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Chad vs Gabon
Side-by-side comparison of Chad and Gabon from official statistics: size, economy, people, trade, natural resources, health, infrastructure and military, with world ranks, years and sources.
In short
Gabon scores 34.0 in the NationsTree Index (150th in the world) and Chad scores 23.1 (181st), a gap of 10.9 points. Their trees are 4.0 m and 4.1 m tall; tree height grows with real GDP and is adjusted by the index.
Chad has 8.1 times the population of Gabon. Chad is 4.8 times larger than Gabon by land area. Chad and Gabon have economies of similar size (GDP at purchasing power parity). Population: Chad 21.0 million and Gabon 2.6 million (2025).
GDP per person at purchasing power parity is $22,218 in Gabon and $2,903 in Chad (2025, international dollars). People in Gabon live on average 13.3 years longer (68.5 vs 55.2 years).
Of 27 indicators reported by both countries, Chad ranks higher in the world on 8 and Gabon on 19. Chad is clearly stronger in military and economy. Gabon is clearly stronger in environment & energy, infrastructure & digital and institutions & safety.
Over the last five years Chad improved faster (direction score 74 vs 47 out of 100).
Where they differ most
The indicators with the biggest gap in world position between Chad and Gabon.
Chadbetter
1.1%
6th of 187
Gabon
20.2%
182nd of 187
Government budget balanceEconomy
Chadbetter
-0.3%
42nd of 192
Gabon
-12.1%
185th of 192
Renewable freshwater per personNatural resources
Chad
813
137th of 183
Gabonbetter
67,469
8th of 183
Human Development IndexSociety & health
Chad
0.416
190th of 193
Gabonbetter
0.733
108th of 193
Political stabilityInstitutions & safety
Chad
38.0
187th of 207
Gabonbetter
67.7
107th of 207
Over time
How the two countries moved against each other, from the yearly data.
Chad overtook Gabon in GDP (PPP) in 2023 and has stayed ahead since.
Gabon has been ahead of Chad in the NationsTree Index in every year since 1996.
Gabon has been ahead of Chad in GDP per person (PPP) and life expectancy in every year since 1990.
Chad has been ahead of Gabon in population in every year since 1990.
Strength by category
Average world percentile of the indicators in each category (0–100, direction taken into account). i
ChadGabon All indicators
Latest available value for each country with its year and world rank. Green: the better world position of the two, red: the weaker one.
| Indicator | Chad | Gabon |
|---|---|---|
| Land & people | ||
| Surface area km² | 1,284,00020th/216 · 2024 | 267,67076th/216 · 2024 |
| Land area km² | 1,259,20021st/216 · 2024 | 257,67076th/216 · 2024 |
| Population people | 21.0 m63rd/217 · 2025 | 2.6 m142nd/217 · 2025 |
| Population growth % | 3.41%6th/217 · 2025 | 2.11%42nd/217 · 2025 |
| Population density people/km² | 16.1197th/216 · 2024 | 9.9202nd/216 · 2024 |
| Urban population % | 27.6%200th/217 · 2025 | 92.1%28th/217 · 2025 |
| Population aged 0–14 % | 46.0%4th/217 · 2025 | 36.2%48th/217 · 2025 |
| Population aged 65+ % | 2.1%214th/217 · 2025 | 4.1%163rd/217 · 2025 |
| Economy | ||
| GDP USD | $21.47 bn131st/210 · 2025 | $21.43 bn132nd/210 · 2025 |
| GDP (PPP) intl. USD | $60.97 bn126th/199 · 2025 | $57.62 bn130th/199 · 2025 |
| Real GDP (PPP, constant 2021 prices) intl. USD 2021 | $52.10 bn126th/199 · 2025 | $49.23 bn130th/199 · 2025 |
| GDP per person USD | $1,022197th/210 · 2025 | $8,263111th/210 · 2025 |
| GDP per person (PPP) intl. USD | $2,903187th/199 · 2025 | $22,218100th/199 · 2025 |
| GNI per person (Atlas) USD | $970187th/201 · 2025 | $8,090101st/201 · 2025 |
| GDP growth % | 5.6%43rd/210 · 2025 | 2.5%132nd/210 · 2025 |
| Inflation % | -3.9%4th/180 · 2025 | 1.8%54th/180 · 2025 |
| Unemployment % | 1.1%6th/187 · 2025 | 20.2%182nd/187 · 2025 |
| General government gross debt % of GDP | 33.3%41st/189 · 2025 | 84.2%152nd/189 · 2025 |
