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Population Review

Rank #38 by World Population

🇨🇫Central African Republic

Central African Republic has a population of 5,152,421, ranking #38 in the world. The capital is Bangui. Located in Sub-Saharan Africa .

World Bank: Low income

5,152,421

Population

#38

World Rank

57.4

Life Expectancy

$496

GDP Per Capita

Central African Republic, #38 by world population

Central African Republic Population History (1960-2024)

The country of Central African Republic had a population of 1,702,346 in 1960 and 5,330,690 in 2024, a 3.1× growth over 64 years. The peak was 5,330,690 in 2024. Average annual growth rate: 1.80%.

2024 · 5.3M19602024

5,330,690

Population (2024)

1,702,346

Population (1960)

5,330,690

Peak (2024)

1.80%

Avg Annual Growth

YearPopulation
19601,702,346
19611,734,580
19621,768,115
19631,803,063
19641,839,583
19651,877,854
19661,918,082
19671,960,444
19682,005,100
19692,051,515
19702,097,505
19712,141,450
19722,183,769
19732,226,008
19742,269,338
19752,313,916
19762,348,566
19772,372,930
19782,397,961
19792,423,794
19802,450,535
19812,478,402
19822,507,375
19832,537,399
19842,568,610
19852,600,932
19862,634,258
19872,669,155
19882,713,965
19892,783,970
19902,871,910
19912,963,191
19923,058,831
19933,157,839
19943,257,954
19953,348,052
19963,435,965
19973,531,700
19983,628,827
19993,729,450
20003,833,416
20013,919,487
20024,006,077
20034,103,086
20044,192,826
20054,288,810
20064,377,579
20074,462,770
20084,558,984
20094,529,047
20104,492,995
20114,565,021
20124,610,848
20134,642,419
20144,623,182
20154,629,320
20164,713,663
20174,793,511
20184,878,657
20194,944,703
20205,026,628
20215,112,100
20225,098,039
20235,152,421
20245,330,690

Demographics

Population5,152,421
Population Growth Rate1.06%
Urban Population43.7%
Fertility Rate6.01 births/woman
Life Expectancy57.4 years
Infant Mortality Rate60.8 per 1,000
Literacy Rate-

Economy & Trade

$496

GDP Per Capita

6.2%

Unemployment Rate

Low income

Income Level

43.5%

Trade (% of GDP)

Health & Education

10.7%

Health Expenditure (% GDP)

0.07

Physicians per 1,000

1.8%

Education Expenditure (% GDP)

60.8

Infant Mortality (per 1,000)

Development & Connectivity

17.6%

Electricity Access

13.8%

Internet Users

36

Mobile Subs per 100

8.3

People per km2

-14,682

Net Migration

Environment

35.7%

Forest Area

Other Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa

AngolaBeninBotswanaBurkina FasoBurundi

Compare Central African Republic

vs Afghanistanvs Albaniavs Algeriavs American Samoa

Central African Republic in global context

Central African Republic is one of 212 countries tracked. See how it ranks globally, regional shares of world population, and projections to 2050 / 2100.

World Population 2026: Top 10 Countries, Regions & Trends →

Other related entities

Angola (36,749,906)Benin (14,111,034)Botswana (2,480,244)Burkina Faso (23,025,776)Burundi (13,689,450)All countries →

Country rankings

Populated Countries in the WorldCountries With Highest GDP Per CapitaCountries With Highest Life ExpectancyCountries With Highest Fertility RatesCountries With Highest Literacy RatesUrbanized Countries in the WorldFastest Growing Countries by PopulationCountries With Highest Infant MortalityCountries With Highest Income InequalityCountries With Most International TourismAll rankings →

Frequently Asked Questions

Central African Republic has a population of 5,152,421, ranking #38 in the world. The annual population growth rate is 1.06%.

Life expectancy in Central African Republic is 57.4 years. The infant mortality rate is 60.8 per 1,000 live births.

Central African Republic's GDP per capita is $496. It is classified as a low income country by the World Bank.

43.7% of Central African Republic's population lives in urban areas. The overall population density is 8.3 people per square kilometer.

Literacy data for Central African Republic is available from the World Bank.

Sources: World Bank Open Data

International data from the World Bank Open Data API. Population figures are latest available estimates. GDP per capita in current US dollars.

The this entity record above pulls directly from the U.S. Census Bureau ACS and decennial files. What follows is the per-entity context — how this entity sits in the broader U.S. population demographics distribution and which underlying factors drive the headline numbers.

The methodology behind every numeric value on this page is publicly documented on the the U.S. Census Bureau ACS and decennial files portal and described in detail on this site’s methodology page. Refresh cadence varies by underlying series; the page surfaces the as-of date for each number so readers can trace any figure back to the source release.

Practical use of this page is in combination with the comparison and ranking pages elsewhere on the site, which surface the same data for this entity’s peers within U.S. states, metros, cities, and ZIPs. A single-entity reading without peer context can be misleading when an entity is an outlier on one axis but typical on another.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, 2026.