Once a regional leader in human progress, Gabon has seen its Human Development Index (HDI) decline sharply since 2021, reversing decades of growth. The 2026 National Human Development Report (NHDR 2026) confirms this troubling shift, revealing a drop from 0.704 in 2020 to 0.693 in 2021—a decline that pushed the country from the “high human development” category into the “medium human development” bracket. This reversal exposes the fragility of a growth model long reliant on oil revenues, which proved insufficiently diversified to withstand economic and health shocks.

The NHDR 2026 identifies multiple factors behind this decline. The Covid-19 pandemic severely strained healthcare, education, and household incomes, while persistent dependence on hydrocarbons, volatile global oil prices, reduced public investment, and political uncertainties tied to the 2023 institutional transition compounded the challenges. The report also highlights recurring stagnation periods since the 2000s, underscoring an economy still heavily dependent on extractive industries and ill-prepared for external crises.

Structural weaknesses hinder human progress

The report underscores critical structural weaknesses. Although life expectancy has improved, it remains below the average for high-HDI countries due to uneven access to specialized healthcare and the rising burden of chronic diseases. The education system faces significant gaps, including low secondary completion rates, a mismatch between training programs and labor market needs, and high dropout levels. Additionally, the national gross income per capita remains vulnerable to economic fluctuations, highlighting the lack of robust economic diversification.

The NHDR 2026 calls for transformative action to reverse this trend. Experts advocate reducing reliance on oil rents by accelerating economic diversification, boosting investment in healthcare and education, aligning technical training with business needs, and prioritizing youth employment and entrepreneurship as key drivers of sustainable HDI improvement. The report argues that only policies focused on human capital, innovation, and inclusive growth can help Gabon regain its upward trajectory.

By Boureima Amadou — Reporter