Demographics of the Central African Republic

Demographic features of the population of the Central African Republic include population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.

Demographics of Central African Republic, Data of Our World in Data, year 2022.

Demographics of Central African Republic
Population pyramid of the Central African Republic in 2020
Population	5,454,533 (2022 est.)
Growth rate	2.28% (2022 est.)
Birth rate	32.79 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Death rate	11.76 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Life expectancy	55.52 years
• male	54.19 years
• female	56.88 years
Fertility rate	5.98 children born/woman (2022 est.)
Infant mortality rate	82.97 deaths/1,000 live births
Net migration rate	-3.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Age structure
0–14 years	39.49%
65 and over	3.35%
Sex ratio
Total	0.99 male(s)/female (2022 est.)
At birth	1.03 male(s)/female
Under 15	1.05 male(s)/female
65 and over	0.64 male(s)/female
Nationality
Nationality	Central African
Language
Official	French

There are more than 80 ethnic groups in the Central African Republic (CAR), each with its own language. The largest ethnic groups are Gbaya (Baya) 28.8%, Banda 22.9%, Mandjia 9.9%, Sara 7.9%, M'Baka-Bantu 7.9%, Arab-Fulani (Peuhl) 6%, Mbum 6%, Ngbanki 5.5%, Zande-Nzakara 3%, other Central African Republic ethnic groups 2%, non-Central African Republic ethnic groups .1%, as of 2003.^[1] Sangho, the language of a small group along the Oubangui River, is the national language spoken by the majority of Central Africans. Only a small part of the population has more than an elemental knowledge of French, the official language.

More than 55% of the population of the CAR lives in rural areas. The chief agricultural areas are around the Bossangoa and Bambari. Bangui, Berberati, Bangassou, and Bossangoa are the most densely populated urban centers.

Population

According to the 2022 revision of the World Population Prospects^[2][3] the total population was 5,457,154 in 2021, compared to only 1 327 000 in 1950. The proportion of children below the age of 15 in 2010 was 40.4%, 55.6% were between 15 and 65 years of age, while 4% were 65 years or older.^[4]

Population by age group

Year	Total	0–14 (%)	15–64 (%)	65+ (%)
1950	1 327 000	36.2	58.7	5.1
1955	1 399 000	37.0	58.3	4.7
1960	1 504 000	38.2	57.5	4.3
1965	1 649 000	39.6	56.2	4.2
1970	1 829 000	40.6	55.3	4.1
1975	2 017 000	41.7	54.2	4.1
1980	2 274 000	42.2	53.6	4.1
1985	2 627 000	42.4	53.6	4.0
1990	2 935 000	43.2	52.8	4.0
1995	3 328 000	42.5	53.5	4.0
2000	3 702 000	42.0	54.0	3.9
2005	4 018 000	41.6	54.5	4.0
2010	4 401 000	40.4	55.6	4.0
2015	4 410 000	40.8	55.8	4.0

Vital statistics

Registration of vital events is not complete in the Central African Republic. The Population Department of the United Nations prepared the following estimates. ^[4]