| Government budget balance % of GDP | -0.3%42nd/192 · 2025 | -12.1%185th/192 · 2025 |
| Main industries | ||
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing % of GDP | 36.3%5th/197 · 2025 | 6.8%94th/197 · 2025 |
| Industry incl. construction % of GDP | 26.7%72nd/200 · 2025 | 47.2%7th/200 · 2025 |
| Manufacturing % of GDP | 6.3%139th/192 · 2024 | 19.1%25th/192 · 2025 |
| Services % of GDP | 33.9%196th/200 · 2025 | 42.3%177th/200 · 2025 |
| Trade | ||
| Exports of goods & services USD | $6.32 bn124th/182 · 2025 | $11.89 bn104th/182 · 2025 |
| Imports of goods & services USD | $3.59 bn148th/182 · 2025 | $6.30 bn135th/182 · 2025 |
| Exports % of GDP | 29.4%115th/183 · 2025 | 55.5%40th/183 · 2025 |
| Imports % of GDP | 16.7%175th/183 · 2025 | 29.4%135th/183 · 2025 |
| Trade openness % of GDP | 46.1%152nd/183 · 2025 | 84.9%86th/183 · 2025 |
| Fuel exports % of merchandise exports | — | 54.0%23rd/170 · 2023 |
| Manufactures exports % of merchandise exports | — | 17.8%110th/171 · 2023 |
| Food exports % of merchandise exports | — | 0.9%163rd/171 · 2023 |
| Ores & metals exports % of merchandise exports | — | 23.3%24th/171 · 2023 |
| High-tech exports % of manufactured exports | — | 1.8%134th/168 · 2023 |
| Current account balance % of GDP | -0.6%84th/191 · 2025 | -6.0%150th/191 · 2025 |
| Foreign direct investment, inflows % of GDP | 0.0%176th/196 · 2025 | 1.8%113th/196 · 2025 |
| Natural resources | ||
| Natural resource rents % of GDP | 21.3%22nd/209 · 2021 | 18.5%26th/209 · 2021 |
| Oil rents % of GDP | 16.75%11th/197 · 2021 | 15.56%13th/197 · 2021 |
| Natural gas rents % of GDP | 0.01%78th/197 · 2021 | 0.27%49th/197 · 2021 |
| Coal rents % of GDP | 0.00%68th/195 · 2021 | 0.00%68th/195 · 2021 |
| Mineral rents % of GDP | 0.00%91st/209 · 2021 | 0.02%79th/209 · 2021 |
| Forest rents % of GDP | 4.58%16th/209 · 2021 | 2.65%28th/209 · 2021 |
| Arable land % of land area | 4.2%142nd/206 · 2024 | 1.3%179th/206 · 2024 |
| Renewable freshwater per person m³ | 813137th/183 · 2022 | 67,4698th/183 · 2022 |
| Tourism | ||
| International tourist arrivals arrivals | 10,400189th/194 · 2020 | 526,0002005 |
| Tourism receipts USD | $25.0 m2002 | $28.7 m2015 |
| Tourism receipts % of exports | — | 0.5%2015 |
| Outbound trips departures | 5,500107th/107 · 2020 | 236,0002003 |
| Society & health | ||
| Life expectancy years | 55.2216th/217 · 2024 | 68.5165th/217 · 2024 |
| Under-5 mortality per 1,000 births | 97.3193rd/196 · 2024 | 32.6141st/196 · 2024 |
| Physicians per 1,000 people | 0.09167th/174 · 2023 | 0.52124th/174 · 2022 |
| Hospital beds per 1,000 people | 0.2145th/145 · 2020 | 2.02011 |
| DPT immunization % of children 12–23 months | 68%173rd/193 · 2024 | 61%183rd/193 · 2024 |
| Completed lower secondary, 25+ % of adults | 8.8%2019 | — |
| Secondary enrolment % gross | 23.5%170th/173 · 2024 | 70.3%2019 |
| Social protection coverage (incl. pensions) % of population | 11.3%49th/55 · 2022 | 49.4%2017 |
| Old-age dependency ratio % of working-age population | 4.1%211th/217 · 2025 | 6.9%162nd/217 · 2025 |
| Health spending % of GDP | 5.0%126th/193 · 2023 | 3.1%175th/193 · 2023 |
| Adult literacy % | 30.6%2019 | 88.9%54th/98 · 2021 |
| Tertiary enrolment % gross | 4.4%2020 | 7.7%2003 |
| Human Development Index index 0–1 | 0.416190th/193 · 2023 | 0.733108th/193 · 2023 |
| Income inequality (Gini) index | 37.472nd/108 · 2022 | 38.02017 |
| Extreme poverty % of population | 39.5%98th/108 · 2022 | 3.8%2017 |
| Infrastructure & digital | ||
| Access to electricity % of population | 13.4%214th/215 · 2024 | 95.1%154th/215 · 2024 |
| Safely managed drinking water % of population | 6.3%149th/150 · 2024 | — |
| Safely managed sanitation % of population | 11.1%139th/144 · 2024 | — |
| Internet users % of population | 12.6%184th/186 · 2024 | 68.7%125th/186 · 2024 |
