Central African Republic
Country in Africa
CountryScope
In brief
Population: 5.5M (2025). World rank 119 of 216; in Africa, 38 of 54. Area: 622,984 km². World rank 44 of 249; in Africa, 19 of 59. Life expectancy: 57.7 years (2024). World rank 214 of 216 (1 = best); in Africa, 52 of 54. From 2015 to 2025: population 4.6M → 5.5M, GDP $1.7B → $3.1B, and GDP per person $366 → $556.
State
- Official name
- Central African Republic
- Local name
- République centrafricaine
- Capital
- Bangui
- Region
- Africa
- Form of government
- Presidential republic
- UN member
- Yes
- Head of state
- Faustin-Archange Touadéra
- Head of government
- Félix Moloua
- Independence
- August 13, 1960
- Women in parliament
- 11.4% 2025
Key figures
- Population
- 5,513,282 2025
- Area
- 622,984 km²
- GDP
- $3.1B 2025
- GDP per person
- $556 2025
- Life expectancy
- 57.7 years 2024
Practical information
- Languages
- French, Sango
- Currency
- Central African CFA Franc (XAF)
- Time zones
- UTC+1
- Calling code
- +236
- Emergency numbers
- 117, 118, 1220
- Driving side
- Right
- Plug types
- C, E
- Mains voltage
- 220 V
Territory
- Sea access
- Landlocked
- Coastline, km
- 0
- Neighbours
- Cameroon, Chad, DR Congo, Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Sudan
- Agricultural land
- 9.3% 2024
Elevation
- Highest point
- Mont Ngaoui, 1,410 m
- Lowest point
- Ubangi River, 335 m
- Mean elevation, m
- 635
Climate
- Average temperature in the capital, °C
- 26
- Warmest month in the capital
- February, 29°C
- Coldest month in the capital
- August, 25°C
- Precipitation, mm per year
- 1,343 2022
Population and migration
- Population density
- 8.8 per km² 2025
- Population growth per year
- +3.4% 2025
- Living in cities
- 44.5% 2025
- Net migration per year
- -14.7K 2025
- Born in another country
- 1.8% 2024
Age and life expectancy
- Aged 0–14
- 48.7% 2025
- Aged 15–64
- 49.1% 2025
- Aged 65 and over
- 2.2% 2025
- Life expectancy, women
- 59.6 years 2024
- Life expectancy, men
- 55.5 years 2024
Births and deaths
- Children per woman
- 6 2024
- Births per 1,000 people
- 46.2 2024
- Deaths per 1,000 people
- 9.4 2024
Society
- Religions
- Catholic 34.6%, other Christian 22.9%, Protestant 15.7%, Muslim 13.8%, and folk religions 12% (2020)
Quality of governance (100 = best)
- Rule of law, score 0–100
- 30.7 2025
- Control of corruption, score 0–100
- 21.3 2025
- Government effectiveness, score 0–100
- 19.3 2025
- Regulatory quality, score 0–100
- 33 2025
- Voice and accountability, score 0–100
- 34.5 2025
Size and growth
- GDP per person at purchasing power parity
- $1,314 2025
- GDP growth per year
- +4.5% 2025
Income and prices
- Income level (World Bank)
- Low income
- Gross national income per person
- $560 2025
- Inflation
- +1% 2025
- Price level, USA = 100
- 42 2025
Structure and jobs
- Agriculture, share of GDP
- 27.6% 2025
- Industry, share of GDP
- 21.2% 2025
- Services, share of GDP
- 41.4% 2025
- Unemployment
- 6.3% 2025
- Youth unemployment, ages 15–24
- 10.1% 2025
- Women in work or seeking work
- 65.5% 2025
Trade and finance
- Exports, share of GDP
- 19.3% 2025
- Imports, share of GDP
- 33.6% 2025
- Current account balance, share of GDP
- -2.9% 1994
- Foreign direct investment, share of GDP
- +1.4% 2025
- Remittances received, share of GDP
- 0% 1993
- Tax revenue, share of GDP
- 8.2% 2021
Poverty and inequality
- Gini index (0 = full equality)
- 43 2021
- Living on under $3 a day
- 71.6% 2021
Education
- Adult literacy
- 42.4% 2019
- Primary school enrolment
- 96.8% 2016
- Secondary school enrolment
- 15.8% 2017
- Higher education enrolment
- 2.8% 2012
- Public spending on education, share of GDP
- 1.8% 2023
Healthcare
- Health spending, share of GDP
- 10.7% 2023
- Health spending per person
- $54 2023
- Out-of-pocket health spending, share of total
- 45% 2023
- Doctors per 1,000 people
- 0.1 2023
- Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people
- 1.1 2023
- Hospital beds per 1,000 people
- 1 2011
- Children vaccinated against measles
- 41% 2024
Public health
- Infant deaths per 1,000 births
- 58.8 2024
- Deaths under age 5 per 1,000 births
- 89.7 2024
- Maternal deaths per 100,000 births
- 692 2023
- HIV prevalence, ages 15–49
- 2.4% 2024
- Diabetes prevalence, ages 20–79
- 7.6% 2024
- Overweight adults
- 23.7% 2022
Living conditions
- Access to safe drinking water
- 36.5% 2024
- Access to basic sanitation
- 14% 2024
- Access to clean cooking fuels
- 1% 2024
Safety
- Homicides per 100,000 people
- 20.1 2016
- Road deaths per 100,000 people
- 37.7 2019
- Suicides per 100,000 people
- 9.2 2021
- Political stability and absence of violence, score 0–100
- 35.9 2025
- Natural hazards
- floods and dust and sand storms
Air and emissions
- Air pollution PM2.5, µg/m³
- 33.3 2023
- CO₂ emissions, tonnes per person
- 0.1 2024
- All greenhouse gases, tonnes CO₂e per person
- 2.5 2024
Nature and water
- Forest cover
- 72.5% 2024
- Protected areas
- 14.8% 2025
- Renewable fresh water, m³ per person
- 27,658 2022
- Water stress, share of fresh water withdrawn
- 0.3% 2022
Internet and communications
- Using the internet
- 13.8% 2024
- Mobile subscriptions per 100 people
- 39 2022
- Home broadband per 100 people
- 0 2022
- Internet domain
- .cf
Energy
- Access to electricity
- 18.2% 2024
- Renewable share of energy use
- 90.9% 2022
- Electricity from renewables
- 96.5% 2021
- Electricity from fossil fuels
- 3.5% 2021
Transport
- Air passengers per year
- 46,364 2001
- Airports
- 43 2025
Science and innovation
- Scientific articles per year
- 26 2023
- High-tech share of manufactured exports
- 8.3% 2024