Unemployment rate in Gabon
Gabon: Unemployment rate was 20.15 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
20.15
Change on year
up 0.3%
World rank
6th
of 186 countries
All-time high
21.28
in 2020
All-time low
16.91
in 2005
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Unemployment rate in Gabon, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment rate in Gabon is 20.15, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 1.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Gabon peaked at 21.28 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 16.91, in 2005.
That places Gabon 6th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment rate in Gabon, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 17.22 | — |
| 1992 | 17.72 | +2.9% |
| 1993 | 17.78 | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 17.8 | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 17.39 | -2.3% |
| 1996 | 17.32 | -0.4% |
| 1997 | 17.17 | -0.9% |
| 1998 | 17.15 | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 17.6 | +2.6% |
| 2000 | 17.85 | +1.4% |
| 2001 | 17.83 | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 17.38 | -2.5% |
| 2003 | 17.13 | -1.4% |
| 2004 | 17.11 | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 16.91 | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 17.8 | +5.3% |
| 2007 | 18.26 | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 19.21 | +5.2% |
| 2009 | 19.76 | +2.9% |
| 2010 | 20.39 | +3.2% |
| 2011 | 19.89 | -2.4% |
| 2012 | 19.66 | -1.2% |
| 2013 | 19.74 | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 19.87 | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 19.94 | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 20.12 | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 20.31 | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 20.46 | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 20.37 | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 21.28 | +4.5% |
| 2021 | 21.22 | -0.3% |
| 2022 | 20.32 | -4.3% |
| 2023 | 20.16 | -0.8% |
| 2024 | 20.09 | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 20.15 | +0.3% |
Gabon compared with similar countries
- Gabon's 20.15 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.63, 3.6× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Gabon's 20.15 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.45, 3.7× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 17.46 | 17.15 | 17.8 | 9 |
| 2000s | 17.92 | 16.91 | 19.76 | 10 |
| 2010s | 20.08 | 19.66 | 20.46 | 10 |
| 2020s | 20.54 | 20.09 | 21.28 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Gabon
More work & labour data for Gabon
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.6318 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.6403 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.6237 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.4321 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 1.39 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 3,339 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 176.73 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 3,488 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 3,415 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 6,903 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rate in Gabon?
- Unemployment rate in Gabon was 20.15 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in Gabon?
- The highest recorded value was 21.28 in 2020.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Gabon?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.91 in 2005.
- How does Gabon rank for unemployment rate?
- Gabon ranks 6th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Gabon?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Gabon data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).