Includes The Central African Republic real Gross Domestic Product growth rate, with latest forecasts and historical data, GDP per capita, and GDP composition by sector.
Browse additional economic indicators and data sets, selected by Global Finance editors, to learn more about The Central African Republic economic outlook, debt to GDP ratio, trade performance and population trends. Rankings of country’s best banks and safest banks are also available.
Basic Information
Government Type: Presidential republic
Capital City: Bangui
GDP & Economic Information
Macroeconomy & Sovereign Data
| Central Bank |
Bank of Central African States |
|---|---|
| Currency |
Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) |
| International Reserves |
USD 0.36 billion (2018) International Monetary Fund (IMF), data retrieved October 2019 |
| Gross Domestic Product – GDP | USD 2.2 billion (2018, estimate) |
| GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) | Intl$ 3.6 billion (2018, estimate) |
GDP Data
| Real GDP growth |
2007 4.6% 2008 2.1% 2009 1.7% 2010 3% 2011 3.3% 2012* 4.1% 2013* -36.7% 2014* 1% 2015* 4.8% 2016* 4.5% 2017* 4.3% 2018* 4.3% *Estimate |
|---|---|
| GDP per capita – current prices |
USD 430.1 (2018, estimate) |
| GDP per capita – PPP |
Intl$ 711.9 (2018, estimate) |
| GDP (PPP) – share of world total |
1980 0.01% 1990 0.01% 2000 0.01% 2010 0.00% 2019* 0.003% *Estimate |
| GDP – composition by sector |
agriculture: 33.9% industry: 17.8% services: 28.2% (2017 estimate) |
| Gross domestic expenditure on R&D; (% of GDP) | N/A |
| Inflation |
2015 4.5% 2016 4.6% 2017 4.5% 2018* 1.6% 2019* 3% *Estimate |
The Central African Republic
Award Winners
Growing With Startups
Capital Raising & Corporate Finance
Barclays To Sell Africa BusinessInflation & Debt
| Inflation |
2015 4.5% 2016 4.6% 2017 4.5% 2018* 1.6% 2019* 3% *Estimate |
|---|---|
| Government Bond Ratings |
Standard & Poor’s: N/A Moody’s: N/A Standard & Poor’s / Moody’s |
| Unemployment rate | N/A |
| Household saving rates | N/A |
| Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP) |
2015 59.8% 2016 53.9% 2017 50.3% 2018* 49.9% 2019* 44.5% *Estimate |
| Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP) |
2015 -0.6% 2016 1.1% 2017 -1.1% 2018* 0.4% 2019* 2.6% *Estimate |
| Market value of publicly traded shares | N/A |
| Largest Companies | N/A |
Import/Export
| Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services) |
15.2% (2017) |
|---|---|
| Shares in world total merchandising export |
0.001% (2018) |
| Shares in world total commercial services export |
0.001% (2016) |
| Total exports |
USD 227.3 million (2016) |
| Export commodities |
Diamonds, timber, cotton, coffee |
| Total imports |
USD 507.2 million (2016 estimate) |
| Import commodities |
Food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals |
| Exports – major partners |
France 31.2%, Burundi 16.2%, China 12.5%, Cameroon 9.6%, Austria 7.8% (2017) |
| Imports – major partners |
France 17.1%, US 12.3%, India 11.5%, China 8.2%, South Africa 7.4%, Japan 5.8%, Italy 5.1%, Cameroon 4.9%, Netherlands 4.6% (2017) |
Competitiveness & Trade
| Current account balance |
USD -0.2 billion (2018 estimate) |
|---|---|
| Current account balance by percentage of GDP |
-8.0 % (2018 estimate) |
| FDI inflows |
2016 USD 7.3 million 2017 USD 6.9 million 2018 USD 18.0 million |
| FDI Outflows | N/A |
| Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser |
N/A United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) – World Investment Report |
| Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2014 | N/A |
| Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2015 | N/A |
| Best countries for doing business |
Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm. Overall ranking: 184 out of 190 countries Subcategories: Starting a Business: 180 out of 190 countries Dealing with Construction Permits: 184 out of 190 countries Getting Electricity: 185 out of 190 countries Registering Property: 170 out of 190 countries Getting Credit: 144 out of 190 countries Protecting Minority Investors: 162 out of 190 countries Paying Taxes: 187 out of 190 countries Trading across Borders: 164 out of 190 countries Enforcing Contracts: 183 out of 190 countries Resolving Insolvency: 155 out of 190 countries |
| Global competitiveness ranking | N/A |
| Index of Economic Freedom |
Ranking: 161 / Score: 49.1 (Repressed)(100=totally free 0=totally repressed) |
Population & Geographic Data
| Time Zone |
UTC+1 |
|---|---|
| Total Area |
622,984 sq km |
| Total Population |
1990 2.91 million 2000 3.64 million 2010* 4.35 million 2015* 4.79 million 2020* 5.28 million *Estimate |
| Urban population as % of total population |
1960 20.1% 1980 33.9% 2000 37.6% 2018 41.4% |
| Population median age |
19.8 years |
| Population growth rate |
2.11% (2018 estimate) |
| Life expectancy |
53.3 years (2018 estimate) |
| % of population living on less than $3.10 a day | N/A |
| Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index) | N/A |
| Freedom House rating |
Not Free Political Rights: 7 Civil Liberties: 7 (2019) (1 represents the most free, 7 the least free rating) |
| Total telephone subscribers as % of population |
Fixed: 0% Mobile: 27.7% (2018) (fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers) |
| Internet users as % of total population |
4.34 % (2017) |
Language & Religon
| Languages |
French (official), Sangho (lingua franca and national language), tribal languages |
|---|---|
| Literacy |
Total population: 36.8% Male: 50.7% Female: 24.4% Definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.) |
| Religions |
indigenous beliefs 35%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15% |
World Rankings
| Population | 5.28 M |
|---|---|
| Mercer Cost of living index |
Bangui: 54th (2019) |
| C02 Emissions per capita |
0.07 metric tons per capita (2014) |
Global Finance Rankings & Awards: Africa & The Central African Republic
Global Finance Magazine holds several conferences and awards ceremonies throughout the year to recognize the winning financial institutions and companies in a host of categories including World’s Best Trade Finance Banks, World's Biggest Banks, World's Safest Banks, World's Best Developed & Emerging Markets Banks, World's Best Internet Banks, and World’s Best Investment Banks.
Data Sources:
IMF World Economic Outlook
UN World Population Prospects
World Inequality Report
S&P Global Ratings
Moody’s
Fitch Ratings
IMF Direction of Trade Statistics (DOTS)
UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
CIA The World Factbook
World Bank’s World Integrated Trade Solution
Forbes Global 2000