SafekipediaDemographics of Gabon
Adapted from Wikipedia · Discoverer experience
Gabon is a country in Africa with a population of about 2.2 million people as of 2020. Many people in Gabon are young, with over a third of the population under 15 years old. Only a small part, about 4%, of the population is older than 65.
In Gabon, there are almost equal numbers of males and females. For every 100 females, there are about 99 males. The life expectancy in Gabon is lower than the world's average, at around 53 years, compared to the global average of 67 years.
The largest group of people in Gabon are the Fang people, making up about a third of the country's population. Most people in Gabon follow Christianity, with between 55% and 75% of the population identifying as Christian.
Population
The population of Gabon was about 2,341,179 in 2021, which is much larger than the 469,000 people living there in 1950. In 2010, many people were children, with 35.5% being under 15 years old. Most people, about 60.2%, were between 15 and 65 years old, and only 4.3% were older than 65.
| Year | Total population | Population percent | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| aged 0–14 | aged 15–64 | aged 65+ | ||
| 1950 | 469 000 | 28.4% | 64.3% | 7.3% |
| 1955 | 476 000 | 29.4% | 63.5% | 7.1% |
| 1960 | 486 000 | 30.3% | 62.6% | 7.1% |
| 1965 | 502 000 | 31.9% | 61.1% | 7.1% |
| 1970 | 530 000 | 33.0% | 59.9% | 7.1% |
| 1975 | 595 000 | 35.2% | 58.0% | 6.8% |
| 1980 | 683 000 | 37.7% | 55.9% | 6.4% |
| 1985 | 794 000 | 40.0% | 54.0% | 6.0% |
| 1990 | 929 000 | 41.4% | 53.0% | 5.6% |
| 1995 | 1 087 000 | 42.0% | 52.8% | 5.1% |
| 2000 | 1 235 000 | 41.0% | 54.3% | 4.8% |
| 2005 | 1 371 000 | 38.6% | 57.0% | 4.4% |
| 2010 | 1 505 000 | 35.5% | 60.2% | 4.3% |
| Age group | Male (%) | Female (%) | Total (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 16.0 | 14.3 | 15.1 |
| 5–9 | 12.4 | 12.4 | 12.4 |
| 10–14 | 12.0 | 12.5 | 12.3 |
| 15–19 | 9.6 | 9.9 | 9.7 |
| 20–24 | 7.6 | 9.6 | 8.7 |
| 25–29 | 7.5 | 8.4 | 8.0 |
| 30–34 | 7.8 | 7.0 | 7.4 |
| 35–39 | 6.6 | 5.4 | 5.9 |
| 40–44 | 5.4 | 4.4 | 4.9 |
| 45–49 | 4.1 | 3.3 | 3.7 |
| 50–54 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 3.8 |
| 55–59 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 2.1 |
| 60–64 | 2.6 | 1.7 | 2.1 |
| 65–69 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 1.2 |
| 70–74 | 0.9 | 1.3 | 1.1 |
| 75–79 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.6 |
| 80+ | 0.5 | 1.3 | 0.9 |
| Age group | Male (%) | Female (%) | Total (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–14 | 40.4 | 39.2 | 39.8 |
| 15–64 | 56.5 | 56.1 | 56.4 |
| 65+ | 3.1 | 4.7 | 3.8 |
Vital statistics
The records of births and deaths in Gabon are not fully kept. The United Nations helped make some guesses about the numbers. These guesses help us understand how many people live in Gabon and how the numbers change over time.
