The Central African Republic is a low-income country with a population of 5.33M people. The capital and largest city is Bangui, with 889K residents. The Central African Republic shares land borders with the DR Congo, Chad, South Sudan, Cameroon, the Congo and Sudan.
The Central African Republic ranks 171/197 by GDP ($2.75B) and 194/197 by GDP per capita ($516). The top category for both exports and imports is machinery & equipment.
Main facts and rankings
CAR
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Population |
5662456
|
117/197 |
| GDP |
$2.75B
2024 |
171/197 |
| GDP per capita |
$516
2024 |
194/197 |
| GDP per capita, PPP |
$1,264
2024 |
195/197 |
| Government debt |
$1.67B
2024 |
162/185 |
| Debt-to-GDP ratio |
58.3%
2025 |
87/185 |
| Government debt per person |
$313
2024 |
178/185 |
| Average annual personal income after taxes |
$1,261
2025 |
191/197 |
| Land area | 240,534 sq mi | 43/197 |
| Population density | 22.2 ppl/mi² | 186/197 |
| Fertility rate | 6.01 | 5/196 |
| Median age | 15.4 years | 196/196 |
| Life expectancy | 57.9 years | 194/197 |
Central African Republic trends dashboard: time-series charts
The Central African Republic's economy ranked
| Year | GDP |
|---|---|
| 1960 | $112,155,598 |
| 1961 | $123,134,583 |
| 1962 | $124,482,774 |
| 1963 | $129,379,124 |
| 1964 | $142,025,079 |
| 1965 | $150,574,795 |
| 1966 | $157,930,018 |
| 1967 | $163,820,514 |
| 1968 | $191,767,442 |
| 1969 | $188,039,210 |
| 1970 | $189,106,529 |
| 1971 | $201,450,800 |
| 1972 | $230,317,883 |
| 1973 | $271,183,082 |
| 1974 | $281,398,706 |
| 1975 | $378,660,016 |
| 1976 | $451,152,461 |
| 1977 | $507,298,148 |
| 1978 | $610,578,632 |
| 1979 | $700,764,748 |
| 1980 | $797,048,199 |
| 1981 | $694,803,623 |
| 1982 | $748,312,391 |
| 1983 | $658,679,333 |
| 1984 | $637,820,670 |
| 1985 | $864,849,836 |
| 1986 | $1,122,265,013 |
| 1987 | $1,200,991,978 |
| 1988 | $1,264,899,288 |
| 1989 | $1,233,930,281 |
| 1990 | $1,440,711,459 |
| 1991 | $1,377,374,987 |
| 1992 | $1,411,917,553 |
| 1993 | $1,278,781,262 |
| 1994 | $851,174,357 |
| 1995 | $1,115,389,674 |
| 1996 | $1,007,791,127 |
| 1997 | $937,741,513 |
| 1998 | $967,338,390 |
| 1999 | $999,477,511 |
| 2000 | $916,777,283 |
| 2001 | $932,648,605 |
| 2002 | $996,068,145 |
| 2003 | $1,142,315,523 |
