GDP
$3.07Bcurrent US$
#181 of 2112025
1% of world average
SERIAL · 140Africa
Central African Republic
CapitalBangui
CurrencyXAF · Central African CFA franc
LanguageFrench, Sango
Since1960
ISOCAF · CF
Population
—
Watermark portrait: Jean-Bedel Bokassa
— THE COUNTRY —
Country in Central Africa
The Central African Republic (CAR) is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Chad to the north, Sudan to the northeast, South Sudan to the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the south, the Republic of the Congo to the southwest, and Cameroon to the west. The Central African Republic covers a land area of about 620,000 square kilometres (240,000 sq mi). As of 2024, it has a population of 5,357,744, consisting of about 80 ethnic groups. Having been a French colony under the name Ubangi-Shari, French is its official language, with Sango, a Ngbandi-based creole language, as the national and co-official language. Its capital and largest city is Bangui, which sits on the country's southern border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Text: Wikipedia — Central African RepublicCC BY-SA 4.0 · revised 2026-07-30
— FACTS —
- Capital
- Bangui
- Currency
- Central African CFA franc (XAF)
- Official language
- French, Sango
- Drives on the
- Right
- Calling code
- +236
- Licence plate code
- RCA
- Top-level domain
- .cf
- Independence / founding
- 1960
- Highest point
- Mont Ngaoui (1,410 m)
- Lowest point
- Ubangi River (335 m)
- Anthem
- La Renaissance
— LAND —
5 of 5 figures unavailable for Central African Republic.
— PEOPLE —
16 of 16 figures unavailable for Central African Republic.
— MONEY —
GDP, purchasing power parity
$7.24Bcurrent int'l $
#167 of 1992025
1% of world average
GDP per person
$556current US$
#209 of 2112025
2% of world average
GDP per person, purchasing power parity
$1,314current int'l $
#198 of 1992025
4% of world average
GDP growth
4.5%% per year
#64 of 2102025
133% of world average
GDP per person growth
1.0%% per year
#143 of 2102025
44% of world average
Gross national income
$3.24Bcurrent US$
#176 of 2042025
1% of world average
Gross national income per person
$560current US$
#200 of 2032025
3% of world average
Gross national income per person, PPP
$1,390current int'l $
#196 of 1972025
4% of world average
▸ ISSUE 26 MORE
Inflation
1.0%% per year
#40 of 1902025
12% of world average
Inflation (GDP deflator)
2.3%% per year
#70 of 2092025
33% of world average
Government revenue
9.2%% of GDP
#144 of 1492021
35% of world average
Government spending
11.7%% of GDP
#138 of 1492021
42% of world average
Government consumption
10.3%% of GDP
#154 of 1812025
59% of world average
Household consumption
94.6%% of GDP
#12 of 1812025
147% of world average
Investment (gross capital formation)
9.3%% of GDP
#170 of 1782025
40% of world average
Fixed investment
14.8%% of GDP
#152 of 1732025
66% of world average
Gross savings
15.1%% of GDP
not enough data to rank1994
69% of world average
Foreign investment inflows
$40.4Mcurrent US$
#161 of 2012024
0% of world average
Foreign investment inflows
1.5%% of GDP
#125 of 1982024
no comparison
Foreign investment outflows
0.0%% of GDP
not enough data to rank2002
0% of world average
Current account balance
-2.9%% of GDP
not enough data to rank1994
no comparison
Foreign reserves
$489.3Mcurrent US$
#160 of 1772024
0% of world average
External debt
$1.05Bcurrent US$
#14 of 1212024
1% of world average
Income inequality (Gini)
430-100
#126 of 1472021
121% of world average
People below the poverty line
71.6%% of population
#141 of 1472021
560% of world average
Income share held by richest 10%
33.1%%
#126 of 1472021
119% of world average
Income share held by poorest 10%
2.1%%
#116 of 1472021
75% of world average
Money sent home by workers abroad
$158,919current US$
not enough data to rank1993
0% of world average
Foreign aid received
27.3%% of GNI
#5 of 1372023
453% of world average
Exchange rate
582local currency per US$
#33 of 2112025
40% of world average
Agriculture's share of the economy
27.6%% of GDP
#17 of 1992025
277% of world average
Industry's share of the economy
21.2%% of GDP
#121 of 2022025
87% of world average
Manufacturing's share of the economy
18.0%% of GDP
#30 of 1952023
163% of world average
Services' share of the economy
41.4%% of GDP
#186 of 2022025
72% of world average
4 of 39 figures unavailable for Central African Republic.
