World Bank: CEMAC economic barometer, volume 10, 2026

This edition, devoted to fiscal policy and growth, is based on information available as of 27 April 2026, with some data updated in July 2026. At the regional level, CEMAC growth slowed to 2.6 percent in 2025 from 3.2 percent in 2024, inflation stood at 2.1 percent in 2025 and the Bank of Central African States (BEAC) cut its policy rate from 4.75 percent to 4.5 percent in June 2026.

Gabon

Gabon's growth is estimated at 3.2 percent in 2025, against 3.4 percent in 2024: equipment failures and depleting fields pulled crude output down, while manganese and timber ran into transport, labour and softer global demand. Public investment in infrastructure supported services and construction.

Public spending increased (public works, fuel subsidies, scholarships, civil service hiring, debt service exceeding 60 percent of revenue), bringing the fiscal deficit to an estimated 12.2 percent of GDP in 2025. Public debt exceeded 80 percent of GDP at end-2025 and domestic and external arrears reached 3.5 percent of GDP. The report recalls that Gabon turned to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in March 2026 for a support programme and that a debt audit was announced in May 2026, so the 2025 debt figures remain preliminary.

Inflation was 1.6 percent year on year in December 2025 and credit to firms grew by 6.6 percent in September 2025. Poverty measured at the US$8.30 a day line affected 33.1 percent of the population in 2025, about 858,000 people. For 2026 to 2028, the World Bank projects average growth of 3.3 percent, supported by manganese, timber, palm oil, rubber and iron ore from Belinga, and a gradual fall in poverty to 31 percent in 2028.