	Population (thousands)	Live births (thousands)	Deaths (thousands)	Natural change (thousands)	CBR[i]	CDR[i]	NC[i]	TFR[i]	IMR[i]	Life expectancy (years)
1950	1 437	63	42	20	43.6	29.5	14.0	5.74	190.7	35.39
1951	1 457	63	43	21	43.5	29.4	14.1	5.75	189.7	35.59
1952	1 478	64	43	21	43.5	29.0	14.5	5.76	187.5	36.00
1953	1 500	65	43	22	43.4	28.6	14.8	5.76	185.4	36.40
1954	1 522	66	43	23	43.3	28.2	15.2	5.77	183.3	36.80
1955	1 546	67	43	24	43.3	27.7	15.6	5.78	181.3	37.19
1956	1 570	68	43	25	43.2	27.3	15.9	5.78	179.3	37.58
1957	1 596	69	43	26	43.2	26.8	16.4	5.79	177.3	37.97
1958	1 623	70	43	27	43.0	26.4	16.7	5.80	175.3	38.35
1959	1 650	71	43	28	43.0	25.9	17.0	5.81	173.3	38.74
1960	1 680	72	43	29	42.9	25.4	17.5	5.81	170.5	39.24
1961	1 710	73	43	31	42.9	24.9	18.0	5.83	167.8	39.74
1962	1 743	75	43	32	43.0	24.4	18.6	5.85	164.9	40.26
1963	1 776	76	42	34	43.0	23.9	19.1	5.87	162.0	40.78
1964	1 812	78	42	36	43.3	23.4	19.9	5.91	158.9	41.35
1965	1 849	80	42	38	43.4	22.9	20.6	5.94	155.8	41.93
1966	1 889	83	42	40	43.8	22.4	21.4	5.98	152.6	42.53
1967	1 931	85	42	43	44.0	21.9	22.1	6.02	149.4	43.16
1968	1 975	87	42	45	44.3	21.4	22.9	6.06	146.2	43.80
1969	2 022	89	42	47	44.1	20.9	23.2	6.04	143.2	44.44
1970	2 067	90	42	48	43.7	20.3	23.4	6.00	140.3	45.07
1971	2 111	92	42	50	43.5	19.8	23.7	5.99	137.6	45.69
1972	2 154	93	42	51	43.1	19.2	23.8	5.96	135.1	46.29
1973	2 196	94	41	53	42.6	18.7	23.9	5.93	132.8	46.85
1974	2 239	95	41	54	42.3	18.3	24.0	5.91	130.6	47.40
1975	2 284	96	41	55	41.9	17.8	24.1	5.89	128.5	47.91
1976	2 318	98	41	57	42.0	17.5	24.5	5.93	126.6	48.40
1977	2 342	100	41	60	42.4	17.2	25.2	5.97	124.8	48.84
1978	2 366	103	41	62	43.0	17.0	26.0	6.02	123.0	49.24
1979	2 390	105	41	65	43.6	16.8	26.8	6.07	121.4	49.60
1980	2 415	107	41	67	44.1	16.7	27.4	6.11	120.0	49.89
1981	2 441	110	41	69	44.6	16.5	28.1	6.14	118.8	50.16
1982	2 468	112	41	71	44.9	16.4	28.5	6.14	117.8	50.30
1983	2 495	114	41	73	45.2	16.3	28.9	6.12	117.0	50.42
1984	2 524	116	41	75	45.5	16.3	29.3	6.11	116.3	50.48
1985	2 553	118	42	77	45.9	16.2	29.7	6.11	115.7	50.52
1986	2 584	120	42	78	46.2	16.1	30.0	6.09	115.1	50.49
1987	2 616	123	42	80	46.5	16.1	30.4	6.10	114.7	50.41
1988	2 657	124	43	81	46.5	16.1	30.4	6.08	114.5	50.24
1989	2 724	127	44	83	46.5	16.1	30.5	6.06	114.7	49.99
1990	2 809	130	45	85	46.3	16.1	30.2	6.05	115.0	49.64
1991	2 898	133	47	86	46.0	16.1	29.8	6.03	115.2	49.25
1992	2 992	136	48	87	45.4	16.2	29.2	5.98	115.1	48.79
1993	3 089	139	50	88	44.9	16.3	28.7	5.94	114.7	48.35
1994	3 188	142	52	90	44.5	16.4	28.1	5.93	114.3	47.85
1995	3 277	146	54	92	44.5	16.6	27.9	5.97	113.8	47.35
1996	3 364	149	56	92	44.3	16.8	27.5	5.99	113.4	46.83
1997	3 458	151	59	93	43.8	17.0	26.8	5.96	112.8	46.32
1998	3 555	155	61	94	43.5	17.1	26.4	5.93	112.2	46.03
1999	3 655	159	63	96	43.4	17.2	26.2	5.93	111.4	45.75
2000	3 759	162	65	97	43.3	17.3	25.9	5.92	111.0	45.41
2001	3 845	165	67	99	42.8	17.2	25.6	5.85	110.1	45.39
2002	3 931	167	67	100	42.6	17.2	25.5	5.84	109.1	45.41
2003	4 027	173	68	104	42.8	16.9	25.9	5.85	108.1	45.76
2004	4 115	175	69	107	42.5	16.7	25.9	5.83	107.2	46.04
2005	4 209	180	69	111	42.6	16.4	26.3	5.85	106.2	46.43
2006	4 294	185	69	115	42.8	16.1	26.7	5.87	104.8	46.85
2007	4 376	188	69	119	42.8	15.7	27.1	5.89	103.4	47.43
2008	4 467	192	69	124	42.9	15.3	27.6	5.91	101.7	48.02
2009	4 565	197	68	129	43.0	14.9	28.1	5.92	99.5	48.65
2010	4 660	202	68	134	43.2	14.5	28.7	5.94	97.3	49.26
2011	4 732	206	67	139	43.2	14.1	29.1	5.96	94.7	49.95
2012	4 773	208	66	142	43.0	13.6	29.4	6.01	92.1	50.69
2013	4 802	206	65	141	42.4	13.4	29.0	6.02	89.9	50.90
2014	4 799	205	66	139	41.9	13.5	28.4	6.02	89.1	50.57
2015	4 819	199	59	140	41.0	12.2	28.9	6.04	84.7	52.79
2016	4 904	203	58	145	41.2	11.7	29.5	6.04	81.6	53.46
2017	4 997	209	58	151	41.6	11.5	30.1	6.05	79.3	53.72
2018	5 095	214	58	157	41.8	11.2	30.6	6.04	77.4	54.37
2019	5 209	219	57	162	41.9	10.9	31.0	6.01	74.6	55.03
2020	5 343	226	59	167	42.2	11.0	31.1	5.99	72.4	54.60
2021	5 457	235	63	172	42.7	11.4	31.3	5.98	71.4	53.90
CBR = crude birth rate (per 1000); CDR = crude death rate (per 1000); NC = natural change (per 1000); TFR = total fertility rate (number of children per woman); IMR = infant mortality rate per 1000 births