Demographic and Health Surveys
We have information about how many babies are born and how many people want to have babies. This helps us learn about the growth of Gabon's population.
millionyear0.30.60.91.21.51.82.12.42.7195019601970198019902000201020202030population (million)Gabon Population
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‰years51015202530194019601980200020202040Natural change (per 1000)Gabon Population Change
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‰years0306090120150180195019601970198019902000201020202030Infant Mortality (per 1000 live births)Gabon Infant Mortality
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TFRyears3.544.555.56194019601980200020202040Total Fertility RateTotal Fertility Rate
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Fertility data as of 2012 (DHS Program):
Life expectancy
| Mid-year population (thousands) | Live births (thousands) | Deaths (thousands) | Natural change (thousands) | Crude birth rate (per 1000) | Crude death rate (per 1000) | Natural change (per 1000) | Total fertility rate (TFR) | Infant mortality (per 1000 live births) | Life expectancy (in years) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 473 | 14 | 11 | 3 | 30.2 | 24.1 | 6.0 | 3.95 | 158.6 | 39.63 |
| 1951 | 476 | 14 | 11 | 3 | 30.1 | 23.8 | 6.3 | 3.95 | 154.9 | 40.34 |
| 1952 | 479 | 14 | 11 | 3 | 30.1 | 23.5 | 6.6 | 3.97 | 151.3 | 41.04 |
| 1953 | 482 | 15 | 11 | 3 | 30.1 | 23.0 | 7.1 | 3.99 | 147.7 | 41.81 |
| 1954 | 486 | 15 | 11 | 4 | 30.2 | 22.8 | 7.4 | 4.03 | 144.3 | 42.43 |
| 1955 | 489 | 15 | 11 | 4 | 30.3 | 22.3 | 8.0 | 4.07 | 140.7 | 43.18 |
| 1956 | 494 | 15 | 11 | 4 | 30.5 | 22.0 | 8.5 | 4.12 | 137.2 | 43.90 |
| 1957 | 498 | 15 | 11 | 5 | 30.7 | 21.6 | 9.1 | 4.17 | 133.8 | 44.60 |
| 1958 | 503 | 16 | 11 | 5 | 31.1 | 21.3 | 9.8 | 4.25 | 130.5 | 45.28 |
| 1959 | 508 | 16 | 11 | 5 | 31.5 | 21.0 | 10.5 | 4.34 | 127.4 | 45.90 |
| 1960 | 513 | 16 | 11 | 6 | 31.9 | 20.6 | 11.3 | 4.42 | 124.1 | 46.58 |
| 1961 | 519 | 17 | 11 | 6 | 32.3 | 20.3 | 11.9 | 4.50 | 121.0 | 47.23 |
| 1962 | 526 | 17 | 11 | 7 | 32.6 | 20.0 | 12.6 | 4.59 | 118.0 | 47.84 |
| 1963 | 533 | 18 | 10 | 7 | 32.9 | 19.7 | 13.2 | 4.65 | 115.0 | 48.48 |
| 1964 | 540 | 18 | 10 | 7 | 33.1 | 19.3 | 13.8 | 4.71 | 112.2 | 49.05 |
| 1965 | 548 | 18 | 10 | 8 | 33.5 | 18.9 | 14.5 | 4.79 | 109.4 | 49.75 |
| 1966 | 556 | 19 | 10 | 8 | 33.8 | 18.6 | 15.2 | 4.86 | 106.7 | 50.35 |
| 1967 | 564 | 19 | 10 | 9 | 34.1 | 18.3 | 15.8 | 4.92 | 104.0 | 50.89 |
