizenship: dual citizenship recognized
no
Government: Citizenship: residency requirement for naturalization
10 years
Government: Constitution: amendment process
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
Government: Constitution: history
previous 1961, 1991; latest approved in November 2024 referendum
Government: Country name: conventional short form
Gabon
Government: Country 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
Government: Country name: local long form
République Gabonaise
Government: Country name: local short form
Gabon
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission
Ambassador Vernelle Trim FITZPATRICK (since 26 January 2024); note - also accredited to Sao Tome and Principe
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: email address and website
ACSLibreville@state.gov https://ga.usembassy.gov/
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: embassy
Sabliere, B.P. 4000, Libreville
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: FAX
[241] 011-45-71-05
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: mailing address
2270 Libreville Place, Washington, DC 20521-2270
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: telephone
[241] 011-45-71-00
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: chancery
2034 20th Street NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20009
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission
Ambassador Noël Nelson MESSONE (12 December 2022)
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: consulate(s) general
New York
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: email address and website
info@gaboneembassyusa.org https://gabonembassyusa.org/en/
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: FAX
[1] (301) 332-0668
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: telephone
[1] (202) 797-1000
Government: Executive branch: cabinet
cabinet appointed by president
Government: Executive branch: chief of state
President Brice OLIGUI Nguema (since 3 May 2025)
Government: Executive branch: election results
2025: Brice OLIGUI Nguema elected president; percent of vote - Brice OLIGUI Nguema (Ind.) 90.35%, Alain Claude Bilie By Nze (EPG) 3.02%, other 6.63% 2016: Ali BONGO Ondimba reelected president; percent of vote - Ali BONGO Ondimba (PDG) 49.8%, Jean PING (UFC) 48.2%, other 2.0%
Government: Executive branch: election/appointment process
the president directly elected by plurality vote to a 7-year term (no term limits)
Government: Executive branch: head of government
President Brice OLIGUI Nguema (since 3 May 2025)
Government: Executive branch: most recent election date
12 April 2025
Government: Flag
description: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and blue meaning: green stands for the country's forests and natural resources, gold for the equator and the sun, and blue for the sea
Government: International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Government: 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
Government: 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)
Government: Judicial branch: 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
Government: Judicial branch: subordinate courts
Courts of Appeal; county courts; military courts
Government: Legal system
mixed system of French civil law and customary law
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: chamber name
National Assembly (Assemblée nationale)
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: electoral system
plurality/majority
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: expected date of next election
November 2030
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: most recent election date
10/6/2023
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: number of seats
145 (all directly elected)
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: percentage of women in chamber
21.6%
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: scope of elections
full renewal
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: term in office
5 years
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: chamber name
Senate (Senate)
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: expected date of next election
November 2025
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: most recent election date
9/27/2025 to 10/11/2025
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: number of seats
70 (all indirectly elected)
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: percentage of women in chamber
20.3%
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: scope of elections
full renewal
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: term in office
5 years
Government: Legislative branch: legislative structure
bicameral
Government: Legislative branch: legislature name
Parliament
Government: National anthem(s): history
adopted 1960
Government: National anthem(s): lyrics/music
Georges Aleka DAMAS
Government: National coat of arms
the panthers represent vigilance and courage, and they support a shield with a ship and an okoume tree, which is a symbol of the timber trade; the ribbon below the shield has the national motto in French, Union, Travail, Justice ("Union, Work, Justice"), and the ribbon above the shield has the Latin phrase Uniti Progrediemur ("We shall go forward united")
Government: National color(s)
green, yellow, blue
Government: National heritage: selected World Heritage Site locales
Ecosystem and Relict Cultural Landscape of Lopé-Okanda (m); Ivindo National Park (n)
Government: National heritage: total World Heritage Sites
2 (1 natural, 1 mixed)
Government: National holiday
Independence Day, 17 August (1960)
Government: National symbol(s)
black panther
Government: Political parties
Gabonese Democratic Party or PDG Restoration of Republican Values or RV The Democrats or LD
Government: Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Introduction: 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 and Security: 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; key defense priorities include securing the country's borders and maritime domain; it has contributed to regional peacekeeping and joint security operations; in August 2023, officers from the Republican Guard seized control of the government and placed the president under arrest (2025)
Military and Security: Military and security forces
Gabonese Armed Forces (Force Armées Gabonaise or FAG; aka National Defense and Security Forces of Gabon or des Forces Nationales de Défense et de Sécurité (FNDS) du Gabon): Army, Navy, Air Force, Light Aviation, Fire Brigade; Gabon National Gendarmerie (GENA); Republican Guard (GR); Military Health Service; Military Engineering (2025)
Military and Security: Military and security service personnel strengths
approximately 7,000 active-duty Armed Forces including the Republican Guard and Gendarmerie (2025)
Military and Security: Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the Gabonese military has a mix of older and limited quantities of more modern armaments; suppliers include Brazil, China, France, Germany, Russia/former Soviet Union, South Africa, and Spain (2025)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2015
1.19% (2015 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2016
1.45% (2016 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2017
1.81% (2017 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2018
1.55% (2018 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2019
1.58% (2019 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2020
1.72% (2020 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2021
1.60% (2021 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2022
1.36% (2022 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2023
1.32% (2023 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2024
1.54% (2024 est.)
