If you lived in Gabon instead of Syria, you would:

Health

be 31.3% less likely to be obese

In Syria, 33.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Gabon, that number is 22.7% of people as of 2024.

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see 5.5 times more spent on your healthcare

Syria spends $122 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Gabon spends $673 as of 2023.

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be 28.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Syria, 0.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Gabon, that number is 2.8% of people as of 2024.

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live 4.0 years less

In Syria, the average life expectancy is 73 years (70 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024. In Gabon, that number is 69 years (66 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.

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have 65.7% fewer doctors per person

Syria has 15.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Gabon has 5.2 as of 2022.

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have 23.4% less access to essential health services

Syria scores 64 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Gabon scores 49 as of 2021.

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be 12.4 times more likely to die by suicide

Syria has a suicide rate of 0.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Gabon, it is 7.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 59.5% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Syria, 82.5% live below the poverty line as of 2014. In Gabon, however, that number is 33.4% as of 2017.

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make 7.8 times more money

Syria has a GDP per capita of $1,057 as of 2022, while in Gabon, the GDP per capita is $8,263 as of 2025.

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be 48.5% more likely to be unemployed

In Syria, 13.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Gabon, that number is 20.1% as of 2025.

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Life

have 17.1% more children

In Syria, there are approximately 23.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Gabon, there are 27.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 11.7 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Syria, approximately 20.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Gabon, 233.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 46.3% more likely to die during infancy

In Syria, approximately 17.7 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.

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Basic Needs

be 47.5% more likely to have internet access

In Syria, approximately 46.6% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Gabon, about 68.7% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 15.5% more on healthcare

Syria spends 2.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Gabon, that number is 3.1% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 4.6 times more coastline

Syria has a total of 193 km of coastline. In Gabon, that number is 885 km.

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Safety

be 58.2% less likely to die in a road accident

In Syria, road accidents kill 29.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Gabon, they kill 12.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

live with 99.6% less strain on fresh water

Syria withdraws 124% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Gabon withdraws 0% as of 2022.

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use 19.8% more electricity

Syria uses 854 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Gabon uses 1,023 kWh as of 2023.

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find 31.6% less home broadband

Syria has 6.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Gabon has 4.7 as of 2024.

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Environment

be 36.1% less likely to die from air pollution

In Syria, air pollution causes 83.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Gabon, it causes 53.0 as of 2019.

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emit 61.4% more CO2

Syria emits 1.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Gabon emits 2.0 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2017–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2014–2022), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Gabon: At a glance

Gabon is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 257,667 sq km. El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba - one of the longest-serving heads of state in the world - dominated the country's political scene for four decades (1967-2009) following independence from France in 1960. President BONGO introduced a nominal multiparty system and a new constitution in the early 1990s. However, allegations of electoral fraud during local elections in December 2002 and the presidential elections in 2005 exposed the weaknesses of formal political structures in Gabon. Following President BONGO's death in 2009, new elections brought Ali BONGO Ondimba, son of the former president, to power. Despite constrained political conditions, Gabon's small population, abundant natural resources, and considerable foreign support have helped make it one of the more stable African countries.
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How big is Gabon compared to Syria? See an in-depth size comparison.

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