Population density in Gabon
Gabon: Population density was 9.64 people per sq. km of land area in 2023. ▲ Rising
Population density in Gabon, 1961–2023
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population density in Gabon is 9.64 people per sq. km of land area, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.2% on the previous year and up 29.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Gabon peaked at 9.64 people per sq. km of land area in 2023 and was at its lowest, 2.01 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
That places Gabon 201st out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Population density in Gabon, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 2.01 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 2.04 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1963 | 2.06 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 1964 | 2.09 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 1965 | 2.12 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 1966 | 2.15 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 1967 | 2.19 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 1968 | 2.22 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 1969 | 2.26 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1970 | 2.31 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1971 | 2.36 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1972 | 2.41 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1973 | 2.46 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1974 | 2.51 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1975 | 2.57 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1976 | 2.63 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1977 | 2.69 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1978 | 2.76 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1979 | 2.83 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1980 | 2.9 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1981 | 2.98 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1982 | 3.06 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1983 | 3.15 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1984 | 3.23 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1985 | 3.32 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1986 | 3.42 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1987 | 3.51 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1988 | 3.61 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1989 | 3.71 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1990 | 3.82 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1991 | 3.92 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1992 | 4.03 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1993 | 4.14 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1994 | 4.25 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1995 | 4.36 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1996 | 4.47 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1997 | 4.59 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1998 | 4.7 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1999 | 4.82 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 2000 | 4.95 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 2001 | 5.08 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 2002 | 5.22 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 2003 | 5.36 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 2004 | 5.52 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 2005 | 5.68 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 2006 | 5.85 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 2007 | 6.04 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 2008 | 6.24 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 2009 | 6.45 people per sq. km of land area | +3.4% |
| 2010 | 6.67 people per sq. km of land area | +3.5% |
| 2011 | 6.92 people per sq. km of land area | +3.6% |
| 2012 | 7.17 people per sq. km of land area | +3.6% |
| 2013 | 7.42 people per sq. km of land area | +3.6% |
| 2014 | 7.68 people per sq. km of land area | +3.4% |
| 2015 | 7.92 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 2016 | 8.15 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 2017 | 8.37 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 2018 | 8.59 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 2019 | 8.8 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 2020 | 9.01 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2021 | 9.22 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 2022 | 9.43 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 2023 | 9.64 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.13 people per sq. km of land area | 2.01 people per sq. km of land area | 2.26 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 2.55 people per sq. km of land area | 2.31 people per sq. km of land area | 2.83 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.29 people per sq. km of land area | 2.9 people per sq. km of land area | 3.71 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.31 people per sq. km of land area | 3.82 people per sq. km of land area | 4.82 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.64 people per sq. km of land area | 4.95 people per sq. km of land area | 6.45 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.77 people per sq. km of land area | 6.67 people per sq. km of land area | 8.8 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.33 people per sq. km of land area | 9.01 people per sq. km of land area | 9.64 people per sq. km of land area | 4 |
Countries ranked near Gabon
- 198 Chad 15.34 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 199 Norway 15.15 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 200 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 11.3 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 202 Russian Federation 8.78 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 203 Central African Republic 8.27 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 204 Kazakhstan 7.53 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Gabon
- Population in the largest city 37.7% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 31.32 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in largest city 899,225 (2025)
- Crude steelmaking capacity 0.08 Tonnes (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 17.34 Hectares (2020)
- PM2.5 air pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO 100.0% (2017)
- Dollar value of all resources made available to strengthen 9.60 million (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Gabon?
- Population density in Gabon was 9.64 people per sq. km of land area in 2023, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in Gabon?
- The highest recorded value was 9.64 people per sq. km of land area in 2023.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Gabon?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.01 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does Gabon rank for population density?
- Gabon ranks 201st out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population density rising or falling in Gabon?
- Over the last ten years it is up 29.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Gabon data come from?
- The figures come from FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.