Source: UN DESA, World Population Prospects, 2022^[5]

Demographic and Health Surveys

Total Fertility Rate (TFR) (Wanted Fertility Rate) and Crude Birth Rate (CBR):^[6]

Year	CBR (Total)	TFR (Total)	CBR (Urban)	TFR (Urban)	CBR (Rural)	TFR (Rural)
1994–95	38,0	5,07 (4,7)	37,9	4,86 (4,3)	37,9	5,23 (5,0)

Life expectancy

Period	Life expectancy in Years[7]
1950–1955	33.44
1955–1960	35.50
1960–1965	37.57
1965–1970	40.16
1970–1975	43.90
1975–1980	47.62
1980–1985	49.56
1985–1990	49.49
1990–1995	47.65
1995–2000	44.96
2000–2005	43.68
2005–2010	45.99
2010–2015	49.40

Population, fertility rate and net reproduction rate, United Nations estimates

Ethnic groups

An approximate distribution of the ethnic groups is shown in the chart below:

Ethnic groups in Central African Republic

Ethnic group	Percentage	Population
Baggara Arabs	2.4%	107,000
Baka	0.5%	20,000
Banda	27%	1,190,700
Bayaka	?	?
Fula	4.5%	250,000
Gbaya	33%	1,300,000
Kara	2.3%	100,000
Kresh	?	?
Mbaka	4%	176,400
Mandja	13%	573,300
Ngbandi	?	?
Sara	10%	441,000
Vidiri	?	?
Wodaabe	2.3%	100,000
Yakoma	4%	176,400
Yulu	?	?
Zande	1.4%	62,000
Others	?	?

Languages

Main article: Languages of the Central African Republic

Sango (lingua franca and official language), French (official), tribal languages^[8]

Religion

Main article: Religion in the Central African Republic

Religion in the Central African Republic 2020
Roman Catholic			60.5%
Protestant			28.4%
Islam			8.5%
Traditional religions			1%
other			2%

Christian 89%, Muslim 9%, folk religionist 1%, unaffiliated 1% (2020 est.)

Indigenous beliefs 35%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Islam 15%^[8]

note: animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority

See also

• Demographics of Africa
• List of ethnic groups of Africa