Country or area · Middle Africa · Africa · UN WPP 2024

Central African Republic population

Central African Republic population now

5,744,861

A projection read at this second, not a count: the UN's totals for 1 January 2026 and 2027, joined by a straight line. 95% range for 31 December 2026: 5.5–6.0 million.

Mid-2023, UN estimate: 5,152,420

Year: 2026; projection · medium
Population, mid-2026: 5.69898 million; 95% range, 31 Dec: 5.5–6.0 million
Median age: 15.6
Aged 65+: 2.2%

Move through time, 1950–2100

2023 | 2024

male female projection · one cell = 2,000 people

How to read this: one row for each age, newborns at the bottom; men on the left, women on the right.

Verified 2026-09-30 · 73 canaries

CAF · 1950–2100 · in brief

Central African Republic in numbers

The Central African Republic had 5,152,420 people in mid-2023, the 124th-largest population of the 236 countries and areas the UN reports, and 0.06% of the world's people. That is 3.6 times its 1950 population of 1.4 million.

In the UN's medium projection it is still growing in 2100, when it reaches 18.8 million. The projection is uncertain: on 1 January 2100 the UN's 95% range runs from 6.5 million to 65.3 million.

Births outnumber deaths in all but 2 of the years from 1950 to 2100. Deaths outnumbered births in 2009 and 2022.

The median age was 22.2 in 1950 and 15.3 in 2023; the projection has 34.0 in 2100. 2.1% of people were 65 or older in 2023, against 11.2% projected for 2100. The working-age population (15–64) is still growing in 2100 in the medium projection.

By size it is the 124th country in 2023; the projection puts it 96th in 2050 and 81st in 2100. In the medium projection it overtakes Ireland in 2024, New Zealand in 2024 and Slovakia in 2025.

Population, mid-2023: 5,152,420
Rank by population, 2023: 124 of 236
Share of the world, 2023: 0.06%
Change in a year, mid-2022 to mid-2023: +1.07% · +54,380 people
People per km² of land, 2023: 8.3
Land area, 2023: 622,980 km²
Births, 2023: 238,858
Deaths, 2023: 48,529
Net migration, 2023: −14,682
Children per woman, 2023: 6.01
Median age, 2023: 15.3 years
Life expectancy at birth, 2023: 57.4 years
In a city, 2025: 25 of every 100
Population, mid-1950: 1,438,058
Projected, mid-2050: 10,616,752
Projected, mid-2100: 18,779,150

CAF · 1950–2100 · total population

Population, 1950–2100

estimates | projections020 m40 m60 m80 m1950197520002025205020752100

estimate projection, up to the bottom of the 95% range 95% range medium projection. Every column stands for a single year, counted on 1 January, and the paper rules slice it into cells of equal size.

