Gabon — Labor participation
Labor Force Participation Rate for Gabon, 1990–2025.
Labor participation for Gabon was 51.06% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 36 years, from 1990 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 51.58% in 2022. The lowest was 47.88% in 2020 (about 1.1× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.15% per year.
Gabon ranks 159 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 85%. The median for Sub-Saharan Africa is 64.31%, so Gabon sits below it. It peaked in 2022 and has fallen 1% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved up 1%. Within Sub-Saharan Africa it ranks 42 of 47 economies; Gambia, The (47.46%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was down 7% in 2020.
Data highlights
World ranking. Climbed: 166th of 187 in 1990 → 167th of 187 in 2000 → 160th of 187 in 2010 → 162nd of 187 in 2020 → 157th of 182 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1990 to 2025
| Year | % of population ages 15+ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 51.06% | -0.3 pp |
| 2024 | 51.32% | -0.2 pp |
| 2023 | 51.5% | -0.1 pp |
| 2022 | 51.58% | +3.1 pp |
| 2021 | 48.52% | +0.6 pp |
| 2020 | 47.88% | -3.5 pp |
| 2019 | 51.42% | +0.1 pp |
| 2018 | 51.28% | +0.2 pp |
| 2017 | 51.04% | +0.3 pp |
| 2016 | 50.76% | +0.3 pp |
| 2015 | 50.48% | +0.3 pp |
| 2014 | 50.2% | +0.3 pp |
| 2013 | 49.9% | +0.3 pp |
| 2012 | 49.62% | +0.3 pp |
| 2011 | 49.33% | +0.2 pp |
| 2010 | 49.08% | +0.2 pp |
| 2009 | 48.87% | +0.2 pp |
| 2008 | 48.62% | +0.2 pp |
| 2007 | 48.38% | +0.1 pp |
| 2006 | 48.29% | +0.2 pp |
| 2005 | 48.14% | +0.0 pp |
| 2004 | 48.1% | +0.0 pp |
| 2003 | 48.06% | -0.0 pp |
| 2002 | 48.08% | -0.0 pp |
| 2001 | 48.08% | -0.1 pp |
| 2000 | 48.13% | -0.0 pp |
| 1999 | 48.15% | +0.1 pp |
| 1998 | 48.09% | -0.1 pp |
| 1997 | 48.18% | -0.1 pp |
| 1996 | 48.3% | -0.1 pp |
| 1995 | 48.38% | -0.1 pp |
| 1994 | 48.46% | -0.1 pp |
| 1993 | 48.52% | -0.0 pp |
| 1992 | 48.56% | +0.1 pp |
| 1991 | 48.49% | -0.0 pp |
| 1990 | 48.52% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Gabon’s Labor participation in 1991?
48.49% (1991). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in % of population ages 15+, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Gabon’s Labor participation growing or shrinking?
Between 1990 and 2025 the series was growing overall: +5.2% in total — about 0.1% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SL.TLF.CACT.ZS. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2025: 51.06%; 2024: 51.32%; 2023: 51.5%; 2022: 51.58%; 2021: 48.52%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SL.TLF.CACT.ZS — Labor Force Participation Rate. Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.