ARCHIVE // GA // 2016

Gabon

2016 Edition — sovereign

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
View Intelligence Dossier Back to 2016 CSV Excel Print All Years
Communications
Broadcast media [time series]
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 (2007)
Internet country code [time series]
.ga
Internet users [time series]
total: 401,000 | percent of population: 23.5% (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 161
Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]
general assessment: adequate system of cable, microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, radiotelephone communication stations, and a domestic satellite system with 12 earth stations | domestic: a growing mobile cellular network with multiple providers is making telephone service more widely available with mobile cellular teledensity exceeding 170 per 100 persons | international: country code - 241; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and Asia; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2015)
Telephones - fixed lines [time series]
total subscriptions: 18,758 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 190
Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]
total: 2.958 million | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 173 (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 128
Economy
Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]
cocoa, coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber; cattle; okoume (a tropical softwood); fish
Budget [time series]
revenues: $3.053 billion | expenditures: $3.431 billion (2015 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) [time series]
-2.6% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 106
Central bank discount rate [time series]
3% (31 December 2010) | 4.25% (31 December 2009) | country comparison to the world: 103
Commercial bank prime lending rate [time series]
15.3% (31 December 2015 est.) | 15% (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 37
Current account balance [time series]
-$409 million (2015 est.) | $1.467 billion (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 93
Debt - external [time series]
$4.883 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $4.326 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 131
Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]
Gabon enjoys a per capita income four times that of most sub-Saharan African nations, but because of high income inequality, a large proportion of the population remains poor. Gabon relied on timber and manganese exports until oil was discovered offshore in the early 1970s. From 2010 to 2014, oil accounted for approximately 80% of Gabon’s exports, 45% of its GDP, and 60% of its state budget revenues. | Gabon faces fluctuating prices for its oil, timber, and manganese exports. A rebound of oil prices from 2001 to 2013 helped growth, but declining production, as some fields passed their peak production, has hampered Gabon from fully realizing potential gains. GDP grew nearly 6% per year over the 2010-14 period, but slowed significantly in 2015 as oil prices declined. Low oil prices also weakened government revenue and negatively affected the trade and current account balances. | Despite an abundance of natural wealth, poor fiscal management and over-reliance on oil has stifled the economy. There are frequent power cuts and water shortages. However, President BONGO has made efforts to increase transparency and is taking steps to make Gabon a more attractive investment destination to diversify the economy. BONGO has attempted to boost growth by increasing government investment in human resources and infrastructure.
Exchange rates [time series]
Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) per US dollar - | 591.45 (2015 est.) | 494.42 (2014 est.) | 494.42 (2013 est.) | 510.53 (2012 est.) | 471.87 (2011 est.)
Exports [time series]
$5.181 billion (2015 est.) | $8.474 billion (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 108
Exports - commodities [time series]
crude oil, timber, manganese, uranium
Exports - partners [time series]
China 15.5%, Italy 7.3%, Trinidad and Tobago 7.2%, Australia 7%, Spain 6.3%, South Korea 5.4%, Netherlands 5%, US 4.7% (2015)
Fiscal year [time series]
calendar year
GDP (official exchange rate) [time series]
$14.35 billion (2015 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP (purchasing power parity)) [time series]
$34.58 billion (2015 est.) | $33.24 billion (2014 est.) | $31.87 billion (2013 est.) | note: data are in 2015 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 124
GDP - composition, by end use [time series]
household consumption: 37.9% | government consumption: 15% | investment in fixed capital: 29.3% | investment in inventories: 0% | exports of goods and services: 45.9% | imports of goods and services: -28.1% (2015 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin [time series]
agriculture: 4.7% | industry: 52.8% | services: 42.5% (2015 est.)
Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita (PPP)) [time series]
$18,600 (2015 est.) | $18,200 (2014 est.) | $17,700 (2013 est.) | note: data are in 2015 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 90
Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]
4% (2015 est.) | 4.3% (2014 est.) | 5.6% (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 69
Gross national saving [time series]
26.5% of GDP (2015 est.) | 37.4% of GDP (2014 est.) | 34.4% of GDP (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 18
Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]
lowest 10%: 2.5% | highest 10%: 32.7% (2005)
Imports [time series]
$3.061 billion (2015 est.) | $4.046 billion (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 142
Imports - commodities [time series]
machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, construction materials
Imports - partners [time series]
China 21.4%, France 19.6%, US 6.6%, Benin 4.7%, Netherlands 4% (2015)
Industrial production growth rate [time series]
2.5% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 86
Industries [time series]
petroleum extraction and refining; manganese, gold; chemicals, ship repair, food and beverages, textiles, lumbering and plywood, cement
Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]
0.6% (2015 est.) | 4.7% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 54
Labor force [time series]
660,900 (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 154
Labor force - by occupation [time series]
agriculture: 60% | industry: 15% | services: 25% (2000 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares [time series]
$NA
Population below poverty line [time series]
NA%
Public debt [time series]
39.3% of GDP (2015 est.) | 31.1% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 117
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold [time series]
$1.878 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $2.495 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 118
Stock of broad money [time series]
$4.545 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $4.421 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 134
Stock of domestic credit [time series]
$2.382 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $2.3 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 137
Stock of narrow money [time series]
$2.251 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $2.448 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 124
Taxes and other revenues [time series]
21.3% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 147
Unemployment rate [time series]
21% (2006 est.) | country comparison to the world: 171
Energy
Carbon dioxide emissions (Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy) [time series]
6 million Mt (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 126
Crude oil - exports [time series]
200,000 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 30
Crude oil - imports [time series]
0 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 194
Crude oil - production [time series]
213,300 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 36
Crude oil - proved reserves [time series]
2 billion bbl (1 January 2016 es) | country comparison to the world: 36
Electricity - consumption [time series]
2.1 billion kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 145
Electricity - exports [time series]
0 kWh (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 142
Electricity - from fossil fuels [time series]
59% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 137
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants [time series]
41% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 58
Electricity - from nuclear fuels [time series]
0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 96
Electricity - from other renewable sources [time series]
0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 175
Electricity - imports [time series]
400 million kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 153
Electricity - installed generating capacity [time series]
600,000 kW (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 144
Electricity - production [time series]
2.3 billion kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 138
Electricity access [time series]
population without electricity: 200,000 | electrification - total population: 89% | electrification - urban areas: 97% | electrification - rural areas: 38% (2013)
Natural gas - consumption [time series]
420 million cu m (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 101
Natural gas - exports [time series]
0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 103
Natural gas - imports [time series]
0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 200
Natural gas - production [time series]
420 million cu m (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 73
Natural gas - proved reserves [time series]
28.32 billion cu m (1 January 2016 es) | country comparison to the world: 69
Refined petroleum products - consumption [time series]
19,000 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 132
Refined petroleum products - exports [time series]
7,212 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 92
Refined petroleum products - imports [time series]
5,364 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 161
Refined petroleum products - production [time series]
21,750 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 94
Geography
Area [time series]
total: 267,667 sq km | land: 257,667 sq km | water: 10,000 sq km | country comparison to the world: 77
Area - comparative [time series]
slightly smaller than Colorado
Climate [time series]
tropical; always hot, humid
Coastline [time series]
885 km
Elevation [time series]
mean elevation: 377 m | elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m | highest point: Mont Iboundji 1,575 m
Environment - current issues [time series]
deforestation; poaching
International environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling | signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geographic coordinates [time series]
1 00 S, 11 45 E
Geography - note [time series]
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 [time series]
40 sq km (2012)
Land boundaries [time series]
total: 3,261 km | border countries (3): Cameroon 349 km, Republic of the Congo 2,567 km, Equatorial Guinea 345 km
Land use [time series]
agricultural land: 19% | arable land 1.2%; permanent crops 0.6%; permanent pasture 17.2% | forest: 81% | other: 0% (2011 est.)
