At a glance
Twelve headline indicators, latest available year.
What changed in Central African Republic
Statistically notable movements in the latest data.
- Record high2025MajorGDP reached a record high of US$ 3.1B in 2025 (series since 1960).
- Sharp rise2023MajorHDI rose 22.1 % to 0.414 HDI in 2023 (largest rise since 2020).
- Record high2025MajorExports reached a record high of US$ 593.1M in 2025 (series since 1960).
- Record high2025MajorPopulation reached a record high of 5.5M people in 2025 (series since 1960).
- Record high2025MajorGDP per capita reached a record high of US$ 556 in 2025 (series since 1960).
- Sharp drop2025MajorInvestment fell 14.3 points to 9.3 % in 2025 (largest drop on record).
Countries similar to Central African Republic
Nearest peers by standardised distance on the selected dimension.
Country DNA
Percentile rank among all countries on nine dimensions. Descriptive, not a score.
2025
Key facts
Computed from the data — no model-generated numbers.
Central African Republic's population grew 43.8 % between 2000 and 2025, from 3.8M people to 5.5M people.
CO₂ emissions of 0.07 t per person are 0.02× the world median of 3.10 t (2024).
GDP per capita rose from US$ 239 in 2000 to US$ 556 in 2025 (+132.5 % in current US dollars).
Life expectancy of 57.7 years ranks 46th of 48 in Sub-Saharan Africa (2024).
Life expectancy gained 11.1 years since 2000, from 46.6 years to 57.7 years in 2024.
With a median age of 14.3 years, Central African Republic ranks 216th of 216 countries worldwide (2023).
The fertility rate rose from 5.85 births/woman in 2000 to 5.95 births/woman in 2024.
Within Sub-Saharan Africa, Central African Republic ranks 46th of 47 for GDP per capita (PPP) (intl $ 1,314, 2025).
Unemployment of 6.3 % in 2025 is above the Sub-Saharan Africa median of 5.1 %.
44.6 % of the population lived in urban areas in 2025, compared with 37.7 % in 2000.
GDP grew 2.5 % a year on average over 2014–2025.
Renewables' share of electricity generation rose from 81.2 % in 2010 to 100.0 % in 2023 (+18.8 points).
13.8 % of people used the internet in 2024, up from 2.0 % in 2010.
Trade is worth 52.9 % of GDP (2025), below the world median of 79.8 %.
Borders: Cameroon, Chad, DR Congo, Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Sudan
Languages: French, Sango
Timeline
Records, reversals and turning points across the whole history.
- 2025
- Sharp dropInvestment fell 14.3 points to 9.3 % in 2025.
- Sharp riseExports rose 43.6 % to US$ 593.1M in 2025.
- Sharp riseMerchandise exports (current US$) rose 110.7 % to US$ 255.0M in 2025.
- Record highGDP per capita set a new high of US$ 556 in 2025, the first since 2012.
- Sharp dropAge dependency ratio fell 1.1 points to 103.6 % in 2025.
- Sharp riseExports of goods and services (% of GDP) rose 4.3 points to 19.3 % in 2025.
- Record highGNI per capita set a new high of US$ 560 in 2025, the first since 2012.
- Record highMerchandise exports (current US$) set a new high of US$ 255.0M in 2025, the first since 2012.
- 2024
- Sharp risePopulation growth rose 2.34 points to 3.40 % in 2024.
- Sharp dropTerrestrial protected areas (% of total land area) fell 3.3 points to 14.8 % in 2024.
- Sharp riseICT goods exports (% of total goods exports) rose 3.3 points to 3.5 % in 2024.
- Sharp riseManufactures exports (% of merchandise exports) rose 61.4 points to 71.8 % in 2024.
- Sharp riseCO₂ emissions from land-use change rose 5.8 Mt to 50.3 Mt in 2024.
- Sharp dropWomen in parliament fell 1.4 points to 11.4 % in 2024.
- Record highPopulation growth set a new high of 3.40 % in 2024, the first since 1993.
- Sharp dropTrade balance fell US$ 78.7M to US$ -451.7M in 2024.
- Record highImports set a new high of US$ 864.7M in 2024, the first since 2017.
- Record lowAgriculture share fell to a new low of 27.9 % in 2024, the first since 2019.
- 2023
- Sharp riseLife expectancy rose 17.1 years to 57.4 years in 2023.
- Sharp riseHDI rose 22.1 % to 0.414 HDI in 2023.
- Sharp dropInfant mortality fell 70.6 % to 60.8 per 1,000 in 2023.
- Sharp risePopulation growth rose 1.34 points to 1.06 % in 2023.
- Sharp riseCO₂ emissions from land-use change rose 9.7 Mt to 44.4 Mt in 2023.
- Sharp dropHigh-tech exports fell 35.4 points to 1.9 % in 2023.
- Sharp dropDeath rate, crude fell 82.9 % to 9.4 per 1,000 in 2023.
- Sharp riseLife expectancy at birth, male rose 19.9 years to 55.3 years in 2023.
- Sharp riseAccess to electricity (% of population) rose 1.9 points to 17.6 % in 2023.
- Sharp riseFertilizer consumption rose 315.8 % to 0 kg/ha in 2023.
- Sharp riseLife expectancy at birth, female rose 33.7 years to 59.3 years in 2023.
- Sharp dropUnder-5 mortality rate fell 78.2 % to 92.6 per 1,000 in 2023.
Explore Central African Republic by topic
19 topics · 243 indicators with data.
- Economy23 with data · 27 indicators
- Government & public finance13 with data · 18 indicators
- Population & demographics23 with data · 23 indicators
- Employment & wages12 with data · 19 indicators
- Income & inequality8 with data · 10 indicators
- Housing0 with data · 12 indicators
- Health22 with data · 23 indicators
- Education14 with data · 16 indicators
- Trade21 with data · 21 indicators
- Energy25 with data · 26 indicators
- Climate14 with data · 16 indicators
- Environment10 with data · 10 indicators
- Infrastructure & transportation5 with data · 10 indicators
- Digital economy & Internet5 with data · 6 indicators
- Innovation, research & technology3 with data · 9 indicators
- Agriculture & natural resources20 with data · 20 indicators
- Tourism4 with data · 5 indicators
- Security & governance8 with data · 15 indicators
- Quality of life13 with data · 14 indicators