Gabon
Gabon exhibits mid-range performance in three categories of the Global State of Democracy Framework: Rights, Rule of Law and Participation, and low range in Representation. It is among the bottom 25 per cent of countries in the world with regard to most factors of Representation, as well as Judicial Independence, Absence of Corruption and Electoral Participation. Gabon is an upper-middle income country, with an oil dependent economy; fluctuating oil revenues (as well as high government expenditure) have contributed to an acute debt crisis. Further, economic inequality and poverty rates are high.
Though inhabited for millennia, Gabon only became a unified political unit during French colonization in the 19th century. The country gained independence in 1960. From 1967 until the recent coup d’état, it was ruled by the Bongo family dynasty (first Omar Bongo and then his son, Ali Bongo) through the Parti Democratique Gabonais (PDG). From 1968 to 1990, the PDG was the sole legal party in Gabon, at which point a multi-party system was formally established. However, the elections that followed were frequently tainted by violence and allegations of fraud and the legislature remained under the PDG’s control. Bongo family rule was authoritarian and marked by nepotism, ethnic and regional equilibrium, corruption and poor governance and the suppression of dissenting voices.
The dynasty ended in 2023 through a military coup that deposed then President Ali Bongo, hours after being declared the winner of a contested election. The coupists, led by General Brice Oligui Nguema, cited electoral fraud and the longevity of Ali Bongo’s rule as the reasons for their intervention. The junta empowered Nguema as the transitional president and established a highly centralised set of transitional institutions, promising to ‘renew’ democratic institutions within two years. A 2024 national dialogue on Gabon’s democratic transition paved the way for a new constitution that was then ratified by referendum. Its provisions further consolidated presidential power, abolished the role of prime minster and allowed Nguema to contest the Presidential election in April 2025, which he won with 94.9 per cent of the votes. The election was notable, too, for a significant increase in voter turnout and the involvement of civil society organisations, a first for Gabon. Among the key election issues were the democratic transition, youth unemployment, the debt crisis and service delivery failures.
Gabon is an ethnically diverse society in which social cohesion largely prevails. However, xenophobia against immigrants from neighboring countries has been a problem. The country has consistently performed at a mid-range level in Gender Equality. However, despite legal protections, women are underrepresented in politics, and domestic violence, poverty-driven exploitation, and unequal wages, remain significant barriers to the attainment of gender equality. The LGBTQIA+ community faces societal stigmatization, and same-sex marriage remains prohibited, although same-sex relations were decriminalised in 2020.
Looking forward, it will be important to continue to monitor Gabon’s democratic transition, including local and legislative elections, Senatorial elections and the renewal of the constitutional court. These developments are likely to affect all four categories of the Global State of Democracy Framework. How the government responds to the debt crisis will impact Basic Welfare and Economic Inequality. Finally, civil society involvement in the presidential election has raised hope of a more open environment under the new dispensation, and Civil Society and Civic Engagement are the factors to watch in this regard.
Last updated: June 2025
https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/
February 2026
Media regulator suspends social media platforms
On 18 February, the High Authority for Communication (HAC) ordered the suspension of major social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, TikTok and YouTube, ‘until further notice,’ citing the spread of false information, cyberbullying, and the unauthorized disclosure of personal data. The regulator argued that online content was contributing to social tensions and deepening divisions in the country. The suspension was made after authorities cited security concerns during anti-government protests and growing social unrest, with teachers and civil servants staging strikes over pay and working conditions. The measure prompted criticism from human rights organizations and civil society groups, which described the suspension as a disproportionate restriction on freedom of expression and access to information. Critics warned that the indefinite nature of the ban could limit public debate and reduce opportunities for civic participation, particularly through digital channels.
Sources: BBC; Human Rights Foundation; The Guardian; Africa News
January 2026
Government opens national development planning process to civil society
In January, the government presented the National Development Consolidation Plan (PNCD 2026–2030), a strategic framework with a more inclusive approach to policymaking that incorporates citizens’ proposals into national development planning. The move represents a formal expansion of opportunities for civil society participation in public policy processes and institutional dialogue. However, the extent to which CSO input will meaningfully influence policy implementation and oversight remains unclear, and the significance of the initiative will depend on whether participatory mechanisms are sustained and whether civil society recommendations are reflected in final decisions and implementation.