| 2004 | $1,272,360,517 |
| 2005 | $1,337,894,379 |
| 2006 | $1,461,859,762 |
| 2007 | $1,699,811,295 |
| 2008 | $1,993,407,888 |
| 2009 | $2,067,381,665 |
| 2010 | $2,142,591,540 |
| 2011 | $2,437,982,705 |
| 2012 | $2,510,126,512 |
| 2013 | $1,691,544,110 |
| 2014 | $1,894,813,389 |
| 2015 | $1,695,825,714 |
| 2016 | $1,825,018,145 |
| 2017 | $2,072,349,973 |
| 2018 | $2,220,979,146 |
| 2019 | $2,221,301,351 |
| 2020 | $2,326,720,900 |
| 2021 | $2,516,498,412 |
| 2022 | $2,382,618,615 |
| 2023 | $2,555,492,086 |
| 2024 | $2,751,544,520 |
The Central African Republic's economy ranked
| Year | GDP per capita |
|---|---|
| 1960 | $65.9 |
| 1961 | $71 |
| 1962 | $70.4 |
| 1963 | $71.8 |
| 1964 | $77.2 |
| 1965 | $80.2 |
| 1966 | $82.3 |
| 1967 | $83.6 |
| 1968 | $95.6 |
| 1969 | $91.7 |
| 1970 | $90.2 |
| 1971 | $94.1 |
| 1972 | $105.5 |
| 1973 | $121.8 |
| 1974 | $124 |
| 1975 | $163.6 |
| 1976 | $192.1 |
| 1977 | $213.8 |
| 1978 | $254.6 |
| 1979 | $289.1 |
| 1980 | $325 |
| 1981 | $280.3 |
| 1982 | $298.4 |
| 1983 | $259.6 |
| 1984 | $248.3 |
| 1985 | $333 |
| 1986 | $426 |
| 1987 | $450 |
| 1988 | $466 |
| 1989 | $443 |
| 1990 | $502 |
| 1991 | $465 |
| 1992 | $462 |
| 1993 | $405 |
| 1994 | $261.3 |
| 1995 | $333 |
| 1996 | $293.3 |
| 1997 | $265.5 |
| 1998 | $266.6 |
| 1999 | $268 |
| 2000 | $239.2 |
| 2001 | $238 |
| 2002 | $248.6 |
| 2003 | $278.4 |
| 2004 | $303 |
| 2005 | $312 |
| 2006 | $334 |
| 2007 | $381 |
| 2008 | $437 |
| 2009 | $456 |
| 2010 | $477 |
| 2011 | $534 |
| 2012 | $544 |
| 2013 | $364 |
| 2014 | $410 |
| 2015 | $366 |
| 2016 | $387 |
| 2017 | $432 |
| 2018 | $455 |
| 2019 | $449 |
| 2020 | $463 |
| 2021 | $492 |
| 2022 | $467 |
| 2023 | $496 |
| 2024 | $516 |
The Central African Republic's life expectancy calculator
| Year | Life expectancy, years |
|---|---|
| 1950 | 35.4 |
| 1951 | 35.8 |
| 1952 | 36.2 |
| 1953 | 36.6 |
| 1954 | 37 |
| 1955 | 37.4 |
| 1956 | 37.8 |
| 1957 | 38.3 |
| 1958 | 38.7 |
| 1959 | 39.1 |
| 1960 | 39.6 |
| 1961 | 40.1 |
| 1962 | 40.6 |
| 1963 | 41.1 |
| 1964 | 41.6 |
| 1965 | 42.2 |
| 1966 | 42.8 |
| 1967 | 43.4 |
| 1968 | 44 |
| 1969 | 44.6 |
| 1970 | 45.2 |
| 1971 | 45.8 |
| 1972 | 46.3 |
| 1973 | 46.9 |
| 1974 | 47.4 |
| 1975 | 47.9 |
| 1976 | 48.4 |
| 1977 | 48.8 |
| 1978 | 49.2 |
| 1979 | 49.5 |
| 1980 | 49.8 |
| 1981 | 50 |