| 1968 | 574 | 20 | 10 | 9 | 34.4 | 18.0 | 16.4 | 4.98 | 101.4 | 51.44 |
| 1969 | 585 | 20 | 10 | 10 | 34.7 | 17.7 | 17.1 | 5.05 | 98.8 | 51.96 |
| 1970 | 597 | 21 | 10 | 11 | 35.1 | 17.3 | 17.8 | 5.10 | 96.3 | 52.56 |
| 1971 | 610 | 22 | 10 | 11 | 35.6 | 17.0 | 18.6 | 5.16 | 93.9 | 53.07 |
| 1972 | 622 | 22 | 10 | 12 | 36.0 | 16.6 | 19.4 | 5.24 | 91.5 | 53.61 |
| 1973 | 635 | 23 | 10 | 13 | 36.3 | 16.3 | 19.9 | 5.29 | 89.2 | 54.06 |
| 1974 | 649 | 24 | 10 | 13 | 36.5 | 16.0 | 20.5 | 5.33 | 86.9 | 54.57 |
| 1975 | 663 | 24 | 10 | 14 | 36.9 | 15.7 | 21.2 | 5.39 | 84.6 | 55.04 |
| 1976 | 679 | 25 | 10 | 15 | 37.3 | 15.3 | 22.0 | 5.46 | 82.4 | 55.57 |
| 1977 | 695 | 26 | 10 | 16 | 37.7 | 15.0 | 22.7 | 5.52 | 80.3 | 56.09 |
| 1978 | 712 | 27 | 10 | 17 | 38.0 | 14.6 | 23.4 | 5.57 | 78.2 | 56.66 |
| 1979 | 730 | 28 | 10 | 17 | 38.2 | 14.3 | 23.9 | 5.61 | 76.1 | 57.05 |
| 1980 | 749 | 29 | 11 | 18 | 38.5 | 14.0 | 24.5 | 5.66 | 74.1 | 57.45 |
| 1981 | 769 | 30 | 11 | 19 | 38.9 | 13.8 | 25.1 | 5.73 | 72.2 | 57.82 |
| 1982 | 790 | 31 | 11 | 20 | 38.9 | 13.5 | 25.4 | 5.74 | 70.3 | 58.11 |
| 1983 | 811 | 32 | 11 | 21 | 39.0 | 13.2 | 25.9 | 5.76 | 68.6 | 58.60 |
| 1984 | 833 | 32 | 11 | 22 | 38.9 | 12.9 | 26.0 | 5.73 | 67.0 | 58.89 |
| 1985 | 856 | 33 | 11 | 22 | 38.8 | 12.5 | 26.3 | 5.71 | 65.5 | 59.31 |
| 1986 | 880 | 34 | 11 | 23 | 38.7 | 12.3 | 26.4 | 5.69 | 64.1 | 59.64 |
| 1987 | 905 | 35 | 11 | 24 | 38.7 | 12.0 | 26.7 | 5.67 | 62.9 | 59.89 |
| 1988 | 930 | 36 | 11 | 25 | 38.5 | 11.8 | 26.6 | 5.62 | 61.8 | 60.01 |
| 1989 | 957 | 36 | 11 | 25 | 38.1 | 11.6 | 26.5 | 5.55 | 60.8 | 60.27 |
| 1990 | 983 | 37 | 11 | 26 | 37.6 | 11.4 | 26.2 | 5.46 | 60.0 | 60.31 |
| 1991 | 1 010 | 38 | 11 | 26 | 37.2 | 11.3 | 26.0 | 5.37 | 59.3 | 60.40 |
| 1992 | 1 037 | 38 | 11 | 27 | 36.8 | 11.1 | 25.8 | 5.29 | 58.6 | 60.55 |
| 1993 | 1 065 | 39 | 12 | 27 | 36.4 | 10.9 | 25.5 | 5.19 | 58.1 | 60.72 |
| 1994 | 1 094 | 39 | 12 | 27 | 35.6 | 10.8 | 24.8 | 5.04 | 57.7 | 60.70 |
| 1995 | 1 122 | 39 | 12 | 27 | 34.8 | 10.6 | 24.2 | 4.88 | 57.3 | 60.70 |
| 1996 | 1 151 | 39 | 12 | 27 | 34.2 | 10.5 | 23.7 | 4.74 | 57.0 | 60.61 |
| 1997 | 1 180 | 40 | 12 | 28 | 34.0 | 10.4 | 23.6 | 4.66 | 56.6 | 60.66 |
| 1998 | 1 210 | 41 | 12 | 28 | 33.8 | 10.3 | 23.5 | 4.58 | 56.1 | 60.79 |
| 1999 | 1 241 | 42 | 13 | 29 | 33.5 | 10.2 | 23.3 | 4.50 | 55.4 | 60.85 |
| 2000 | 1 273 | 43 | 13 | 30 | 33.5 | 10.0 | 23.5 | 4.47 | 54.7 | 61.07 |
| 2001 | 1 307 | 43 | 13 | 31 | 33.3 | 9.8 | 23.4 | 4.42 | 53.8 | 61.27 |
