Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Gabon instead of Cameroon, you would:
Health
live 4.5 years longer
In Cameroon, the average life expectancy is 64 years (62 years for men, 66 years for women) as of 2024. In Gabon, that number is 69 years (66 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.
see 2.7 times more spent on your healthcare
Cameroon spends $246 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Gabon spends $673 as of 2023.
have 3.8 times more doctors per person
Cameroon has 1.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Gabon has 5.2 as of 2022.
have 11.4% more access to essential health services
Cameroon scores 44 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Gabon scores 49 as of 2021.
be 14.1% less likely to die by suicide
Cameroon has a suicide rate of 8.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Gabon, it is 7.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 12.0% more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Cameroon, 2.5% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Gabon, that number is 2.8% of people as of 2024.
be 41.3% more likely to be obese
In Cameroon, 16.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Gabon, that number is 22.7% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 4.2 times more money
Cameroon has a GDP per capita of $1,972 as of 2025, while in Gabon, the GDP per capita is $8,263 as of 2025.
be 5.6 times more likely to be unemployed
In Cameroon, 3.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Gabon, that number is 20.1% as of 2025.
Life
be 22.5% more likely to be literate
In Cameroon, the literacy rate is 72.5% as of 2018. In Gabon, it is 88.9% as of 2021.
be 35.6% less likely to die during infancy
In Cameroon, approximately 40.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Gabon, on the other hand, 25.9 children do as of 2024.
have 18.6% fewer children
In Cameroon, there are approximately 33.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Gabon, there are 27.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 30.7% more likely to have access to electricity
In Cameroon, approximately 72% of people have electricity access (96% in urban areas, and 26% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Gabon, that number is 94% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 29% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 48.6% more likely to have internet access
In Cameroon, approximately 46.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Gabon, about 68.7% do as of 2024.
be 24.1% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Cameroon, approximately 71% of people have access to drinking water (82% in urban areas, and 56% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Gabon, that number is 89% of people on average (92% in urban areas, and 49% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 18.3% less on education
Cameroon spends 2.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Gabon spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 31.2% less on healthcare
Cameroon spends 4.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Gabon, that number is 3.1% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 2.2 times more coastline
Cameroon has a total of 402 km of coastline. In Gabon, that number is 885 km.
Safety
be 17.9% more likely to die in a road accident
In Cameroon, road accidents kill 10.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Gabon, they kill 12.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 2.2 times more home broadband
Cameroon has 2.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Gabon has 4.7 as of 2024.
live with 67.9% less strain on fresh water
Cameroon withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Gabon withdraws 0% as of 2022.
use 4.5 times more electricity
Cameroon uses 226 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Gabon uses 1,023 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 47.5% less likely to die from air pollution
In Cameroon, air pollution causes 101.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Gabon, it causes 53.0 as of 2019.
emit 5.9 times more CO2
Cameroon emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Gabon emits 2.0 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2018–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Cameroon vs. Gabon
Gabon: At a glance
How big is Gabon compared to Cameroon? See an in-depth size comparison.