Oil rents as a share of GDP in Gabon
Gabon: Oil rents as a share of GDP was 15.6% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Oil rents as a share of GDP in Gabon, 1970–2021
Source: The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for oil rents as a share of gdp in Gabon is 15.6%, measured in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 55.9% on the previous year and down 58.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, oil rents as a share of gdp in Gabon peaked at 53.9% in 1979 and was at its lowest, 1.0%, in 1971.
Gabon ranks 13th of 199 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 52 years of available data.
Oil rents as a share of GDP in Gabon, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 2.8% | — |
| 1971 | 1.0% | -63.6% |
| 1972 | 3.4% | +231.3% |
| 1973 | 4.3% | +26.1% |
| 1974 | 39.0% | +807.2% |
| 1975 | 29.6% | -24.1% |
| 1976 | 21.3% | -27.9% |
| 1977 | 27.2% | +27.5% |
| 1978 | 27.6% | +1.5% |
| 1979 | 53.9% | +95.4% |
| 1980 | 32.5% | -39.7% |
| 1981 | 18.0% | -44.8% |
| 1982 | 7.5% | -58.3% |
| 1983 | 16.7% | +122.8% |
| 1984 | 20.1% | +20.4% |
| 1985 | 23.6% | +17.3% |
| 1986 | 7.7% | -67.5% |
| 1987 | 16.0% | +109.5% |
| 1988 | 11.6% | -27.7% |
| 1989 | 24.5% | +111.2% |
| 1990 | 30.6% | +25.0% |
| 1991 | 20.0% | -34.6% |
| 1992 | 23.0% | +15.1% |
| 1993 | 28.6% | +24.0% |
| 1994 | 26.3% | -8.0% |
| 1995 | 27.4% | +4.4% |
| 1996 | 29.2% | +6.3% |
| 1997 | 29.8% | +2.1% |
| 1998 | 15.5% | -47.9% |
| 1999 | 22.0% | +42.1% |
| 2000 | 43.7% | +98.3% |
| 2001 | 28.6% | -34.6% |
| 2002 | 27.2% | -4.8% |
| 2003 | 21.3% | -21.8% |
| 2004 | 25.1% | +18.1% |
| 2005 | 34.8% | +38.8% |
| 2006 | 33.9% | -2.7% |
| 2007 | 34.3% | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 37.2% | +8.5% |
| 2009 | 24.6% | -33.9% |
| 2010 | 33.5% | +36.4% |
| 2011 | 37.4% | +11.7% |
| 2012 | 38.3% | +2.3% |
| 2013 | 30.2% | -21.0% |
| 2014 | 22.2% | -26.7% |
| 2015 | 10.0% | -54.9% |
| 2016 | 9.0% | -9.7% |
| 2017 | 14.4% | +59.6% |
| 2018 | 18.3% | +27.3% |
| 2019 | 16.7% | -9.0% |
| 2020 | 10.0% | -40.2% |
| 2021 | 15.6% | +55.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 21.0% | 1.0% | 53.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 17.8% | 7.5% | 32.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 25.2% | 15.5% | 30.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 31.1% | 21.3% | 43.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 23.0% | 9.0% | 38.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.8% | 10.0% | 15.6% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Gabon
- 10 Iran 18.3% compare
- 11 Chad 16.8% compare
- 12 United Arab Emirates 15.7% compare
- 14 Qatar 15.3% compare
- 15 Equatorial Guinea 14.9% compare
- 16 Kazakhstan 14.8% compare
More energy & mining data for Gabon
- Coal consumption, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Coal consumption, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Coal production, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Coal production, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Fuel imports 6.9% (2023)
- Ores and metals imports 0.7% (2023)
- Ores and metals exports 23.3% (2023)
- Gas production 5.17 terawatt-hours (2024)
- Fossil fuel production per person, by fuel 2,037 kilowatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel 5.17 terawatt-hours (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is oil rents as a share of gdp in Gabon?
- Oil rents as a share of gdp in Gabon was 15.6% in 2021, according to The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest oil rents as a share of gdp recorded in Gabon?
- The highest recorded value was 53.9% in 1979.
- What is the lowest oil rents as a share of gdp recorded in Gabon?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.0% in 1971.
- How does Gabon rank for oil rents as a share of gdp?
- Gabon ranks 13th out of 199 countries with data for 2021.
- Is oil rents as a share of gdp rising or falling in Gabon?
- Over the last ten years it is down 58.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Gabon data come from?
- The figures come from The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Oil rents as a share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Economic profits generated from oil extraction, measured as the difference between production value and costs, expressed as a percentage of gross domestic product.