Show the numbers: Central African Republic, 1950–2100

Central African Republic: population on 1 January, births, deaths, fertility and life expectancy, 1950–2100
Year	Kind	Population, 1 Jan	95% range	Births	Deaths	Children per woman	Life expectancy
1950	estimate	1,426,515		65,217	42,139	5.93	35.4
1951	estimate	1,449,600		65,977	42,666	5.93	35.8
1952	estimate	1,472,901		66,764	42,930	5.93	36.3
1953	estimate	1,496,747		67,485	43,068	5.92	36.6
1954	estimate	1,521,150		68,325	43,119	5.92	37.0
1955	estimate	1,546,365		69,120	43,123	5.92	37.4
1956	estimate	1,572,361		70,115	43,139	5.93	37.8
1957	estimate	1,599,331		71,008	43,120	5.93	38.3
1958	estimate	1,627,223		71,940	43,084	5.93	38.7
1959	estimate	1,656,118		73,011	43,051	5.94	39.1
1960	estimate	1,686,544		74,109	42,977	5.95	39.6
1961	estimate	1,718,148		75,285	42,902	5.96	40.1
1962	estimate	1,751,012		76,545	42,815	5.97	40.6
1963	estimate	1,785,218		77,940	42,723	5.99	41.1
1964	estimate	1,820,908		79,511	42,634	6.00	41.6
1965	estimate	1,858,259		81,275	42,565	6.03	42.2
1966	estimate	1,897,450		83,328	42,526	6.06	42.8
1967	estimate	1,938,715		85,485	42,507	6.08	43.4
1968	estimate	1,982,172		87,899	42,522	6.10	44.0
1969	estimate	2,028,028		89,556	42,491	6.06	44.6
1970	estimate	2,075,003		91,102	42,414	6.03	45.2
1971	estimate	2,120,007		92,386	42,244	5.99	45.8
1972	estimate	2,162,892		93,414	42,022	5.96	46.3
1973	estimate	2,204,645		94,286	41,761	5.92	46.9
1974	estimate	2,247,371		95,331	41,554	5.90	47.4
1975	estimate	2,291,306		96,527	41,422	5.88	47.9
1976	estimate	2,336,527		99,188	41,461	5.94	48.4
1977	estimate	2,360,604		101,824	41,386	5.99	48.8
1978	estimate	2,385,257		104,727	41,441	6.04	49.2
1979	estimate	2,410,665		107,695	41,592	6.09	49.5
1980	estimate	2,436,924		110,566	41,805	6.13	49.8
1981	estimate	2,464,146		113,470	42,081	6.17	50.0
1982	estimate	2,492,658		115,698	42,367	6.16	50.2
1983	estimate	2,522,092		118,098	42,698	6.15	50.3
1984	estimate	2,552,707		120,459	43,065	6.14	50.4
1985	estimate	2,584,512		122,719	43,453	6.12	50.5
1986	estimate	2,617,353		125,056	43,908	6.11	50.4
1987	estimate	2,651,162		127,865	44,458	6.12	50.4
1988	estimate	2,687,148		129,677	45,022	6.10	50.2
1989	estimate	2,740,783		131,764	45,795	6.07	50.1
1990	estimate	2,827,158		134,517	47,011	6.05	49.9
1991	estimate	2,916,661		137,025	48,338	6.03	49.6
1992	estimate	3,009,722		138,738	49,798	5.96	49.2
1993	estimate	3,107,939		141,148	51,278	5.93	48.9
1994	estimate	3,207,739		143,962	53,020	5.92	48.5
1995	estimate	3,308,168		147,692	54,946	5.94	48.1
1996	estimate	3,387,935		150,024	56,657	5.96	47.7
1997	estimate	3,483,995		151,946	58,567	5.92	47.3
1998	estimate	3,579,404		154,429	60,069	5.89	47.1
1999	estimate	3,678,249		157,798	61,689	5.88	46.9
2000	estimate	3,780,650		161,226	63,759	5.85	46.6
2001	estimate	3,886,183		164,424	64,824	5.81	46.7
2002	estimate	3,952,791		165,879	65,293	5.79	46.8
2003	estimate	4,059,364		171,114	65,575	5.80	47.3
2004	estimate	4,146,808		174,245	65,696	5.78	47.7
2005	estimate	4,238,844		179,167	65,633	5.81	48.2
2006	estimate	4,338,777		184,701	65,821	5.84	48.7
2007	estimate	4,416,381		188,292	65,157	5.87	49.3
2008	estimate	4,509,160		193,562	64,933	5.90	49.9
2009	estimate	4,608,807		197,666	328,281	5.94	14.7
2010	estimate	4,449,286		202,009	71,470	5.96	46.9
2011	estimate	4,536,705		206,859	63,949	6.01	50.1
2012	estimate	4,593,338		208,167	61,376	6.05	51.3
2013	estimate	4,628,358		207,318	66,829	6.08	49.5
2014	estimate	4,656,480		206,410	98,965	6.10	40.3
2015	estimate	4,589,884		200,626	58,712	6.13	51.9
2016	estimate	4,668,757		204,529	62,113	6.13	51.0
2017	estimate	4,758,570		209,676	81,217	6.13	45.2
2018	estimate	4,828,451		213,870	60,510	6.11	52.3
2019	estimate	4,928,863		218,100	149,575	6.09	31.5
2020	estimate	4,960,544		223,558	66,646	6.06	50.6
2021	estimate	5,092,713		231,200	106,791	6.05	40.3
2022	estimate	5,131,487		231,576	281,035	6.02	18.8
2023	estimate	5,064,592		238,858	48,529	6.01	57.4
2024	estimate	5,240,249		246,241	49,999	5.95	57.7
2025	projection	5,421,130	5.3–5.5 million	250,088	51,098	5.81	57.9
2026	projection	5,605,434	5.4–5.7 million	254,783	52,068	5.69	58.1
2027	projection	5,792,534	5.5–6.0 million	259,894	53,040	5.58	58.4
2028	projection	5,983,711	5.6–6.3 million	265,017	53,982	5.47	58.6
