2025 Edition Primary

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. <br><br>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.

Area

Land

257,667 sq km

Total

267,667 sq km

Water

10,000 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Colorado

Climate

tropical; always hot, humid

Coastline

885 km

Continent

Africa

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

the country has maintained its pristine rain forest and rich biodiversity

Irrigated land

40 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

Border countries

Cameroon 349 km; Republic of the Congo 2,567 km; Equatorial Guinea 345 km

number of neighbors

3

Total

3,261 km

Land use

Agricultural land

8.4% (2023 est.)

Agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 1.3% (2023 est.)

Agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.7% (2023 est.)

Agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 6.4% (2023 est.)

arable land

1.26%

Forest

91.5% (2023 est.)

Other

0.2% (2023 est.)

permanent crops

0.66%

Landlocked

No

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 links

Google Maps

https://goo.gl/maps/vyRSkqw1H1fnq4ry6

OpenStreetMap

https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/192793

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

Contiguous zone

24 nm

Exclusive economic zone

200 nm

Territorial sea

12 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

Subregion

Middle Africa

Terrain

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

Time zone

UTC+01:00

number of time zones

1

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

Beer

5.31 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Other alcohols

0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Spirits

0.5 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Total

6.47 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Wine

0.62 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

25.51 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Child marriage

Men married by age 18

4.8% (2021)

Women married by age 15

2.9% (2021)

Women married by age 18

13.3% (2021)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

5.4% (2020 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

48.5% (2020 est.)

Death rate

5.44 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

adult female

157 per 1,000

adult male

246 per 1,000

Dependency ratios

Elderly dependency ratio

7.2 (2025 est.)

Potential support ratio

13.9 (2025 est.)

Total dependency ratio

63 (2025 est.)

Youth dependency ratio

55.8 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

Improved: rural

rural: 54.9% of population (2022 est.)

Improved: total

total: 86.9% of population (2022 est.)

Improved: urban

urban: 90.2% of population (2022 est.)

Unimproved: rural

rural: 45.1% of population (2022 est.)

Unimproved: total

total: 13.1% of population (2022 est.)

Unimproved: urban

urban: 9.8% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP)

2.3% of GDP (2023 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

13.6% national budget (2023 est.)

Education expenditures

2 % of GDP

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

1.56 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

3 % of GDP

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

2.7% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

9.6% of national budget (2022 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.98%

Infant mortality rate

Female

24 deaths/1,000 live births

Male

29.7 deaths/1,000 live births

neonatal

17 deaths/1,000 live births

Total

26 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

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

languages

French

number of languages

1

Life expectancy at birth

Female

72.1 years

Male

68.6 years

Total population

70.4 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

Female

87.1% (2021 est.)

Male

90.8% (2021 est.)

Total population

88.9% (2021 est.)

Major urban areas - population

870,000 LIBREVILLE (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

233 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

Female

21.5 years

Male

22.5 years

Total

22.3 years (2025 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

19.6 years (2012 est.)

note

<strong>note:</strong> data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49

Nationality

Adjective

Gabonese

Noun

Gabonese (singular and plural)

Net migration rate

3.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

15% (2016)

Physician density

0.52 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Population

Female

1,214,653

Male

1,299,085

Total

2,513,738 (2025 est.)

Population growth rate

2.35% (2025 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: rural

rural: 55.1% of population (2022 est.)

Improved: total

total: 78.9% of population (2022 est.)

Improved: urban

urban: 81.3% of population (2022 est.)

Unimproved: rural

rural: 44.9% of population (2022 est.)

Unimproved: total

total: 21.1% of population (2022 est.)

Unimproved: urban

urban: 18.7% of population (2022 est.)

