Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
The Congo is 28% bigger than Gabon.
Congo: 342,000 km² (2023) · Gabon: 267,670 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Gabon’s coastline is 5.2 times as long as the Congo’s.
Congo: 169 km (2026 edition) · Gabon: 885 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Gabon’s highest peak towers 30 m above the Congo’s.
Congo: 1,020 m (2026 edition) · Gabon: 1,050 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
The Congo has 2.5 times as many people as Gabon.
Congo: 6.48 million (2025) · Gabon: 2.59 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
The Congo is 89% more densely populated than Gabon.
Congo: 19 per km² (2025) · Gabon: 10 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
The Congo and Gabon are practically level.
Congo: 171.2 cm (2019) · Gabon: 170.5 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Gabon are 1.3 cm taller than in the Congo.
Congo: 158.8 cm (2019) · Gabon: 160.1 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Gabon is 3.2 years older than in the Congo.
Congo: 18.3 years (2023) · Gabon: 21.5 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in the Congo have 0.5 more children on average than in Gabon.
Congo: 4.11 children per woman (2024) · Gabon: 3.59 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
4.1% of people in Gabon are 65 or older, versus 3.1% in the Congo.
Congo: 3.1% (2025) · Gabon: 4.1% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
The Congo and Gabon are practically level.
Congo: 0 (2025) · Gabon: 0 (2025)
How many official languages?
The Congo has 3 official languages, Gabon 1.
Congo: 3 (2026) · Gabon: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Gabon’s economy is 31% larger than the Congo’s.
Congo: $16.3 billion (2025) · Gabon: $21.4 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Gabon produces 3.1 times as much per person as the Congo.
Congo: Int$7,248 (2025) · Gabon: Int$22,218 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Congo: no data · Gabon: 38 (2017)
How many people are looking for work?
Gabon and the Congo are practically level.
Congo: 19.9% (2025) · Gabon: 20.2% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Gabon and the Congo are practically level.
Congo: 1.2% (2024) · Gabon: 1.5% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Gabon’s price level (US = 100) is 1.1× the Congo’s.
Congo: 35% (2025) · Gabon: 37% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Gabon spends 3.3 times as much on health per person as the Congo.
Congo: $76 (2023) · Gabon: $253 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Gabon live 2.5 years longer than in the Congo.
Congo: 66 years (2024) · Gabon: 68.5 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in the Congo is 4% more likely to die before turning one than in Gabon.
Congo: 27 per 1,000 (2024) · Gabon: 25.9 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Gabon has 3 times as many doctors per person as the Congo.
Congo: 0.2 per 1,000 (2022) · Gabon: 0.5 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
22% of adults in Gabon are obese, versus 12% in the Congo.
Congo: 11.5% (2024) · Gabon: 21.8% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
16% of adults in the Congo smoke, versus 13% in Gabon.
Congo: 16.2% (2024) · Gabon: 13.3% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Gabon rate their lives 0.71 points higher than in the Congo.
Congo: 4.46 (2025) · Gabon: 5.17 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Gabon drink 2.1 times as much alcohol as in the Congo.
Congo: 3.9 litres (2023) · Gabon: 8 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Gabon has 13% more meat per person than the Congo.
Congo: 55.8 kg (2023) · Gabon: 63.1 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Gabon has 499 kcal more food per person per day than the Congo.
Congo: 2,187 kcal (2023) · Gabon: 2,686 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in the Congo put in 360 more hours a year than in Gabon.
Congo: 2,534 hours (2023) · Gabon: 2,174 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Gabon went to school 1.4 years longer than in the Congo.
Congo: 8.3 years (2023) · Gabon: 9.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Congo: 0.03 (2018) · Gabon: no data
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
69% of people in Gabon are online, versus 47% in the Congo.
Congo: 47% (2024) · Gabon: 69% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
95% of people in Gabon have electricity, versus 53% in the Congo.
Congo: 53% (2024) · Gabon: 95.1% (2024)
How many live in cities?
92% of people in Gabon live in cities, versus 64% in the Congo.
Congo: 64% (2025) · Gabon: 92% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Gabon has 125 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, the Congo 96.
Congo: 96 (2024) · Gabon: 125 (2024)
How much railway is there?
The Congo’s railway network is 38% longer than Gabon’s.
Congo: 893 km (2012) · Gabon: 648 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Gabon fly 31% more passengers per resident than those from the Congo.
Congo: 0.02 (2023) · Gabon: 0.03 (2016)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 91% of Gabon, but only 64% of the Congo.
Congo: 64.1% (2023) · Gabon: 91.2% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Gabon emits 52% more CO₂ than someone in the Congo.
Congo: 1.4 t (2024) · Gabon: 2.1 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
35% of Gabon’s electricity is renewable, versus 21% in the Congo.
Congo: 20.9% (2024) · Gabon: 35.4% (2024)
How clean is the air?
The air in the Congo carries 25% more fine dust than in Gabon.
Congo: 40.3 µg/m³ (2024) · Gabon: 32.2 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Gabon are 49% deadlier than in the Congo.
Congo: 8.4 per 100k (2021) · Gabon: 12.5 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
The Congo is on average 0.2 °C warmer than Gabon.
Congo: 25.3°C (2016–2025 avg) · Gabon: 25.2°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Gabon gets 40% more rain than the Congo.
Congo: 1,486 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Gabon: 2,080 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is the Congo bigger than Gabon?
The Congo is larger. The Congo is 28% bigger than Gabon.
Which has more people, the Congo or Gabon?
The Congo has 2.5 times as many people as Gabon (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, the Congo or Gabon?
People in Gabon live 2.5 years longer than in the Congo. Life expectancy at birth is 66.0 years in the Congo and 68.5 in Gabon.
Are people taller in the Congo or Gabon?
The Congo and Gabon are practically level (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