Sources: EU SEE; Republique Gabonaise; Africa 24 TV
November 2025
Former first lady, son and their associates convicted of corruption
On 12 November, a criminal court sentenced Sylvia Bongo Ondimba and Noureddin Bongo-Valentin, the wife and son of ousted president Ali Bongo Ondimba, to 20 years in prison for several corruption-related offences committed during his rule. They were also fined and ordered to pay XAF 1.2 trillion (USD 2.1 billion) in damages. According to the prosecution, the pair, who live in London and were tried in absentia, exploited Ali Bongo Ondimba’s poor health to run Gabon for their profit, embezzling an estimated XAF 4.9 billion (nearly USD 8.7 million) of public funds. Both denied the charges. Their two-day trial was immediately followed by the trial of ten political and business associates alleged to have enabled their embezzlement, nine of whom were convicted of corruption-related offences and sentenced to prison. These associates were also fined and required to pay billions of XAF in damages. Ali Bongo Ondimba is not being prosecuted due to his immunity as a former head of state.
Sources: Jeune Afrique (1), Jeune Afrique (2), L'Union, Agence France Presse
President’s party wins first Senate elections since coup
President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema’s party, the Democratic Union of Builders (Union démocratique des bâtisseurs, UDB), won Gabon’s indirect Senate elections held on 8 (first round) and 29 November (second round), the first since the 2023 military coup. The Constitutional Court declared the results for 68 of the 70 Senate seats on 2 December. Of these, UDB won 46 (67.6 per cent), followed by the former governing party, the Gabonese Democratic Party (Parti démocratique gabonais, PDG), which won five (7.4 per cent). Both parties also won additional, shared seats through various inter-party electoral alliances. Twenty of the 94 candidates (21.3 per cent) were women, short of the 30 per cent candidate quota imposed by the electoral code. Women secured 17 (25 per cent) of the 68 confirmed seats. The result consolidates the UDB’s dominant position in Gabon’s parliament, following the National Assembly elections in September and October in which it won more than 70 per cent of the seats. The senators were elected by an electoral college of local councillors.
Sources: L'Union, Agence de Presse Africaine, Ministère de l’Intérieur, de la Sécurité et de la Décentralisation (1), Ministère de l’Intérieur, de la Sécurité et de la Décentralisation (2), Inter-Parliamentary Union, International IDEA
October 2025
President’s party wins large majority in legislative elections marred by irregularities
The Democratic Union of Builders (Union démocratique des bâtisseurs, UDB), the party led by the recently elected President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, won Gabon’s legislative elections, which were held on 27 September (first round) and 11 October (second round). They were the first since the 2023 military coup that initially brought Nguema to power. The Constitutional Court declared the results for 137 of the 145 National Assembly seats on 1 November. Of these, 101 (73.7 per cent) were won by the UDB, with the former governing party, the Gabonese Democratic Party (Parti démocratique gabonais, PDG), coming in second with 17 seats (12.4 per cent) and independent candidates forming the third largest grouping with 7 seats (5.1 per cent). Irregularities, including missing ballots and falsified results, led to the annulment of results in several contests, by-elections in the affected constituencies and extensive litigation. Despite these irregularities, observers from the Economic Community of Central African States found the elections to have been ‘peaceful, free and transparent.’ Of the 856 candidates contesting the legislative elections, 139 (16.3 per cent) were women.
Sources: L'Union, Jeune Afrique, Ministère de l’Intérieur, de la Sécurité et de la Décentralisation (1), Gabon Media Time, Gabon Review, Ministère de l’Intérieur, de la Sécurité et de la Décentralisation (2)
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Global ranking per category of democratic performance in 2025
Basic Information
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Performance by category over the last 6 months
Representation
Rights
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Global State of Democracy Indices
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Factors of Democratic Performance Over Time
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