Military and Security: Military service age and obligation
18-24 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2025)
People and Society: Age structure: 0-14 years
34.6% (male 429,133/female 421,120)
People and Society: Age structure: 15-64 years
61.1% (male 787,480/female 711,913)
People and Society: Age structure: 65 years and over
4.3% (2024 est.) (male 53,410/female 52,049)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: beer
5.31 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: other alcohols
0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: spirits
0.5 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: total
6.47 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: wine
0.62 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Birth rate
25.51 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
People and Society: Child marriage: men married by age 18
4.8% (2021)
People and Society: Child marriage: women married by age 15
2.9% (2021)
People and Society: Child marriage: women married by age 18
13.3% (2021)
People and Society: Children under the age of 5 years underweight
5.4% (2020 est.)
People and Society: Current health expenditure
3.13% (2023 est.)
People and Society: Currently married women (ages 15-49)
48.5% (2020 est.)
People and Society: Death rate
5.44 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: elderly dependency ratio
7.2 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: potential support ratio
13.9 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: total dependency ratio
63 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: youth dependency ratio
55.8 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: improved: rural
rural: 54.9% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: improved: total
total: 86.9% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: improved: urban
urban: 90.2% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: unimproved: rural
rural: 45.1% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: unimproved: total
total: 13.1% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: unimproved: urban
urban: 9.8% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Education expenditure: Education expenditure (% GDP)
2.3% of GDP (2023 est.)
People and Society: Education expenditure: Education expenditure (% national budget)
13.6% national budget (2023 est.)
People and Society: Education expenditures
2.32% (2023 est.)
People and Society: 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.)
People and Society: Gross reproduction rate
1.56 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Health expenditure: Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
2.7% of GDP (2021)
People and Society: Health expenditure: Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
9.6% of national budget (2022 est.)
People and Society: HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
2.80% (2024 est.)
People and Society: Hospital bed density
1.9 beds/1,000 population (2011 est.)
People and Society: Infant mortality rate: female
24 deaths/1,000 live births
People and Society: Infant mortality rate: male
29.7 deaths/1,000 live births
People and Society: Infant mortality rate: total
25.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
People and Society: Life expectancy at birth: female
71.2 years (2024 est.)
People and Society: Life expectancy at birth: male
66.1 years (2024 est.)
People and Society: Literacy: female
87.1% (2021 est.)
People and Society: Literacy: male
90.8% (2021 est.)
People and Society: Literacy: total population
88.86% (2021 est.)
People and Society: Major urban areas - population
870,000 LIBREVILLE (capital) (2023)
People and Society: Maternal mortality ratio
233 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
People and Society: Median age: female
21.5 years
People and Society: Median age: male
22.5 years
People and Society: Mother's mean age at first birth
19.6 years (2012 est.)
People and Society: Nationality: adjective
Gabonese
People and Society: Net migration rate
3.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
People and Society: Obesity - adult prevalence rate
15% (2016)
People and Society: Physician density
0.52 physicians/1,000 population (2022)
People and Society: Population
2,538,952 (2024 est.)
People and Society: 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
People and Society: Population growth rate
2.16% (2024 est.)
People and Society: Population: female
1,214,653
People and Society: Population: male
1,299,085
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: improved: rural
rural: 55.1% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: improved: total
total: 78.9% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: improved: urban
urban: 81.3% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: unimproved: rural
rural: 44.9% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: unimproved: total
total: 21.1% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: unimproved: urban
urban: 18.7% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sex ratio: 0-14 years
1.02 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: 15-64 years
1.11 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: 65 years and over
1.03 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: at birth
1.03 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: total population
1.07 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
People and Society: Total fertility rate
3.59 children born/woman (2024 est.)
People and Society: Urbanization: rate of urbanization
2.27% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
People and Society: Urbanization: urban population
91.86% (2024 est.)
Space: Key space-program milestones
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
Space: Space agency/agencies
Gabonese Studies and Space Observations Agency (Agence Gabonaise d’Etudes et d’Observations Spatiales or AGEOS; established 2015) (2025)
Space: Space program overview
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 (2025)
Transnational Issues: Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees
261 (2024 est.)
Transportation: Airports
42 (2025)
Transportation: Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
TR
Transportation: Merchant marine: by type
bulk carrier 1, general cargo 19, oil tanker 30, other 37
Transportation: Merchant marine: total
87 (2023)
Transportation: Ports: key ports
Libreville, Oguendjo Terminal, Port Gentil, Port Owendo
Transportation: Ports: large
0
Transportation: Ports: medium
2
Transportation: Ports: ports with oil terminals
7
Transportation: Ports: small
2
Transportation: Ports: total ports
9 (2024)
Transportation: Ports: very small
5
Transportation: Railways: standard gauge
649 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge
Transportation: Railways: total
649 km (2014)
Warning: Some information might be outdated or incorrect, please check statistics before using(most of the economical stats are correct, its mostly the Population stats that are incorrect). Some dates are listed but some are missed, if you have any issues please report it to the Github at github.com.