GABON · ECONOMY
Gabon’s economy should grow 3.3% in 2026, helped by stronger oil income, according to the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), a Cairo-based pan-African trade lender. It published its Gabon Country Brief on Friday 30 October 2026, and the outlook matters abroad because Gabon supplies oil and manganese, a metal used in steel and electric-vehicle batteries.
Key Facts
- The forecast Afreximbank expects Gabon’s economy to grow 3.3% in 2026, helped by stronger oil receipts.
- The prices Inflation should hold at 2.3% in 2026, inside the limit set by the six-nation Central African currency bloc.
- The trade Trade in goods and services reached US$17.4 billion in 2024, up from US$9.1 billion in 2020.
- The metal Gabon is among the world’s largest producers of manganese, a steel metal, and plans to ban raw ore exports from January 2029.
- The date Afreximbank, a Cairo-based African trade lender, published its Gabon brief on Friday 30 October 2026.
What Afreximbank Says About Gabon
Afreximbank’s brief covers Gabon’s economic outlook, trade, financial sector and debt sustainability. Gabon is a country of 2.7 million people on the Atlantic coast of Central Africa, with ports at Owendo and Port-Gentil.
The bank puts real GDP per capita, economic output per person adjusted for price changes, at about US$8,641 in 2026. It forecasts that real GDP growth will accelerate to 3.3% this year, supported by stronger receipts from hydrocarbons, meaning oil.
Inflation is expected to hold at 2.3% in 2026. That sits within the regional threshold of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC), a six-country currency bloc.
Readers new to the country can start with the Rio Times explainer on Gabon’s role in Africa. Our earlier profile of who runs Gabon’s economy covers the main players.
Oil Still Leads, but Manganese Is Rising
Gabon is one of the world’s largest producers of manganese, a metal essential for steel and electric-vehicle batteries. Manganese ore is growing in importance as an export earner and as a magnet for investment, although exports remain concentrated in crude oil.
Total trade in goods and services recovered from US$9.1 billion in 2020 to US$17.4 billion in 2024. The trade balance stayed in surplus throughout that period.
Special Zones and a Planned Manganese Ban
Gabon wants to draw private investment into processing and manufacturing through special economic zones. The flagship is Nkok, near Libreville, and the brief also names the Inkolo and Mpassa-Lebombi zones.
A further site is planned near Port-Gentil for timber, mining and logistics. Gabon also plans to ban raw manganese exports from January 2029 to speed up local processing, but that ban is not yet in force.
The government committed US$197 million to infrastructure projects in 2025, more than double the US$81 million of 2024. Planned road work includes the 166 km Kougouleu-Medouneu corridor.
The World Bank, the global development lender, signed US$150 million of financing in April 2026. The National Growth and Development Plan 2026-2030 prioritises macro stability, infrastructure and the private sector.
In December 2025 Gabon also entered a partnership with the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), a United Nations development finance body. The partnership aims to modernise digital financial services.
Why It Matters
Dr Yemi Kale, Afreximbank’s Group Chief Economist and Managing Director of Research, said Gabon’s resource base, Atlantic location and commitment to higher-value local processing present opportunities. He said diversification through the zones, infrastructure and expanded manganese processing can broaden activity beyond hydrocarbons.
For readers in the United States, the exposure runs through oil and metals. Vaalco, a US-listed oil producer, operates oil fields in Gabon.
A higher oil price or output there reaches American shareholders directly.
What Happens Next
Gabon plans to ban raw manganese exports from January 2029. Its National Growth and Development Plan runs from 2026 to 2030.
What It Means for Investors and Traders
Anyone following oil or manganese supply should watch whether the 2029 export ban takes effect as planned. The 3.3% growth figure is the bank’s own forecast, so it is one view and not a settled fact.
What Is Not Known
The public summary gives no debt figures, although the brief covers debt sustainability. The press release gives no 2025 growth figure, so the size of the acceleration is not known.
The full analysis sits in the Gabon Country Brief 2026. Gabon enters 2027 with a steady growth forecast and a plan to earn more from processing than from raw exports.
Rio Times follows the country on its Gabon news page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Afreximbank forecast for Gabon?
Afreximbank expects real GDP growth to accelerate to 3.3% in 2026, supported by stronger oil receipts. It expects inflation to hold at 2.3%.
Why does Gabon’s manganese matter?
Gabon is one of the world’s largest manganese producers, and the metal is used in steel and electric-vehicle batteries. Gabon plans to ban raw manganese exports from January 2029.
Does the brief give Gabon’s debt figures?
The brief covers debt sustainability, but the public press release gives no debt numbers.
Sources: Afreximbank, Gabon Country Brief press release, 30 October 2026; Afreximbank, Gabon Country Brief 2026, read 8 November 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. How we use AI · Report an error