| 2002 | 1 342 | 44 | 13 | 31 | 33.1 | 9.8 | 23.3 | 4.36 | 52.9 | 61.29 |
| 2003 | 1 378 | 45 | 13 | 32 | 32.9 | 9.5 | 23.3 | 4.30 | 51.8 | 61.67 |
| 2004 | 1 417 | 46 | 13 | 33 | 32.8 | 9.4 | 23.4 | 4.25 | 50.6 | 61.84 |
| 2005 | 1 458 | 48 | 14 | 34 | 32.7 | 9.3 | 23.4 | 4.21 | 49.4 | 61.96 |
| 2006 | 1 503 | 49 | 14 | 35 | 32.7 | 9.1 | 23.6 | 4.17 | 48.2 | 62.38 |
| 2007 | 1 550 | 50 | 14 | 37 | 32.7 | 8.9 | 23.8 | 4.14 | 46.8 | 62.62 |
| 2008 | 1 600 | 52 | 14 | 38 | 32.7 | 8.7 | 24.0 | 4.12 | 45.4 | 63.08 |
| 2009 | 1 654 | 54 | 14 | 40 | 33.0 | 8.6 | 24.4 | 4.14 | 43.9 | 63.30 |
| 2010 | 1 711 | 57 | 14 | 42 | 33.2 | 8.3 | 24.9 | 4.15 | 42.4 | 63.90 |
| 2011 | 1 773 | 59 | 14 | 44 | 33.2 | 8.2 | 25.0 | 4.15 | 41.0 | 64.05 |
| 2012 | 1 837 | 60 | 14 | 45 | 32.7 | 7.9 | 24.8 | 4.09 | 39.7 | 64.59 |
| 2013 | 1 902 | 61 | 15 | 46 | 32.2 | 7.8 | 24.4 | 4.02 | 38.4 | 64.78 |
| 2014 | 1 967 | 62 | 15 | 47 | 31.6 | 7.7 | 24.0 | 3.95 | 37.0 | 64.97 |
| 2015 | 2 029 | 63 | 15 | 48 | 31.0 | 7.4 | 23.6 | 3.92 | 35.6 | 65.46 |
| 2016 | 2 086 | 63 | 15 | 48 | 30.4 | 7.2 | 23.1 | 3.92 | 33.8 | 65.80 |
| 2017 | 2 140 | 64 | 15 | 48 | 29.7 | 7.1 | 22.7 | 3.91 | 32.6 | 66.19 |
| 2018 | 2 192 | 64 | 15 | 48 | 29.0 | 7.0 | 22.0 | 3.91 | 31.6 | 66.31 |
| 2019 | 2 243 | 64 | 15 | 48 | 28.4 | 6.9 | 21.5 | 3.88 | 30.9 | 66.60 |
| 2020 | 2 295 | 69 | 16 | 53 | 29.5 | 6.8 | 22.7 | 3.83 | 30.4 | 67.1 |
| 2021 | 2 350 | 69 | 16 | 53 | 28.9 | 6.8 | 22. | 3.78 | 29.4 | 67.1 |
| 2022 | 2 404 | 69 | 16 | 53 | 28.3 | 6.5 | 21.8 | 3.71 | 28.4 | 67.7 |
| 2023 | 2 458 | 69 | 16 | 53 | 27.7 | 6.3 | 21.4 | 3.65 | 27.5 | 68.3 |
| 2024 | 27.1 | 6.2 | 20.9 | 3.59 | ||||||
| 2025 | 26.6 | 6.2 | 20.5 | 3.54 | ||||||
| Year | Total | Urban | Rural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CBR | TFR | CBR | TFR | CBR | TFR | |
| 2000 | 33.1 | 4.3 (3.5) | 33.3 | 3.9 (3.2) | 32.4 | 5.7 (4.7) |
| 2012 | 33.3 | 4.1 (3.2) | 33.2 | 3.9 (3.0) | 33.4 | 6.1 (4.6) |
| 2019–2021 | 31.3 | 3.9 (3.2) | 31.6 | 3.8 (3.1) | 28.9 | 5.4 (4.1) |
| Province | Total fertility rate | Percentage of women age 15–49 currently pregnant | Mean number of children ever born to women age 40–49 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Libreville/Port-Gentil | 3.5 | 9.3 | 4.4 |
| Estuaire (except Libreville) | 4.1 | 8.6 | 5.2 |
| Haut-Ogooué | 4.9 | 10.3 | 5.8 |
| Moyen-Ogooué | 4.9 | 8.9 | 5.4 |
| Ngounié | 5.7 | 10.9 | 6.0 |
| Nyanga | 5.7 | 10.7 | 6.2 |
