Equatorial Guinea vs Gabon
Equatorial Guinea vs Gabon: Government debt
Government debt: 35% of GDP in Equatorial Guinea in 2024 and 84.2% of GDP in Gabon in 2025, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Gabon, by 35.9 percentage points, or 2.03 times that in Equatorial Guinea.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Gabon has been higher since 1997, when it overtook Equatorial Guinea.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Equatorial Guinea at 44.1% of GDP and Gabon at 123.8% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Equatorial Guinea | Gabon |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 35.4 | 84.2 |
| 2024 | 35 | 70.9 |
| 2023 | 38.5 | 70.6 |
| 2022 | 29.8 | 65.6 |
| 2021 | 42.3 | 72.9 |
| 2020 | 49.4 | 83 |
| 2019 | 43.2 | 59.8 |
| 2018 | 40.6 | 62.3 |
| 2017 | 36.2 | 62.9 |
| 2016 | 41.1 | 64.5 |
| 2015 | 31.7 | 44.7 |
| 2014 | 12.6 | 34.1 |
| 2013 | 6.3 | 31.1 |
| 2012 | 7.1 | 21.4 |
| 2011 | 7.2 | 21.4 |
| 2010 | 7.9 | 21.3 |
| 2009 | 4.3 | 26 |
| 2008 | 0.5 | 20.1 |
| 2007 | 0.8 | 39.2 |
| 2006 | 1.2 | 34.9 |
| 2005 | 2.8 | 41.7 |
| 2004 | 4.5 | 60.3 |
| 2003 | 6.8 | 70.2 |
| 2002 | 19.5 | 81.1 |
| 2001 | 25.5 | 81 |
| 2000 | 36.6 | 72.5 |
| 1999 | 60.5 | 73.1 |
| 1998 | 59.2 | 87.6 |
| 1997 | 46.3 | 57 |
| 1996 | 91.2 | 64.6 |
| 1995 | 136.9 | 73.4 |
| 1994 | 216 | 71.3 |
| 1993 | 152.6 | 90.1 |
| 1992 | 136.9 | 87.9 |
| 1991 | 169.5 | 89.4 |
| 1990 | 157 | 90 |
| 1989 | 187 | – |
| 1988 | 154.5 | – |
| 1987 | 141.3 | – |
| 1986 | 152.5 | – |
| 1985 | 183.8 | – |
| 1984 | 257.9 | – |
| 1983 | 259.3 | – |
| 1982 | 260.7 | – |
| 1981 | 221.1 | – |
| 1980 | 146.2 | – |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Equatorial Guinea | Gabon |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 32.9 | 83.7 |
| 2027 | 36 | 92.4 |
| 2028 | 38.7 | 101.9 |
| 2029 | 40.9 | 109.5 |
| 2030 | 42.3 | 116.8 |
| 2031 | 44.1 | 123.8 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the government owes, as a share of the economy’s yearly output.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 149 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Equatorial Guinea vs Gabon
Health
- Life expectancyEquatorial Guinea: 63.7 years in 2023Gabon: 68.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityEquatorial Guinea: 6.8 per 100 live births in 2024Gabon: 3.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityEquatorial Guinea: 52.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023Gabon: 27.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionEquatorial Guinea: 4.17% in 2017Gabon: 4.05% in 2017
- Suicide rateEquatorial Guinea: 9.3 per 100,000 people in 2017Gabon: 12.5 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationEquatorial Guinea: 1.85 million people in 2023Gabon: 2.49 million people in 2023
- Population growthEquatorial Guinea: 2.39% a year in 2023Gabon: 2.18% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateEquatorial Guinea: 4.08 births per woman in 2023Gabon: 3.65 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationEquatorial Guinea: 71.6% in 2025Gabon: 92.1% in 2025
- Median ageEquatorial Guinea: 21 years in 2023Gabon: 21.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overEquatorial Guinea: 3.6% in 2023Gabon: 4% in 2023
- Net migration rateEquatorial Guinea: 2.2 per 1,000 people in 2023Gabon: 0.4 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingEquatorial Guinea: 0.9% of GDP in 2025Gabon: 1.66% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsEquatorial Guinea: $113M in 2025Gabon: $337M in 2025
- Military spending per personEquatorial Guinea: $63 in 2025Gabon: $139 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingEquatorial Guinea: 4.7% of government spending in 2025Gabon: 6.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelEquatorial Guinea: 1,000 people in 2020Gabon: 7,000 people in 2020
- National powerEquatorial Guinea: 0.02% of world capability in 2022Gabon: 0.02% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersEquatorial Guinea: 0.16% of the labour force in 2020Gabon: 1% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsEquatorial Guinea: 12 million TIV in 2024Gabon: 6 million TIV in 2024