| 1982 | 50.2 |
| 1983 | 50.3 |
| 1984 | 50.4 |
| 1985 | 50.5 |
| 1986 | 50.4 |
| 1987 | 50.4 |
| 1988 | 50.2 |
| 1989 | 50.1 |
| 1990 | 49.9 |
| 1991 | 49.6 |
| 1992 | 49.2 |
| 1993 | 48.9 |
| 1994 | 48.5 |
| 1995 | 48.1 |
| 1996 | 47.7 |
| 1997 | 47.3 |
| 1998 | 47.1 |
| 1999 | 46.9 |
| 2000 | 46.6 |
| 2001 | 46.7 |
| 2002 | 46.8 |
| 2003 | 47.3 |
| 2004 | 47.7 |
| 2005 | 48.2 |
| 2006 | 48.7 |
| 2007 | 49.3 |
| 2008 | 49.9 |
| 2009 | 14.7 |
| 2010 | 46.9 |
| 2011 | 50.1 |
| 2012 | 51.3 |
| 2013 | 49.5 |
| 2014 | 40.3 |
| 2015 | 51.9 |
| 2016 | 51 |
| 2017 | 45.2 |
| 2018 | 52.3 |
| 2019 | 31.5 |
| 2020 | 50.6 |
| 2021 | 40.3 |
| 2022 | 18.8 |
| 2023 | 57.4 |
| 2024 | 57.7 |
| 2025 | 57.9 |
The Central African Republic's population clock and projection
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1960 | 1,702,346 |
| 1961 | 1,734,580 |
| 1962 | 1,768,115 |
| 1963 | 1,803,063 |
| 1964 | 1,839,583 |
| 1965 | 1,877,854 |
| 1966 | 1,918,082 |
| 1967 | 1,960,444 |
| 1968 | 2,005,100 |
| 1969 | 2,051,515 |
| 1970 | 2,097,505 |
| 1971 | 2,141,450 |
| 1972 | 2,183,769 |
| 1973 | 2,226,008 |
| 1974 | 2,269,338 |
| 1975 | 2,313,916 |
| 1976 | 2,348,566 |
| 1977 | 2,372,930 |
| 1978 | 2,397,961 |
| 1979 | 2,423,794 |
| 1980 | 2,450,535 |
| 1981 | 2,478,402 |
| 1982 | 2,507,375 |
| 1983 | 2,537,399 |
| 1984 | 2,568,610 |
| 1985 | 2,600,932 |
| 1986 | 2,634,258 |
| 1987 | 2,669,155 |
| 1988 | 2,713,965 |
| 1989 | 2,783,970 |
| 1990 | 2,871,910 |
| 1991 | 2,963,191 |
| 1992 | 3,058,831 |
| 1993 | 3,157,839 |
| 1994 | 3,257,954 |
| 1995 | 3,348,052 |
| 1996 | 3,435,965 |
| 1997 | 3,531,700 |
| 1998 | 3,628,827 |
| 1999 | 3,729,450 |
| 2000 | 3,833,416 |
| 2001 | 3,919,487 |
| 2002 | 4,006,077 |
| 2003 | 4,103,086 |
| 2004 | 4,192,826 |
| 2005 | 4,288,810 |
| 2006 | 4,377,579 |
| 2007 | 4,462,770 |
| 2008 | 4,558,984 |
| 2009 | 4,529,047 |
| 2010 | 4,492,995 |
| 2011 | 4,565,021 |
| 2012 | 4,610,848 |
| 2013 | 4,642,419 |
| 2014 | 4,623,182 |
| 2015 | 4,629,320 |
| 2016 | 4,713,663 |
| 2017 | 4,793,511 |
| 2018 | 4,878,657 |
| 2019 | 4,944,703 |
| 2020 | 5,026,628 |
| 2021 | 5,112,100 |
| 2022 | 5,098,039 |
| 2023 | 5,152,421 |
| 2024 | 5,330,690 |
The Central African Republic's birth and fertility rates
| Year | Fertility rate |
|---|---|
| 1960 | 5.95 |
| 1961 | 5.96 |
