Gabon — Unemployment
Unemployment Rate for Gabon, 1991–2025.
Unemployment for Gabon was 20.15% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 35 years, from 1991 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 21.28% in 2020. The lowest was 16.91% in 2005 (about 1.2× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.46% per year.
Gabon ranks 6 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 3%. The median for Sub-Saharan Africa is 5.45%, so Gabon sits above it. It peaked in 2020 and has fallen 5% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved up 1%. Within Sub-Saharan Africa it ranks 4 of 47 economies; Congo, Rep. (19.88%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 5% in 2006.
Data highlights
Doubling roughly every 150 years at that pace.
World ranking. Climbed: 18th of 187 in 1991 → 17th of 187 in 2000 → 8th of 187 in 2010 → 7th of 187 in 2020 → 5th of 182 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1991 to 2025
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 20.15% | +0.1 pp |
| 2024 | 20.09% | -0.1 pp |
| 2023 | 20.16% | -0.2 pp |
| 2022 | 20.32% | -0.9 pp |
| 2021 | 21.22% | -0.1 pp |
| 2020 | 21.28% | +0.9 pp |
| 2019 | 20.37% | -0.1 pp |
| 2018 | 20.46% | +0.2 pp |
| 2017 | 20.31% | +0.2 pp |
| 2016 | 20.12% | +0.2 pp |
| 2015 | 19.94% | +0.1 pp |
| 2014 | 19.87% | +0.1 pp |
| 2013 | 19.74% | +0.1 pp |
| 2012 | 19.66% | -0.2 pp |
| 2011 | 19.9% | -0.5 pp |
| 2010 | 20.39% | +0.6 pp |
| 2009 | 19.76% | +0.5 pp |
| 2008 | 19.21% | +1.0 pp |
| 2007 | 18.26% | +0.5 pp |
| 2006 | 17.81% | +0.9 pp |
| 2005 | 16.91% | -0.2 pp |
| 2004 | 17.11% | -0.0 pp |
| 2003 | 17.13% | -0.3 pp |
| 2002 | 17.38% | -0.5 pp |
| 2001 | 17.83% | -0.0 pp |
| 2000 | 17.85% | +0.2 pp |
| 1999 | 17.6% | +0.4 pp |
| 1998 | 17.15% | -0.0 pp |
| 1997 | 17.17% | -0.2 pp |
| 1996 | 17.33% | -0.1 pp |
| 1995 | 17.39% | -0.4 pp |
| 1994 | 17.8% | +0.0 pp |
| 1993 | 17.78% | +0.1 pp |
| 1992 | 17.72% | +0.5 pp |
| 1991 | 17.22% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Gabon’s Unemployment in 1992?
17.72% (1992). 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 total labor force, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Gabon’s Unemployment growing or shrinking?
Between 1991 and 2025 the series was growing overall: +17.0% in total — about 0.5% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SL.UEM.TOTL.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: 20.15%; 2024: 20.09%; 2023: 20.16%; 2022: 20.32%; 2021: 21.22%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS — Unemployment 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.