— TRADE —
Exports
19.3%% of GDP
#150 of 1872025
45% of world average
Imports
33.6%% of GDP
#124 of 1872025
67% of world average
Trade balance
-14.2%% of GDP
#144 of 1872025
no comparison
Total trade (openness)
27.0%% of GDP
#183 of 2052025
42% of world average
Goods exported
$255.0Mcurrent US$
#178 of 2072025
0% of world average
Goods imported
$573.0Mcurrent US$
#189 of 2072025
0% of world average
Services exported
$33.1Mcurrent US$
not enough data to rank1994
0% of world average
Services imported
$113.8Mcurrent US$
not enough data to rank1994
0% of world average
Goods and services exported
$179.0Mcurrent US$
not enough data to rank1994
0% of world average
▸ ISSUE 2 MORE
Goods and services imported
$244.4Mcurrent US$
not enough data to rank1994
0% of world average
High-tech share of exports
8.3%% of manufactured exports
#80 of 1792024
68% of world average
1 of 12 figures unavailable for Central African Republic.
— HEALTH —
Physicians
0.1 /1,000per 1,000 people
#183 of 1872023
4% of world average
Nurses and midwives
1.1 /1,000per 1,000 people
#164 of 1962023
23% of world average
Hospital beds
1.0 /1,000per 1,000 people
not enough data to rank2011
34% of world average
Access to clean drinking water
36.5%% of population
#213 of 2142024
40% of world average
Access to basic sanitation
14.0%% of population
#210 of 2132024
17% of world average
Suicide rate
9per 100,000 people
#123 of 1852021
108% of world average
HIV prevalence
2.4%% aged 15-49
#138 of 1532024
175% of world average
Tuberculosis cases
419per 100,000 people
#199 of 2082024
422% of world average
Undernourishment
29.8%% of population
#158 of 1682023
296% of world average
▸ ISSUE 1 MORE
Children vaccinated against measles
41.0%% of children 12-23 months
#191 of 1932024
48% of world average
9 of 19 figures unavailable for Central African Republic.
— LEARNING —
Education spending
1.8%% of GDP
#177 of 1902023
42% of world average
Education spending
10.0%% of government spending
#147 of 1892023
74% of world average
Adult literacy
42.4%% aged 15+
#113 of 1192019
51% of world average
Youth literacy
50.6%% aged 15-24
#124 of 1262019
55% of world average
Primary school enrolment
96.8%% gross
#137 of 2002016
96% of world average
Secondary school enrolment
15.8%% gross
#187 of 1882017
18% of world average
University enrolment
2.8%% gross
not enough data to rank2012
6% of world average
Primary school completion
38.5%% of relevant age group
#180 of 1802016
43% of world average
Pupils per teacher, primary school
83pupils per teacher
#160 of 1602016
376% of world average
▸ ISSUE 1 MORE
Years of compulsory education
10.0 yrsyears
#87 of 1972025
100% of world average
— WORK —
Unemployment
6.3%% of labour force
#114 of 1862025
91% of world average
Youth unemployment
10.1%% of labour force aged 15-24
#73 of 1862025
64% of world average
Labour force participation
73.4%% aged 15+
#21 of 1862025
121% of world average
Women in the labour force
65.5%% of women aged 15+
#23 of 1862025
128% of world average
8 of 12 figures unavailable for Central African Republic.
— CONNECTED —
18 of 18 figures unavailable for Central African Republic.
— NATURE —
12 of 12 figures unavailable for Central African Republic.
— STATE —
7 of 7 figures unavailable for Central African Republic.
— TRADE PARTNERS —
Loading trade partner map…
— TRADE —
No trade data available for Central African Republic.
— EXTRAS —
Anthem
La RenaissanceAudio: Wikimedia Commons
Capital time
--:--:--Bangui · approx. UTC+1
Landmarks
Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National ParkImage: Wikimedia Commons 
Sangha TrinationalImage: Wikimedia Commons
People
Jean-Bedel Bokassa2nd president (1966–76) and emperor (r. 1976–79) of the Central African Republic
Faustin-Archange TouadéraPresident of the Central African Republic since 2016
François Bozizé6th President of the Central African Republic
Catherine Samba-PanzaCentral African politician
David Dackoformer President of the Central African Republic (1960–1966) and (1979-1981), lived (1930–2003)
Barthélemy Boganda1st Prime Minister of the Central African Republic autonomous territory (1910-1959)
Geoffrey KondogbiaFrench footballer (born 1993)
Ange-Félix Patasséformer President of the Central African Republic (1937-2011)
Michel DjotodiaCentral African politician and military leader
Elisabeth DomitienPrime Minister of the Central African Republic (1925-2005)
Mapou Yanga-MbiwaFrench footballer (born 1989)
André KolingbaCentral African politician
History
1960Central African Republic — founding / independence (Wikidata)
Size, side by side
Loading size comparison…
1960 → now
2026
Population5.5M2025
GDP$3.07B2025
GDP per person$5562025