| 1962 | 5.97 |
| 1963 | 5.99 |
| 1964 | 6.01 |
| 1965 | 6.03 |
| 1966 | 6.06 |
| 1967 | 6.08 |
| 1968 | 6.1 |
| 1969 | 6.06 |
| 1970 | 6.03 |
| 1971 | 5.99 |
| 1972 | 5.96 |
| 1973 | 5.93 |
| 1974 | 5.9 |
| 1975 | 5.88 |
| 1976 | 5.94 |
| 1977 | 5.99 |
| 1978 | 6.04 |
| 1979 | 6.09 |
| 1980 | 6.13 |
| 1981 | 6.17 |
| 1982 | 6.16 |
| 1983 | 6.15 |
| 1984 | 6.14 |
| 1985 | 6.12 |
| 1986 | 6.11 |
| 1987 | 6.12 |
| 1988 | 6.1 |
| 1989 | 6.07 |
| 1990 | 6.05 |
| 1991 | 6.03 |
| 1992 | 5.96 |
| 1993 | 5.93 |
| 1994 | 5.92 |
| 1995 | 5.94 |
| 1996 | 5.96 |
| 1997 | 5.92 |
| 1998 | 5.89 |
| 1999 | 5.88 |
| 2000 | 5.85 |
| 2001 | 5.81 |
| 2002 | 5.79 |
| 2003 | 5.8 |
| 2004 | 5.78 |
| 2005 | 5.81 |
| 2006 | 5.84 |
| 2007 | 5.87 |
| 2008 | 5.9 |
| 2009 | 5.94 |
| 2010 | 5.96 |
| 2011 | 6.01 |
| 2012 | 6.05 |
| 2013 | 6.08 |
| 2014 | 6.1 |
| 2015 | 6.13 |
| 2016 | 6.13 |
| 2017 | 6.13 |
| 2018 | 6.11 |
| 2019 | 6.09 |
| 2020 | 6.06 |
| 2021 | 6.05 |
| 2022 | 6.02 |
| 2023 | 6.01 |
The Central African Republic's demographics
| Year | Median age, years |
|---|---|
| 1960 | 20.3 |
| 1961 | 20.1 |
| 1962 | 19.9 |
| 1963 | 19.7 |
| 1964 | 19.6 |
| 1965 | 19.4 |
| 1966 | 19.3 |
| 1967 | 19.2 |
| 1968 | 19 |
| 1969 | 18.9 |
| 1970 | 18.9 |
| 1971 | 18.8 |
| 1972 | 18.7 |
| 1973 | 18.6 |
| 1974 | 18.6 |
| 1975 | 18.5 |
| 1976 | 18.5 |
| 1977 | 18.5 |
| 1978 | 18.5 |
| 1979 | 18.5 |
| 1980 | 18.5 |
| 1981 | 18.4 |
| 1982 | 18.4 |
| 1983 | 18.3 |
| 1984 | 18.3 |
| 1985 | 18.3 |
| 1986 | 18.2 |
| 1987 | 18.1 |
| 1988 | 18 |
| 1989 | 17.9 |
| 1990 | 17.8 |
| 1991 | 17.6 |
| 1992 | 17.5 |
| 1993 | 17.5 |
| 1994 | 17.4 |
| 1995 | 17.3 |
| 1996 | 17.2 |
| 1997 | 17.1 |
| 1998 | 17.1 |
| 1999 | 17.1 |
| 2000 | 17.1 |
| 2001 | 17.1 |
| 2002 | 17.1 |
| 2003 | 17.2 |
| 2004 | 17.2 |
| 2005 | 17.2 |
| 2006 | 17.1 |
| 2007 | 17.1 |
| 2008 | 17 |
| 2009 | 16.9 |
| 2010 | 16.7 |
| 2011 | 16.6 |
| 2012 | 16.3 |
| 2013 | 16 |
| 2014 | 15.6 |
| 2015 | 15.4 |
| 2016 | 15.4 |
| 2017 | 15.4 |
| 2018 | 15.4 |
| 2019 | 15.4 |
| 2020 | 15.4 |
| 2021 | 15.4 |
| 2022 | 15.3 |
| 2023 | 15.3 |
| 2024 | 15.4 |
Central African Republic vs. World: Interactive Maps
Use the buttons below to toggle between world maps that display different statistics comparing the Central African Republic with other countries.