Sex ratio

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

At birth

1.03 male(s)/female

Total population

1.07 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.16 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

Rate of urbanization

2.27% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Urban population

91% of total population (2023)

Vaccination rate

measles

57%

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

Etymology

the city was founded in 1849 by freed slaves, and the name means "free town" in French

Geographic coordinates

0 23 N, 9 27 E

Name

Libreville

Time difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

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

Coat of arms

svg

https://mainfacts.com/media/images/coats_of_arms/ga.svg

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&rsquo;s democratic form of government cannot be amended

History

previous 1961, 1991; latest approved in November 2024 referendum

Country name

alternative spellings

GA, Gabonese Republic, République Gabonaise

Conventional long form

Gabonese Republic

Conventional short form

Gabon

Etymology

name originates from the Portuguese word <em>gabão, </em>meaning "cloak," possibly used by early explorers to describe the shape of the Komo River estuary

FIFA code

GAB

Local long form

R&eacute;publique Gabonaise

local long form (fra)

République gabonaise

Local short form

Gabon

Diplomatic representation from the US

Chief of mission

Ambassador Vernelle Trim FITZPATRICK (since 26 January 2024); note - also accredited to Sao Tome and Principe

Email address and website

<br>ACSLibreville@state.gov<br><br>https://ga.usembassy.gov/

Embassy

Sabliere, B.P. 4000, Libreville

FAX

[241] 011-45-71-05

Mailing address

2270 Libreville Place, Washington, DC 20521-2270

Telephone

[241] 011-45-71-00

Diplomatic representation in the US

Chancery

2034 20th Street NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20009

Chief of mission

Ambassador No&euml;l Nelson MESSONE (12 December 2022)

Consulate(s) general

New York

Email address and website

<br>info@gaboneembassyusa.org<br><br>https://gabonembassyusa.org/en/

FAX

[1] (301) 332-0668

Telephone

[1] (202) 797-1000

Executive branch

Cabinet

cabinet appointed by president

Chief of state

President Brice OLIGUI Nguema (since 3 May 2025)

Election results

<em><br>2025: </em>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%<br><em><br>2016: </em>Ali BONGO Ondimba reelected president; percent of vote - Ali BONGO Ondimba (PDG) 49.8%, Jean PING (UFC) 48.2%, other 2.0%

Election/appointment process

the president directly elected by plurality vote to a 7-year term (no term limits)

Head of government

President Brice OLIGUI Nguema (since 3 May 2025)

Most recent election date

12 April 2025

Flag

<strong>description:</strong> three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and blue<br><br><strong>meaning:</strong> green stands for the country's forests and natural resources, gold for the equator and the sun, and blue for the sea

Flag description

The flag of Gabon is composed of three equal horizontal bands of green, yellow and blue.

Flag image

svg

https://flagcdn.com/ga.svg

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 system of French civil law and customary law

Legislative branch

Legislative structure

bicameral

Legislature name

Parliament

Legislative branch - lower chamber

Chamber name

National Assembly (Assemblée nationale)

Electoral system

plurality/majority

Expected date of next election

November 2030

Most recent election date

10/6/2023

Number of seats

145 (all directly elected)

Percentage of women in chamber

21.6%

Scope of elections

full renewal

Term in office

5 years

Legislative branch - upper chamber

Chamber name

Senate (Senate)

Expected date of next election

November 2025

Most recent election date

9/27/2025 to 10/11/2025

Number of seats

70 (all indirectly elected)

Percentage of women in chamber

20.3%

Scope of elections

full renewal

Term in office

5 years

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, <em>Union, Travail, Justice</em> ("Union, Work, Justice"), and the ribbon above the shield has the Latin phrase <em>Uniti Progrediemur</em> ("We shall go forward united")

National color(s)

green, yellow, blue

National heritage

Selected World Heritage Site locales

Ecosystem and Relict Cultural Landscape of Lop&eacute;-Okanda (m); Ivindo National Park (n)

Total World Heritage Sites

2 (1 natural, 1 mixed)

National holiday

Independence Day, 17 August (1960)

National symbol(s)

black panther

Political parties

Gabonese Democratic Party or PDG <br>Restoration of Republican Values or RV<br>The Democrats or LD

note

Paul Mba Abessole

Start of week

Monday

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

UN Member

Yes

Agricultural products

oil palm fruit, plantains, cassava, sugarcane, yams, taro, vegetables, maize, groundnuts, game meat (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Budget

Expenditures

$3.226 billion (2021 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Revenues

$2.939 billion (2021 est.)

