Sub-Saharan Africa

A life that begins in Gabon

One in every 1,907 babies in the world is born here: about 70,344 a year, 0.13 a minute.

Population: 2,593,130
Births a year: 70,344
Life expectancy: 68.7
Children who die before 5 (per 1,000): 32.6

Health and survival

Life expectancy, women (years)
71.2
World: 75.9
Life expectancy, men (years)
66.1
World: 71
Babies who die before 1 (per 1,000)
25.9
World: 27.8
Children who die before 5 (per 1,000)
32.6
World: 37.6
Mothers who die in childbirth (per 100,000 births)
233
World: 189
Adults living with HIV (%)
2.8
World: 0.7
Adults who smoke (%)
13
World: 20
Alcohol per adult (litres a year)
8.1
World: 4.6
Road deaths (per 100,000)
23.9
World: 17
Homicides (per 100,000)
≈ 5.2
World: 4.7

Family and school

Children per woman
3.59
World: 2.85
Women married before 18 (%)
13
World: 18
Children in primary school (%)
91
World: 89
Secondary school enrolment (%)
70
World: 81
Higher education enrolment (%)
8
World: 48
Children aged 7–14 who work (%)
24
World: 11.9

Money and work

Income per person (PPP)
$18,986
World: $21,797
Income inequality (Gini, 0–100)
38
World: 34
Living on under $3 a day (%)
3.8
World: 9.9
Unemployment (%)
20.2
World: 5.1
Jobs in farming (%)
29
World: 27
Women in the workforce (%)
42
World: 48
Health costs paid out of pocket (%)
17
World: 37

Home and connection

Living in cities (%)
92
World: 58
Access to electricity (%)
95
World: 92
Safe drinking water (%)
89
World: 91
Internet users (%)
69
World: 72

Peace and wellbeing

Life satisfaction (0–10)
5.17
World: 5.4
Deaths in armed conflict (per 100,000 a year)
0
World: 2.43
Refugees abroad (% of population)
0.04
World: 0.34

≈ Estimated from the region

From 1960 to 2050

How life here has changed, and where UN projections expect it to go. The dashed part is a projection.

Life expectancy

1960: 46.5 → 2026: 68.7 → 2050: 72.7

World

Children who die before 5 (per 1,000)

1960: 219 → 2026: 31 → 2050: 13

World

Children per woman

1960: 4.4 → 2026: 3.5 → 2050: 2.6

World

Living in cities (%)

1960: 13 → 2026: 92 → 2050: 95

World

Nobody chooses where they are born

In the game, the country is drawn by the real share of births: Gabon comes up about once in every 1,907 lives.

Other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa

All 178 countries →

Sources: World Bank (WDI), UN World Population Prospects, Our World in Data, World Happiness Report, UCDP and PRIO. Updated 2026-10-18.