Gabon

With a coastline along the Atlantic Ocean, Gabon shares borders with Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and the Republic of Congo. Its population is estimated at approximately 3.5 million.

Gabon has one of the highest urbanization rates (80%) in Africa. Libreville and Port-Gentil are home to nearly 59% of the population. Half the population is under 20 years old, and fertility rates are significantly higher in rural areas (six children per woman) compared to urban areas (four children per woman).

A pioneer in ecological protection, Gabon actively works to preserve its tropical forest, making it a net carbon absorber. The country champions carbon neutrality initiatives. Gabon is also engaged in international carbon markets, aiming to leverage its forest resources for climate finance.

Its diverse ecosystem provides fertile soils, abundant coastal resources, and fisheries. However, despite its economic potential, Gabon struggles to translate resource wealth into sustainable and inclusive growth.

Political Situation

Since August 2023, Gabon has undergone profound political change. The military transition ended the long dominance of the Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG) and the Bongo family, initially welcomed by a population weary of decades of poor governance.

On November 16, 2024, a referendum approved a new constitution designed to strengthen democratic institutions, limit the concentration of power, and prevent political dynasties. It set the presidential term at seven years, renewable once, and excluded spouses and direct descendants of former presidents from eligibility.

The transition concluded with the presidential election of General Oligui Nguema on April 12, 2025, and marked the beginning of Gabon’s Fifth Republic. Legislative, local, and senatorial elections were held between September and October 2025, completing the transition process. In January 2026, President Oligui Nguema announced a government reshuffle, marking a further phase in the consolidation of the institutions of the Fifth Republic. The authorities continue to face the challenge of translating the political transition into effective governance and inclusive development.

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Gabon has been promoting economic diversification and job creation policies, with a new Development Plan recently finalized, the Plan national de croissance et développement (PNCD) 2026-2030. In 2025, GDP growth was estimated at 3.2%. Large public investments in roads, public buildings, and other infrastructure continued to benefit services and construction. However, technical incidents and ageing oilfields were estimated to have reduced oil output, whereas transport and demand issues affected manganese and timber production. Meanwhile, monthly inflation stood at 1% (y-o-y) in May 2026, below the regional convergence criterium of 3.0%. The regional central bank, the BEAC, reduced its policy rate to 4.5% in June 2026 amid contained regional inflation.

Gabon faces important fiscal and debt pressures, with a recent fiscal deterioration and rising debt and liquidity pressures that require balancing investment needs with efforts to ensure a sustainable fiscal trajectory. Higher oil prices due to the conflict in the Middle East should increase oil revenues but also the cost of fuel subsidies, but unexpected oil pipeline destruction has undermined prospects for oil export gains. Digitalization progress has been benefiting tax revenues, but public spending continues to increase in 2026 at a slower pace, mainly to cover large public works, leading to a deterioration in the fiscal balance and to rising and elevated debt levels. A debt audit was carried out in mid-2026, which will be key to improving debt transparency.

Going forward, it will be key to adopt a robust fiscal consolidation strategy, to contain spending and debt levels while enhancing domestic revenue mobilization. A sustainable fiscal path, along with reforms to improve governance and the business climate, will be essential to achieve the PNCD’s goals of generating higher growth, job creation and poverty reduction.

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The Access to Basic Services and Performance Improvement Project (PASBAP - PASBAP) preparation, aims to improve water and electricity performance, expand access to safe water, sanitation, and electricity, and establish Gabon’s first fecal sludge treatment plant. It builds on the results achieved under the Project for Access to Basic Services in Rural Areas (PASBMIR) aimed to improve electricity and water access in peri-urban and rural areas across Ngounié, Estuaire, Woleu-Ntem, and Haut-Ogooué. By July 2023, over 12,784 households were connected, 160 km of high-voltage and 140 km of low-voltage lines installed, 27 community water points built or rehabilitated, and sanitation improved in schools and health centers.

The Urban Development Project (PDUG - PDUG) supports urban livability and climate resilience in seven secondary cities. Activities include climate-resilient infrastructure, flood risk reduction, service improvements in underserved neighborhoods, and municipal capacity building.

The Digital Gabon Project (DIGITAL GABON) focuses on digital government services and legal digital identities. Objectives include improving efficiency, inclusion, and accountability, and fostering digital economy growth.

The Harmonizing and Improving Statistics in West and Central Africa - Series of Projects Two (HISWACA – SOP 2) aims to improve the country statistical performance, regional harmonization, data access and use, and to enhance the modernization of the statistical system in participating countries. Key initiatives encompass the ongoing general population census.

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On November 8, 2022, the World Bank Group approved a new Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for Gabon covering fiscal years 2023–2027. The CPF supports Gabon’s path toward sustainable and inclusive economic growth, contributing to two high-level outcomes: (i) enhanced household resilience and (ii) job creation in the non-oil private sector. The CPF was aligned with Gabon's development strategy, known as the Plan for Accelerating Transformation (PAT) at the time, as well as the World Bank’s Regional Strategy.

Gabon’s new National Growth and Development Plan (PNCD) 2026-2030 seeks a major acceleration in growth, jobs, poverty reduction, infrastructure access, digital coverage, education, health, and governance. A new CPF will be prepared to better align with the new priorities and will translate the PNCD into a selective, results-focused program centered on job creation, fiscal reform, and basic service delivery.

The World Bank’s current portfolio in Gabon includes five projects (tree national and one regional), totaling $514.5 million, focused on water, sanitation and electricity, climate-resilient urban infrastructure, and digital development and statistical capacity modernization and harmonization.

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