Currency

code

XAF

name

Central African CFA franc (XAF) [Fr]

Current account balance

Current account balance 2013

$1.463 billion (2013 est.)

Current account balance 2014

$1.112 billion (2014 est.)

Current account balance 2015

$140.996 million (2015 est.)

Note

<strong>note:</strong> balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Debt - external

$6.82 billion

Debt - external 2023

$6.442 billion (2023 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> 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

Currency

Coop&eacute;ration Financi&egrave;re en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

575.586 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

554.531 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

623.76 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

606.57 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

606.345 (2024 est.)

Exports

$13.49 billion

Exports 2022

$13.814 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$12.869 billion (2023 est.)

Exports 2024

$13.622 billion (2024 est.)

Note

<strong>note:</strong> GDP expenditure basis - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

crude petroleum, ships, manganese ore, refined petroleum, wood (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

China 26%, Indonesia 8%, Spain 7%, Israel 6%, Congo, Republic of the 5% (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

Foreign direct investment

net inflows

$1.14 billion

GDP - composition, by end use

Exports of goods and services

65.3% (2024 est.)

Government consumption

12.2% (2024 est.)

Household consumption

33.7% (2024 est.)

Imports of goods and services

-29.2% (2024 est.)

Investment in fixed capital

18.1% (2024 est.)

Investment in inventories

0% (2024 est.)

Note

<strong>note:</strong> figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

Agriculture

6.2% (2024 est.)

Industry

50.9% (2024 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Services

37.5% (2024 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$20.867 billion (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> data in current dollars at official exchange rate

GDP per capita (nominal)

$8,230

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

38 (2017)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2017

38 (2017 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

GNI (gross national income)

$19.82 billion

GNI per capita

$7,790

Gross domestic investment

19 % of GDP

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Highest 10%

27.7% (2017 est.)

Lowest 10%

2.2% (2017 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports

$5.74 billion

Imports 2022

$5.005 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$5.38 billion (2023 est.)

Imports 2024

$6.094 billion (2024 est.)

Note

<strong>note:</strong> GDP expenditure basis - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

ships, refined petroleum, iron pipes, cars, packaged medicine (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

France 14%, China 13%, S. Korea 13%, USA 7%, India 4% (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

2.8% (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> 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)

1.17%

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

4.2% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

3.6% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

1.2% (2024 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

824,400 (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

total

844,145 persons

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

28.87%

industry

18.85%

services

52.28%

Population below poverty line

33.4% (2017 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt

Public debt 2016

64.2% of GDP (2016 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$54.61 billion

Note

<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$45.363 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$46.472 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$48.045 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

3.39%

Note

<b>note:</b> annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2022

3% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

2.4% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2024

3.4% (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita

$21,510

Note

<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2022

$18,700 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$18,700 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$18,900 (2024 est.)

Remittances

Note

<b>note:</b> personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2021

0.1% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

0.1% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

0.1% of GDP (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$1.45 billion

Note

<b>note:</b> holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$1.304 billion (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$1.415 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$1.447 billion (2023 est.)

Revenue (excl grants)

15 % of GDP

Tax revenue

9 % of GDP

Taxes and other revenues

9.5% (of GDP) (2021 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Unemployment rate

20.15%

Note

<b>note:</b> % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2022

20.4% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

20.3% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

20.1% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

Female

42.3% (2024 est.)

Male

31.1% (2024 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Total

36% (2024 est.)

