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Hunger · Sub-Saharan Africa

Hunger and malnutrition in Gabon

18Global Hunger Index 2026, rank 80Moderate

23% of people in Gabon do not get enough to eat, about 604 thousand. 14% of young children are too short for their age, a sign of long-term undernutrition, and 3.4% are dangerously thin. Stunting ranges from 9.4% in Libreville to 38% in Ogooué Ivindo.

23%undernourished (2024, FAO)
14%children under 5 stunted (2020)
3.4%children under 5 wasted (2020)
5.4%children under 5 underweight (2020)
5.0%children under 5 overweight (2020)
58%children 6-59 months anaemic (2019, WHO)
33 per 1,000children who die before age five (2024)

Child stunting by region in Gabon

Children under five too short for their age, the 2019 Demographic and Health Survey (2019). Survey figures can differ from the UN estimate above, which is modelled across surveys.

  1. 1Ogooué IvindoNorth38%
  2. 2Ogooué-LoloEast27%
  3. 3NgouniéSouth25%
  4. 4Haut-OgoouéEast24%
  5. 5NyangaSouth23%
  6. 6Moyen-OgoouéWest17%
  7. 7Ogooué-Maritime (excluding Port-Gentil)West16%
  8. 8Woleu NtemNorth14%
  9. 9Port-GentilLibreville,Port-Gentil11%
  10. 10Estuaire (excluding Libreville)West11%
  11. 11LibrevilleLibreville,Port-Gentil9.4%

Global Hunger Index score over time

Out of 100, lower is better. The index rescores past years with the latest data, so these are comparable with each other.

  1. 200019.8
  2. 200619.4
  3. 201216.3
  4. 201816.5
  5. 202618

Undernourishment in Gabon since 2002

Share of people not getting enough calories, FAO. Each figure is a three-year average centred on the year.

  1. 200212%
  2. 200414%
  3. 200615%
  4. 200814%
  5. 201014%
  6. 201213%
  7. 201414%
  8. 201616%
  9. 201818%
  10. 202018%
  11. 202220%
  12. 202423%

How Gabon compares

Gabon has the 65th highest child stunting of 129 countries with an estimate since 2015. In Sub-Saharan Africa it is 44th of 47.

Frequently asked questions

What is Gabon's rank in the Global Hunger Index?

Gabon ranks 80 in the 2026 Global Hunger Index with a score of 18, which the index calls moderate. It scored 19.8 in 2000. The score combines undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting and deaths of children under five.

How many people are hungry in Gabon?

FAO estimates 23% of people in Gabon were undernourished in 2024, about 604 thousand people.

What percentage of children are stunted in Gabon?

14% of children under five in Gabon were stunted in 2020, which WHO rates medium. 3.4% were wasted (2020). That ranks Gabon 65 of 129 countries with an estimate since 2015, highest first.

Which region of Gabon has the most malnutrition?

In the 2019 Demographic and Health Survey, Ogooué Ivindo had the highest share of stunted children, 38%, and Libreville the lowest, 9.4%.

Sources: FAO (undernourishment, food insecurity), UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Joint Malnutrition Estimates (stunting, wasting, underweight, overweight), WHO (anaemia) and UN IGME (child deaths), as published by the World Bank; Global Hunger Index 2026; regions from the DHS Program (GA2019DHS).

Hunger in other countries of Sub-Saharan Africa

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