Location [time series]
Central Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea
Map references [time series]
Africa
Maritime claims [time series]
territorial sea: 12 nm | contiguous zone: 24 nm | exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Natural hazards [time series]
NA
Natural resources [time series]
petroleum, natural gas, diamond, niobium, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore, hydropower
Terrain [time series]
narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south
Government
Administrative divisions [time series]
9 provinces; Estuaire, Haut-Ogooue, Moyen-Ogooue, Ngounie, Nyanga, Ogooue-Ivindo, Ogooue-Lolo, Ogooue-Maritime, Woleu-Ntem
Capital [time series]
name: Libreville | geographic coordinates: 0 23 N, 9 27 E | time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Citizenship [time series]
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 [time series]
previous 1961; latest drafted May 1990, adopted 15 March 1991, promulgated 26 March 1991; amended several times, last in 2011 (2016)
Country name [time series]
conventional long form: Gabonese Republic | conventional short form: Gabon | local long form: Republique 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 [time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador Cythia AKUETTEH (since 13 August 2014); note - also accredited to Sao Tome and Principe | embassy: Boulevard du Bord de Mer, Libreville | mailing address: Centre Ville, B. P. 4000, Libreville; pouch: 2270 Libreville Place, Washington, DC 20521-2270 | telephone: [241] 01-45-71-00 | FAX: [241] 01-74-55-07
Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador Michael MOUSSA-NDONG (since September 19, 2011) | chancery: 2034 20th Street NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20009 | telephone: [1] (202) 797-1000 | FAX: [1] (301) 332-0668
Executive branch [time series]
chief of state: President Ali BONGO Ondimba (since 16 October 2009) | head of government: Prime Minister Emmanuel ISSOZE-NGONDET (since 29 September 2016) | cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the president | elections/appointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 7-year term (no term limits); election last held on 27 August 2016 (next to be held in August 2023); prime minister appointed by the president | election results: Ali BONGO Ondimba re-elected president; percent of vote - Ali BONGO Ondimba (PDG) 49.8%, Jean PING (UFC) 48.2%, other 2.0%
Flag (Flag description) [time series]
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 [time series]
presidential republic
Independence [time series]
17 August 1960 (from France)
International law organization participation [time series]
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
International organization participation [time series]
ACP, AfDB, AU, 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, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Judicial branch [time series]
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 7-year, single renewable terms | subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; county courts; military courts
Legal system [time series]
mixed legal system of French civil law and customary law
Legislative branch [time series]
description: bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or Senat (number of seats not fixed; members indirectly elected by municipal councils and departmental assemblies by absolute majority vote in two rounds; members serve 6-year terms) and the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (120 seats; members elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in two rounds if needed; members serve 5-year terms) | elections: Senate - last held on 13 December 2014 (next to be held in January 2021); National Assembly - last held on 17 December 2011 (next to be held in December 2016) | election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDG 81, CLR 7, PSD 2, ADERE-UPG 1, UPG 1, PGCI 1, independent 7; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDG 114, RPG 3, other 3
National anthem(s) (National anthem) [time series]
name: "La Concorde" (The Concorde) | lyrics/music: Georges Aleka DAMAS | note: adopted 1960
National holiday [time series]
Independence Day, 17 August (1960)
National symbol(s) [time series]
black panther; national colors: green, yellow, blue
Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]
Circle of Liberal Reformers or CLR [General Jean-Boniface ASSELE] | Democratic and Republican Alliance or ADERE [DIDJOB Divungui di Ndinge] | Gabonese Democratic Party or PDG [Ali BONGO Ondimba] | Independent Center Party of Gabon or PGCI [Luccheri GAHILA] | National Rally of Woodcutters-Democratic or RNB-D [Pierre Andre KOMBILA] | Social Democratic Party or PSD [Pierre Claver MAGANGA-MOUSSAVOU] | Union for the New Republic or UPRN [Louis Gaston MAYILA] | Union of Gabonese People or UPG [Richard MOULOMBA] | United Forced for Change or UFC [Jean PING]
Political parties (Political pressure groups and leaders) [time series]
NA
Suffrage [time series]
18 years of age; universal
Introduction
Background [time series]
El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba - one of the longest-serving heads of state in the world - dominated the country's political scene for four decades (1967-2009) following independence from France in 1960. President BONGO introduced a nominal multiparty system and a new constitution in the early 1990s. However, allegations of electoral fraud during local elections in December 2002 and the presidential election in 2005 exposed the weaknesses of formal political structures in Gabon. Following President BONGO's death in 2009, a new election brought Ali BONGO Ondimba, son of the former president, to power. Despite constrained political conditions, Gabon's small population, abundant natural resources, and considerable foreign support have helped make it one of the more stable African countries.