| Mobile subscriptions per 100 people | 73174th/210 · 2024 | 12576th/210 · 2024 |
| Fixed broadband per 100 people | 0.0208th/208 · 2024 | 4.7141st/208 · 2024 |
| Trade & transport infrastructure quality (LPI) score 1–5 | 2.37115th/164 · 2018 | 2.20131st/164 · 2022 |
| Rail lines route-km | — | 64874th/82 · 2021 |
| Air passengers carried passengers | 28,3322014 | 77,3202016 |
| Environment & energy | ||
| CO₂ emissions per person t CO₂e | 0.1415th/203 · 2024 | 2.0591st/203 · 2024 |
| Renewable energy % of final energy use | 70.0%29th/212 · 2022 | 91.3%4th/212 · 2021 |
| Air pollution (PM2.5) µg/m³ | 43.0183rd/200 · 2023 | 31.3157th/200 · 2023 |
| Forest area % of land area | 3.0%186th/214 · 2024 | 91.4%3rd/214 · 2024 |
| Energy use per person kg oil eq. | 171147th/149 · 2024 | 1,93260th/149 · 2024 |
| Institutions & safety | ||
| Government effectiveness score 0–100 | 30.8181st/205 · 2025 | 41.1146th/205 · 2025 |
| Control of corruption score 0–100 | 21.0191st/207 · 2025 | 32.4154th/207 · 2025 |
| Rule of law score 0–100 | 35.4189th/207 · 2025 | 41.8165th/207 · 2025 |
| Political stability score 0–100 | 38.0187th/207 · 2025 | 67.7107th/207 · 2025 |
| Regulatory quality score 0–100 | 36.5180th/205 · 2025 | 42.9154th/205 · 2025 |
| Voice & accountability score 0–100 | 31.0180th/205 · 2025 | 42.6144th/205 · 2025 |
| Military | ||
| Military expenditure USD | $648.8 m93rd/156 · 2025 | $356.1 m114th/156 · 2025 |
| Military expenditure % of GDP | 3.2%26th/156 · 2025 | 1.7%80th/156 · 2025 |
| Military expenditure % of government spending | 15.5%15th/154 · 2025 | 6.4%54th/154 · 2025 |
| Armed forces personnel people | 45,00075th/170 · 2020 | 7,000142nd/170 · 2020 |
| Armed forces personnel % of labour force | 0.85%83rd/168 · 2020 | 1.00%70th/168 · 2020 |
| Arms imports (SIPRI TIV) TIV | 4.0 m135th/163 · 2025 | 6.0 m125th/163 · 2024 |
| Science & innovation | ||
| R&D spending % of GDP | 0.23%2016 | 0.58%2009 |
| Scientific articles articles | 52152nd/197 · 2023 | 91142nd/197 · 2023 |
Questions and answers
Which has more people, Chad or Gabon?
Chad has the larger population: 21.0 m (2025) compared with 2.6 m for Gabon (2025). Source: World Bank, SP.POP.TOTL.
Which is bigger by area, Chad or Gabon?
Chad is larger: 1,284,000 km² (2024) compared with 267,670 km² for Gabon (2024). Source: World Bank, AG.SRF.TOTL.K2.
Which economy is larger, Chad or Gabon?
Chad has the larger economy at purchasing power parity: $60.97 bn intl. (2025) compared with $57.62 bn intl. for Gabon (2025). Source: World Bank, NY.GDP.MKTP.PP.CD.
Which is richer per person, Chad or Gabon?
Gabon has the higher GDP per person (PPP): $22,218 intl. (2025) compared with $2,903 intl. for Chad (2025). Source: World Bank, NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD.
Where do people live longer, in Chad or Gabon?
Gabon has the higher life expectancy at birth: 68.5 years (2024) compared with 55.2 years for Chad (2024). Source: World Bank, SP.DYN.LE00.IN.
Which spends more on the military, Chad or Gabon?
Chad spends more on the military: $648.8 m (2025) compared with $356.1 m for Gabon (2025). Source: World Bank, MS.MIL.XPND.CD.
Which ranks higher in the NationsTree Index, Chad or Gabon?
Gabon: 34.0 points (150th in the world); Chad: 23.1 points (181st). The index combines foundations, economic strength, quality of life, problems and 5-year direction from public statistics.
Benin
Madagascar
Mozambique
Niger
Rwanda
BotswanaSources
World Bank World Development Indicators and Worldwide Governance Indicators, compiling UN agencies, the IMF, WHO, SIPRI and national statistical offices; every row links to its world ranking with the source series. See Sources & licences and Methodology.
Cite as: NationsTree (2026). Chad vs Gabon — country comparison. https://nationstree.org/compare/chad-vs-gabon. Data as of 26 October 2026.