Equatorial Guinea

Economic Status

Since the mid-1990s, the international status of Equatorial Guinea has been enhanced by its emerging oil industry, yet the impact on the general population has been negative. Increased international interest has been accompanied by less criticism of governmental corruption and human rights abuses. Oil revenues provide military security for the elite and have increased the authority of Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, who has ruled for 30 years. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has increased, but wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few. Oil production creates relatively few jobs and the laborers are often foreign immigrants. Inflation, urban migration, and underdevelopment of the economy make life difficult for the vast majority who live by subsistence agriculture. The country depends on imported foodstuffs and the cost of basic necessities is very high. Prostitution has increased with urbanization and the influx of oil workers, further putting women at risk. In 2002, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) was the leading cause of death, accounting for 17 percent of deaths. Some indicators point to improvements in health and educational status; however, levels are still well below those of countries with comparable per capita GDP. Equatorial Guinea spent 1.23 percent of government expenditures on health between 1997 and 2002; during the same period, Nigeria spent 5.95 percent and South Africa 12.1 percent. Recent government efforts include training centers for adult women and increased education among the young.