GDP per capita
GDP
Life expectancy
Population
Population density
Fertility rate
Median age
Land area
Central African Republic: National Statistics
Finance
|
CAR
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| GNI, Atlas method |
$2.75B
2024 |
169/194 |
| Government expenditure, % of GDP |
17.9%
2025 |
173/195 |
| Education expenditure, % of GDP |
1.83%
2023 |
179/193 |
| Military expenditure, % of GDP |
2.29%
2023 |
51/163 |
| Armed forces personnel |
10,000
2020 |
131/174 |
| Deficit/surplus, % of GDP |
-1.62%
2025 |
51/188 |
| Unemployment rate |
6.9%
2017 |
65/196 |
| Services, % of GDP |
40.5%
2024 |
176/191 |
| Industry, % of GDP |
17.8%
2024 |
145/194 |
| Economic freedom index |
42.8
2025 |
184/197 |
| Income share by richest 10% |
33.1%
2021 |
29/169 |
| Income share by poorest 10% |
2.1%
2021 |
128/169 |
| Total reserves including gold |
$480M
2023 |
158/177 |
| Personal remittances received |
$0
2023 |
181/190 |
| International tourist arrivals |
87,000
2019 |
165/188 |
| Banked people share |
13.7%
2017 |
153/158 |
Energy
|
CAR
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions |
0.37 megatons
2023 |
170/187 |
| CO2 emissions per capita |
0.07 tons
2023 |
181/187 |
| Renewable energy use share |
90.9%
2022 |
5/193 |
| Renewable electricity output share |
96.5%
2021 |
8/192 |
| Hydroelectric share |
96.2%
2021 |
8/192 |
| Nuclear share |
0%
2021 |
59/192 |
| Electricity access |
17.6%
2023 |
191/195 |
Society
|
CAR
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| % of world population |
0.07%
2024 |
122/197 |
| Annual migration change |
-15,357
2024 |
147/196 |
| Urban population |
44.1%
2024 |
145/195 |
| Male:Female ratio |
50:50
2024 |
N/A |
| Average male height |
5.54 ft
2025 |
143/190 |
| Average female height |
5.24 ft
2025 |
116/190 |
| Quality of life index |
0
2025 |
197/197 |
| Corruption Perceptions Index |
24
2024 |
165/197 |
| Higher education index |
3
2025 |
179/183 |
| Homicides per 100K people |
20.1
2016 |
18/197 |
| Road traffic mortality per 100K people |
37.7
2019 |
6/197 |
| Visa free countries |
61
2025 |
166/195 |
| Adult literacy rate |
37.5%
2020 |
191/196 |
| English speaking |
3%
2025 |
157/197 |
| People using the Internet |
7.51%
2019 |
194/195 |
Health
|
CAR
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Government health expenditure per capita |
$47.9
2022 |
171/191 |
| Out-of-pocket health expenditure per capita |
$22.8
2022 |
151/191 |
| Life expectancy |
57.9 years
2025 |
194/197 |
| Foreign aid share of health expenditure |
35.6%
2022 |
18/178 |
| Physicians per 1,000 people |
0.02
2021 |
192/193 |
| Maternal mortality per 100K births |
692
2023 |
3/193 |
| Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births |
92.2
2023 |
8/192 |
| Obesity rate |
9.57%
2022 |
163/189 |
| Diabetes prevalence |
7.6%
2024 |
115/195 |
| Air quality index |
7
2025 |
186/197 |
| Pure alcohol consumption per capita |
1.75 liters
2020 |
139/186 |
Territory
|
CAR
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| % of world land |
0.42%
2025 |
43/197 |
| Land area per capita |
45,122 sq mi
2024 |
12/197 |
| Agricultural land area |
21,887 sq mi
2025 |
83/194 |
| Forest area |
85,765 sq mi
2025 |
27/196 |
| Roads length |
14,913 mi
2018 |
88/175 |
Compare the Central African Republic with other countries
Relevant pages:
CAR topic pages:
Facts comparisons
