01
Physical geography
Narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south.
Local timeLibreville ·
Africa / Middle Africa · Card 020
Gabon
Gabon is a country in Middle Africa. Its capital is Libreville.
Find Gabon
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Libreville
- Languages
- French
- Currency
- Central African CFA franc (XAF)
- Population
- 2.6 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 267,668 km²103,347 square miles
- Independence
- 1960from France
Gabon in context
Africa and its surrounding islands. The dot marks Libreville; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include French.
03
Location
Central Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea.
Flag
Three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and blue
History & independence
Gabon became independent from France on 17 August 1960. A long period under the Bongo family ended with a military takeover in 2023. A new constitution and presidential election followed during the transition.
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Independence from France
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A military takeover ends the Bongo presidency
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A presidential election follows constitutional changes
Economy
Main activities
Oil, manganese and timber are major exports. Services and construction also contribute to the economy. Developing activity beyond resource extraction is a central economic challenge.
Industry and production
petroleum extraction and refining; manganese, gold; chemicals, ship repair, food and beverages, textiles, lumbering and plywood, cement
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people2.62025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 595,846 | 0.596 |
| 1980 | 748,389 | 0.748 |
| 1990 | 983,734 | 0.984 |
| 2000 | 1,275,572 | 1.276 |
| 2010 | 1,719,879 | 1.720 |
| 2020 | 2,322,539 | 2.323 |
| 2025 | 2,593,130 | 2.593 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars17.22025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 8,218,372,647 | 8.218 |
| 1991 | 8,720,720,961 | 8.721 |
| 1992 | 8,451,237,981 | 8.451 |
| 1993 | 8,784,770,737 | 8.785 |
| 1994 | 9,110,927,738 | 9.111 |
| 1995 | 9,564,091,413 | 9.564 |
| 1996 | 9,910,794,415 | 9.911 |
| 1997 | 10,479,512,211 | 10.480 |
| 1998 | 10,843,972,206 | 10.844 |
| 1999 | 9,875,321,072 | 9.875 |
| 2000 | 9,689,372,095 | 9.689 |
| 2001 | 9,896,262,806 | 9.896 |
| 2002 | 9,871,617,829 | 9.872 |
| 2003 | 10,093,465,659 | 10.093 |
| 2004 | 10,163,064,451 | 10.163 |
| 2005 | 10,435,048,721 | 10.435 |
| 2006 | 10,142,180,902 | 10.142 |
| 2007 | 10,751,534,087 | 10.752 |
| 2008 | 10,395,827,038 | 10.396 |
| 2009 | 10,409,376,036 | 10.409 |
| 2010 | 11,147,389,067 | 11.147 |
| 2011 | 11,937,934,403 | 11.938 |
| 2012 | 12,564,804,521 | 12.565 |
| 2013 | 13,273,296,029 | 13.273 |
| 2014 | 13,846,034,032 | 13.846 |
| 2015 | 14,383,107,763 | 14.383 |
| 2016 | 14,683,922,149 | 14.684 |
| 2017 | 14,753,324,537 | 14.753 |
| 2018 | 14,876,945,090 | 14.877 |
| 2019 | 15,460,241,661 | 15.460 |
| 2020 | 15,176,119,360 | 15.176 |
| 2021 | 15,398,898,314 | 15.399 |
| 2022 | 15,866,657,481 | 15.867 |
| 2023 | 16,253,635,206 | 16.254 |
| 2024 | 16,805,289,923 | 16.805 |
| 2025 | 17,220,864,511 | 17.221 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.733High human developmentRank 108 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.621
20000.652
20100.684
20200.732
20230.733
68.3 yearsLife expectancy at birth
9.7 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
Presidential republic. Parliament has two chambers (a bicameral legislature). The president holds executive responsibilities; the legislature makes national laws.
Knowledge check
Three questions about Gabon.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Which group contains major exports from Gabon?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived country profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.