Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United States instead of Gabon, you would:
Health
live 10.4 years longer
In Gabon, the average life expectancy is 69 years (66 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In United States, that number is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.
see 20.0 times more spent on your healthcare
Gabon spends $673 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United States spends $13,473 as of 2023.
have 7.1 times more doctors per person
Gabon has 5.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. United States has 36.8 as of 2022.
have 75.5% more access to essential health services
Gabon scores 49 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. United States scores 86 as of 2021.
be 80.7% more likely to be obese
In Gabon, 22.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United States, that number is 41.0% of people as of 2024.
be 2.1 times more likely to die by suicide
Gabon has a suicide rate of 7.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United States, it is 15.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 79.2% less likely to be unemployed
In Gabon, 20.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In United States, that number is 4.2% as of 2025.
make 10.9 times more money
Gabon has a GDP per capita of $8,263 as of 2025, while in United States, the GDP per capita is $90,027 as of 2025.
Life
be 92.7% less likely to die during childbirth
In Gabon, approximately 233.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In United States, 17.0 women do as of 2023.
be 78.8% less likely to die during infancy
In Gabon, approximately 25.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In United States, on the other hand, 5.5 children do as of 2024.
have 60.9% fewer children
In Gabon, there are approximately 27.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United States, there are 10.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 37.8% more likely to have internet access
In Gabon, approximately 68.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In United States, about 94.7% do as of 2024.
be 12.8% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Gabon, approximately 89% of people have access to drinking water (92% in urban areas, and 49% in rural areas) as of 2024. In United States, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.3 times more on education
Gabon spends 2.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. United States spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2021.
spend 5.3 times more on healthcare
Gabon spends 3.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In United States, that number is 16.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 22.5 times more coastline
Gabon has a total of 885 km of coastline. In United States, that number is 19,924 km.
Safety
be 13.6% more likely to die in a road accident
In Gabon, road accidents kill 12.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In United States, they kill 14.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 8.3 times more home broadband
Gabon has 4.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. United States has 38.9 as of 2024.
use 12.5 times more electricity
Gabon uses 1,023 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. United States uses 12,839 kWh as of 2024.
live with 56.3 times more strain on fresh water
Gabon withdraws 0% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United States withdraws 28% as of 2022.
Environment
be 73.6% less likely to die from air pollution
In Gabon, air pollution causes 53.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United States, it causes 14.0 as of 2019.
emit 6.6 times more CO2
Gabon emits 2.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United States emits 13.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Gabon vs. United States
United States: At a glance
How big is United States compared to Gabon? See an in-depth size comparison.