| Ogooué Maritime (except Port-Gentil) | 4.8 | 9.8 | 4.6 |
| Ogooué-Ivindo | 6.7 | 14.0 | 6.6 |
| Ogooué-Lolo | 5.3 | 11.3 | 5.9 |
| Woleu-N’tem | 5.0 | 9.8 | 4.7 |
| Period | Life expectancy in Years |
|---|---|
| 1950–1955 | 37.00 |
| 1955–1960 |  39.00 |
| 1960–1965 | 40.50 |
| 1965–1970 | 44.65 |
| 1970–1975 | 48.78 |
| 1975–1980 | 52.91 |
| 1980–1985 | 57.03 |
| 1985–1990 | 60.70 |
| 1990–1995 | 61.01 |
| 1995–2000 |  60.03 |
| 2000–2005 | 59.07 |
| 2005–2010 | 61.34 |
| 2010–2015 | 64.45 |
Ethnic groups
Gabon is home to many different groups of people. The largest groups are from the Bantu people, including the Fang, Eshira, Punu, and Teke. There are also other African groups, such as the Babongo tribe, who used to live in the forests.
2012 Census
| Groups | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Gabonese-born | 80.1% |
| Fang | 23.2% |
| Shira-Punu/Vili | 18.9% |
| Nzabi-Duma | 11.3% |
| Mbede-Teke | 6.9% |
| Myene | 5% |
| Kola-Kele | 4.9% |
| Okande-Tsogo | 2.1% |
| Pygmy | 0.3% |
| Other Gabonese Groups | 7.5% |
| Other | 19.9% |
| Cameroonian | 4.6% |
| Malian | 2.4% |
| Beninese | 2.1% |
| Acquired Gabonese Nationality | 1.6% |
| Togolese | 1.6% |
| Senegalese | 1.1% |
| Congolese (Brazzaville) | 1% |
| Other (Includes Congolese (Kinshasa), Equatorial Guinean, Nigerian ) | 5.5% |
Language and religion
Main article: Religion in Gabon
People in Gabon follow many different religions. About 43.5% are Roman Catholic, 36% are Protestant or other Christians, 10% are Muslim, and 3.3% practice animist beliefs. Another 6% have other religions, and 1.2% do not follow any specific religion.
The main language spoken in Gabon is French, which became official during colonial times. Other languages spoken there include Fang, Myene, the Teke group, Punu, and Njebi.
Recent studies show that many younger people in cities now grow up speaking French as their first language. This happens because families with parents from different ethnic groups often use French at home so everyone can understand each other better. As a result, children learn French before they even start school, and some may not learn the traditional Gabonese languages at all. This change is also linked to how cities are growing and people from different backgrounds meet and interact more often.
Related articles
This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Demographics of Gabon, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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