Military and Security
Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]
Gabonese Defense Forces (Forces de Defense Gabonaise): Land Force (Force Terrestre), Gabonese Navy (Marine Gabonaise), Gabonese Air Forces (Forces Aerienne Gabonaises, FAG) (2012)
Military expenditures [time series]
1.34% of GDP (2012) | NA% (2011) | 1.34% of GDP (2010) | country comparison to the world: 76
Military service age and obligation [time series]
20 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)
People and Society
Age structure [time series]
0-14 years: 41.98% (male 366,875/female 363,031) | 15-24 years: 20.37% (male 177,501/female 176,653) | 25-54 years: 29.59% (male 257,841/female 256,604) | 55-64 years: 4.28% (male 35,895/female 38,533) | 65 years and over: 3.77% (male 28,137/female 37,471) (2016 est.)
Birth rate [time series]
34.3 births/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 23
Children under the age of 5 years underweight [time series]
6.5% (2012) | country comparison to the world: 79
Contraceptive prevalence rate [time series]
31.1% (2012)
Death rate [time series]
13.1 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 16
Demographic profile [time series]
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. With a fertility rate still averaging more than 4 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 [time series]
total dependency ratio: 73.1% | youth dependency ratio: 64.3% | elderly dependency ratio: 8.8% | potential support ratio: 11.3% (2015 est.)
Drinking water source [time series]
urban: 97.2% of population | rural: 66.7% of population | total: 93.2% of population | urban: 2.8% of population | rural: 33.3% of population | total: 6.8% of population (2015 est.)
Education expenditure (Education expenditures) [time series]
NA
Ethnic groups [time series]
Bantu tribes, including four major tribal groupings (Fang, Bapounou, Nzebi, Obamba); other Africans and Europeans, 154,000, including 10,700 French and 11,000 persons of dual nationality
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]
3.76% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 16
HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]
1,300 (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 61
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]
46,700 (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 57
Health expenditure (Health expenditures) [time series]
3.4% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 173
Hospital bed density [time series]
6.3 beds/1,000 population (2010)
Infant mortality rate [time series]
total: 45.1 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 52 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 38 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 43
Languages [time series]
French (official), Fang, Myene, Nzebi, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi
Life expectancy at birth [time series]
total population: 52.1 years | male: 51.6 years | female: 52.5 years (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 220
Literacy [time series]
definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 83.2% | male: 85.3% | female: 81% (2015 est.)
Major infectious diseases [time series]
degree of risk: very high | food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever | vectorborne disease: malaria and dengue fever | water contact disease: schistosomiasis | animal contact disease: rabies (2016)
Major urban areas - population [time series]
LIBREVILLE (capital) 707,000 (2015)
Maternal mortality ratio (Maternal mortality rate) [time series]
291 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 50
Median age [time series]
total: 18.6 years | male: 18.4 years | female: 18.8 years (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 207
Mother's mean age at first birth [time series]
20.3 | note: median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2012 est.)
