Gabon’s human development index decline raises concerns since 2021

For years, Gabon’s Human Development Index (HDI) had been on a steady upward trajectory, but since 2021, the country has experienced a sharp and unsettling reversal. According to the latest National Human Development Report, the HDI dropped from 0.704 in 2020 to 0.693 in 2021, pushing Gabon out of the high human development category and into the medium human development bracket. This decline marks a structural regression, exposing the fragility of an economy once heavily reliant on oil revenues but failing to adapt to evolving economic and health challenges.

By Pierre Tchuente — Security and Policy Analyst