Gabon

presidential republic

name: Libreville geographic coordinates: 0 23 N, 9 27 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: the city was founded in 1849 by freed slaves, and the name means "free town" in French

chief of state: President Brice OLIGUI Nguema (since 3 May 2025) head of government: President Brice OLIGUI Nguema (since 3 May 2025) cabinet: cabinet appointed by president election/appointment process: the president directly elected by plurality vote to a 7-year term (no term limits) most recent election date: 12 April 2025 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%

legislature name: Parliament legislative structure: bicameral

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

history: previous 1961, 1991; latest approved in November 2024 referendum 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

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

1.5% of GDP (2024 est.) 1.3% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.3% of GDP (2022 est.) 1.7% of GDP (2021 est.) 1.8% of GDP (2020 est.)

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, Navy, Air Force, Light Aviation, Fire Brigade; Gabon National Gendarmerie (GENA); Republican Guard (GR); Military Health Service; Military Engineering (2025) note: 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

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

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)

$48.045 billion (2024 est.) $46.472 billion (2023 est.) $45.363 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

$18,900 (2024 est.) $18,700 (2023 est.) $18,700 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

3.4% (2024 est.) 2.4% (2023 est.) 3% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

1.2% (2024 est.) 3.6% (2023 est.) 4.2% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

64.2% of GDP (2016 est.)

$13.622 billion (2024 est.) $12.869 billion (2023 est.) $13.814 billion (2022 est.) note: GDP expenditure basis - exports of goods and services in current dollars

$6.094 billion (2024 est.) $5.38 billion (2023 est.) $5.005 billion (2022 est.) note: GDP expenditure basis - imports of goods and services in current dollars

20.1% (2024 est.) 20.3% (2023 est.) 20.4% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

revenues: $2.939 billion (2021 est.) expenditures: $3.226 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

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

oil palm fruit, plantains, cassava, sugarcane, yams, taro, vegetables, maize, groundnuts, game meat (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

total: 2,513,738 (2025 est.) male: 1,299,085 female: 1,214,653

2.35% (2025 est.)

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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.)

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

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.)

total population: 88.9% (2021 est.) male: 90.8% (2021 est.) female: 87.1% (2021 est.)

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

refugees: 261 (2024 est.)

42 (2025)

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

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

total subscriptions: 3.18 million (2024 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 125 (2024 est.)

percent of population: 72% (2023 est.)