Nationality [time series]
noun: Gabonese (singular and plural) | adjective: Gabonese
Net migration rate [time series]
-2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 166
Obesity - adult prevalence rate [time series]
15.8% (2014) | country comparison to the world: 124
Population [time series]
1,738,541 | note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 154
Population growth rate [time series]
1.92% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 52
Religions [time series]
Catholic 41.9%, Protestant 13.7%, other Christian 32.4%, Muslim 6.4%, animist 0.3%, other 0.3%, none/no answer 5% (2012 est.)
Sanitation facility access [time series]
urban: 43.4% of population | rural: 31.5% of population | total: 41.9% of population | urban: 56.6% of population | rural: 68.5% of population | total: 58.1% of population (2015 est.)
Sex ratio [time series]
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female | total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2016 est.)
Total fertility rate [time series]
4.43 children born/woman (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 28
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) (Unemployment, youth ages 15-24) [time series]
total: 35.7% | male: 30.6% | female: 41.9% (2010 est.)
Urbanization [time series]
urban population: 87.2% of total population (2015) | rate of urbanization: 2.7% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international [time series]
UN urges Equatorial Guinea and Gabon to resolve the sovereignty dispute over Gabon-occupied Mbane Island and lesser islands and to establish a maritime boundary in hydrocarbon-rich Corisco Bay
Trafficking in persons [time series]
current situation: Gabon is primarily a destination and transit country for adults and children from West and Central African countries subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; boys are forced to work as street vendors, mechanics, or in the fishing sector, while girls are subjected to domestic servitude or forced to work in markets or roadside restaurants; West African women are forced into domestic servitude or prostitution; men are reportedly forced to work on cattle farms; some foreign adults end up in forced labor in Gabon after initially seeking the help of human smugglers to help them migrate clandestinely; traffickers operate in loose, ethnic-based criminal networks, with female traffickers recruiting and facilitating the transport of victims from source countries; in some cases, families turn child victims over to traffickers, who promise paid jobs in Gabon | tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List – Gabon does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; Gabon’s existing laws do not prohibit all forms of trafficking, and the government failed to pass a legal amendment drafted in 2013 to criminalize the trafficking of adults; anti-trafficking law enforcement decreased in 2014, dropping from 50 investigations to 16, and the only defendant to face prosecution fled the country; government efforts to identify and refer victims to protective services declined from 50 child victims in 2013 to just 3 in 2014, none of whom was referred to a care facility; the government provided support to four centers offering services to orphans and vulnerable children – 14 child victims identified by an NGO received government assistance; no adult victims have been identified since 2009 (2015)
Transportation
Airports [time series]
44 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 99
Airports - with paved runways [time series]
total: 14 | over 3,047 m: 1 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 9 | 914 to 1,523 m: 1 | under 914 m: 1 (2013)
Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]
total: 30 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 | 914 to 1,523 m: 9 | under 914 m: 14 (2013)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix [time series]
TR (2016)
Merchant marine [time series]
registered in other countries: 2 (Cambodia 1, Panama 1) (2010) | country comparison to the world: 140
National air transport system [time series]
number of registered air carriers: 5 | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 7 | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 137,331 | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 0 mt-km (2015)
Pipelines [time series]
gas 807 km; oil 1,639 km; water 3 km (2013)
Ports (Ports and terminals) [time series]
major seaport(s): Libreville, Owendo, Port-Gentil | oil terminal(s): Gamba, Lucina
Railways [time series]
total: 649 km | standard gauge: 649 km 1.435-m gauge (2014) | country comparison to the world: 107
Roadways [time series]
total: 9,170 km | paved: 1,097 km | unpaved: 8,073 km (2007) | country comparison to the world: 139
Waterways [time series]
1,600 km (310 km on Ogooue River) (2010) | country comparison to the world: 49