Coal

Imports

75,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

Consumption

3.173 billion kWh (2023 est.)

consumption per capita

1,065 kWh

Imports

584.039 million kWh (2023 est.)

Installed generating capacity

785,000 kW (2023 est.)

Transmission/distribution losses

604 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

Electrification - rural areas

29%

Electrification - total population

93.5% (2022 est.)

Electrification - urban areas

98.5%

Electricity generation sources

Biomass and waste

0.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Fossil fuels

51.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectric

47.71%

Hydroelectricity

47.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

nuclear

0%

renewable

33.21%

Energy consumption per capita

2,096 kg of oil equivalent

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

22.101 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Natural gas

Consumption

463 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

Production

463 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

Proven reserves

25.995 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

Crude oil estimated reserves

2 billion barrels (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum consumption

14,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Total petroleum production

204,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Renewable energy consumption

91.3%

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

per 100 inhabitants

4 per 100

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

3 (2022 est.)

Total

80,000 (2022 est.)

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

Internet country code

.ga

Internet users

Percent of population

72% (2023 est.)

Telephone calling code

+241

Telephones - fixed lines

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

3 (2024 est.)

Total subscriptions

67,100 (2024 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100

123 per 100

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

125 (2024 est.)

Total subscriptions

3.18 million (2024 est.)

Airports

42 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

TR

Driving side

Right

Merchant marine

By type

bulk carrier 1, general cargo 19, oil tanker 30, other 37

Total

87 (2023)

Ports

Key ports

Libreville, Oguendjo Terminal, Port Gentil, Port Owendo

Large

0

Medium

2

Ports with oil terminals

7

Small

2

Total ports

9 (2024)

Very small

5

Railways

Standard gauge

649 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge

Total

649 km (2014)

Vehicle registration code

G

Land forces

armored vehicles

tanks

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 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)

active duty personnel

7,000

note

<strong>note: </strong>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; the GENA is organized into regionally-based “legions,” mobile forces, a national parks security unit, and a special intervention group

percent of total labor force

1.00 %

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 7,000 active-duty Armed Forces including the Republican Guard and Gendarmerie (2025)

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 expenditures

2 % of GDP

current USD

$319,095,921

Military Expenditures 2020

1.8% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

1.7% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

1.3% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

1.3% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military Expenditures 2024

1.5% of GDP (2024 est.)

percent of central government expenditure

6.57 %

percent of GDP

1.54 % of GDP

Military service age and obligation

18-24 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2025)

Military strength ranking

PowerIndex score

3.0432

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Refugees

261 (2024 est.)

Key space-program milestones

1986 - ESA established a ground station in Gabon<br><br>2018 - completed mapping Gabon’s forests<br><br>2019 - founding member of the Space Climate Observatory<br><br>2021 - began acquisition process for first satellite in joint project with Japan, known as BIRDs <br><br>2025 - became member of new African Space Agency

Space agency/agencies

Gabonese Studies and Space Observations Agency (Agence Gabonaise d&rsquo;Etudes et d&rsquo;Observations Spatiales or AGEOS; established 2015) (2025)

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)

Carbon dioxide emissions

From coal and metallurgical coke

230,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

From consumed natural gas

908,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

From petroleum and other liquids

2.005 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Total emissions

3.144 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

deforestation from logging; solid-waste disposal; water pollution from oil industry; wildlife poaching

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

Signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Methane emissions

Agriculture

4.9 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Energy

272.4 kt (2022-2024 est.)

Other

5.4 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Waste

18.6 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

29.6 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Protected areas

25 % of total land area

Renewable electricity output

-13 % of total

Total renewable water resources

166 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

0 % of internal resources

Agricultural

40.3 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Industrial

14.1 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Municipal

84.7 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Waste and recycling

Municipal solid waste generated annually

238,100 tons (2024 est.)

Percent of municipal solid waste recycled

22.4% (2022 est.)