Share of population living in rural areas in Gabon
Gabon: Share of population living in rural areas was 16.9% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of population living in rural areas in Gabon, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2020, share of population living in rural areas in Gabon stood at 16.9%. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 17.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Gabon peaked at 31.5% in 1960 and was at its lowest, 16.9%, in 2020.
That places Gabon 172nd out of 236 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in rural areas in Gabon, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 30.5% | — |
| 1955 | 31.2% | +2.3% |
| 1960 | 31.5% | +1.0% |
| 1965 | 31.3% | -0.5% |
| 1970 | 30.7% | -2.2% |
| 1975 | 29.5% | -3.8% |
| 1980 | 26.2% | -11.0% |
| 1985 | 25.3% | -3.7% |
| 1990 | 24.4% | -3.4% |
| 1995 | 23.1% | -5.2% |
| 2000 | 21.8% | -5.8% |
| 2005 | 21.6% | -1.0% |
| 2010 | 20.5% | -4.8% |
| 2015 | 19.4% | -5.8% |
| 2020 | 16.9% | -12.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 30.8% | 30.5% | 31.2% | 2 |
| 1960s | 31.4% | 31.3% | 31.5% | 2 |
| 1970s | 30.1% | 29.5% | 30.7% | 2 |
| 1980s | 25.8% | 25.3% | 26.2% | 2 |
| 1990s | 23.8% | 23.1% | 24.4% | 2 |
| 2000s | 21.7% | 21.6% | 21.8% | 2 |
| 2010s | 19.9% | 19.4% | 20.5% | 2 |
| 2020s | 16.9% | 16.9% | 16.9% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Gabon
More population data for Gabon
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.6319 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 1.35 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.6319 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.2453 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 3,757 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 1.78 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate 0.0336 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth 0.6% (2100)
- Population density 26.79 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 467,914 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in rural areas in Gabon?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Gabon was 16.9% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Gabon?
- The highest recorded value was 31.5% in 1960.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Gabon?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.9% in 2020.
- How does Gabon rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Gabon ranks 172nd out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Gabon?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Gabon data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated share of the population living in rural areas. Rural areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.