Gabon

Gabon: sluggish, near-stagnant growth, 1980–2024

Oil revenue gave Gabon one of sub-Saharan Africa's higher per-capita incomes, but output has fallen from its 1990s peak and the economy still leans on oil, manganese, and timber; a 2023 coup ended the Bongo family's 56-year rule. Between 1980 and 2024, Gabon's GDP per capita grew from $5,718 to $8,230 (current US$), a compound annual growth rate of 0.8% — sluggish, near-stagnant growth. Annual GDP growth averaged 2.2% with a year-to-year standard deviation of 4.8 points, reflecting considerable volatility and periodic crises. Structurally, agriculture's share of the economy moved from 6.8% to 6.6% of GDP (a classic decline as the economy industrialized/modernized), while services rose from 32.8% to 36.8% of GDP, underscoring a shift toward a services-driven economy. On human development, life expectancy rose from 57.9 to 68.5 years, while tertiary school enrollment moved from 2.9% to 7.7%, while the urban population share grew from 55.2% to 91.9%.

What this growth cost: Growth was not without cost: per-capita CO2 emissions fell from 8.22 to 2.05 tonnes CO2e per person; income inequality (Gini index) narrowed from 42.2 to 38.0; the poverty headcount ratio fell from 9.2% to 3.8%.