2029	projection	6,181,218	5.7–6.6 million	269,576	54,886	5.36	58.9
2030	projection	6,378,246	5.8–6.9 million	273,532	55,671	5.25	59.1
2031	projection	6,578,245	5.9–7.3 million	276,644	56,446	5.14	59.4
2032	projection	6,781,870	5.9–7.6 million	279,747	57,194	5.04	59.6
2033	projection	6,986,407	6.0–8.0 million	280,486	57,831	4.91	59.9
2034	projection	7,192,479	6.1–8.4 million	281,215	58,464	4.78	60.1
2035	projection	7,400,015	6.1–8.8 million	282,229	59,065	4.67	60.3
2036	projection	7,605,159	6.2–9.2 million	282,707	59,647	4.56	60.5
2037	projection	7,809,963	6.3–9.6 million	283,832	60,241	4.46	60.8
2038	projection	8,013,299	6.3–10.0 million	284,009	60,840	4.35	61.0
2039	projection	8,218,426	6.3–10.5 million	285,314	61,466	4.26	61.2
2040	projection	8,424,685	6.4–10.9 million	285,533	62,099	4.15	61.4
2041	projection	8,628,225	6.5–11.4 million	285,328	62,695	4.03	61.6
2042	projection	8,829,922	6.5–11.9 million	287,037	63,369	3.94	61.8
2043	projection	9,032,403	6.6–12.4 million	289,177	64,067	3.86	62.0
2044	projection	9,237,588	6.7–13.0 million	291,433	64,899	3.78	62.2
2045	projection	9,445,936	6.7–13.4 million	293,516	65,749	3.70	62.4
2046	projection	9,655,850	6.7–13.9 million	295,647	66,607	3.63	62.6
2047	projection	9,867,038	6.7–14.4 million	297,875	67,547	3.56	62.8
2048	projection	10,078,490	6.7–14.8 million	300,223	68,505	3.49	63.0
2049	projection	10,293,544	6.7–15.4 million	302,474	69,464	3.43	63.2
2050	projection	10,507,707	6.7–15.9 million	304,003	70,397	3.36	63.4
2051	projection	10,725,798	6.7–16.4 million	305,777	71,493	3.30	63.6
2052	projection	10,942,924	6.8–17.0 million	307,291	72,591	3.25	63.8
2053	projection	11,161,792	6.9–17.6 million	308,699	73,733	3.19	63.9
2054	projection	11,381,587	7.0–18.2 million	310,004	74,920	3.14	64.1
2055	projection	11,600,789	6.9–18.9 million	311,200	76,248	3.09	64.3
2056	projection	11,819,530	7.0–19.5 million	312,464	77,604	3.04	64.5
2057	projection	12,037,684	7.0–20.3 million	313,479	79,005	3.00	64.6
2058	projection	12,255,937	7.1–21.0 million	314,437	80,488	2.95	64.8
2059	projection	12,472,771	7.1–21.6 million	314,628	81,967	2.91	65.0
2060	projection	12,687,524	7.1–22.3 million	314,582	83,576	2.86	65.1
2061	projection	12,900,972	7.1–23.0 million	314,767	85,210	2.82	65.3
2062	projection	13,109,777	7.1–23.7 million	315,113	86,940	2.79	65.4
2063	projection	13,318,749	7.1–24.6 million	314,942	88,809	2.75	65.6
2064	projection	13,528,294	7.2–25.4 million	314,467	90,643	2.71	65.8
2065	projection	13,730,179	7.1–26.1 million	313,804	92,548	2.68	65.9
2066	projection	13,930,332	7.2–27.0 million	312,927	94,614	2.65	66.1
2067	projection	14,129,676	7.3–27.6 million	311,982	96,679	2.61	66.2
2068	projection	14,328,564	7.3–28.5 million	310,751	98,891	2.58	66.4
2069	projection	14,522,111	7.3–29.2 million	309,832	101,189	2.55	66.5
2070	projection	14,714,155	7.2–30.1 million	308,901	103,533	2.52	66.7
2071	projection	14,905,532	7.3–31.0 million	308,135	105,982	2.49	66.8
2072	projection	15,090,115	7.4–31.5 million	307,207	108,463	2.46	67.0
2073	projection	15,266,866	7.3–32.2 million	306,159	111,001	2.44	67.1
2074	projection	15,444,228	7.2–33.1 million	305,532	113,564	2.42	67.3
2075	projection	15,612,177	7.2–33.9 million	304,640	116,240	2.40	67.4
2076	projection	15,783,190	7.1–35.0 million	303,482	118,918	2.37	67.5
2077	projection	15,952,838	7.2–35.9 million	302,854	121,698	2.35	67.7
2078	projection	16,118,213	7.2–37.0 million	302,057	124,531	2.33	67.8
2079	projection	16,275,445	7.2–38.0 million	301,780	127,407	2.31	68.0
2080	projection	16,425,279	7.2–39.2 million	301,181	130,192	2.30	68.1
2081	projection	16,578,775	7.2–40.3 million	300,519	133,075	2.28	68.2
2082	projection	16,725,721	7.1–41.5 million	299,850	135,888	2.26	68.4
2083	projection	16,873,000	7.1–42.6 million	299,261	138,655	2.25	68.5
2084	projection	17,017,166	7.2–44.1 million	298,551	141,470	2.23	68.7
2085	projection	17,155,536	7.2–45.0 million	297,995	144,272	2.22	68.8
2086	projection	17,287,582	7.3–46.2 million	297,338	147,033	2.20	69.0
2087	projection	17,421,014	7.2–47.4 million	296,370	149,865	2.19	69.2
2088	projection	17,546,117	7.2–48.3 million	294,924	152,617	2.17	69.3
2089	projection	17,667,967	7.0–48.8 million	293,931	155,461	2.16	69.4
2090	projection	17,780,847	7.0–50.1 million	292,778	158,260	2.15	69.6
2091	projection	17,896,366	6.9–51.6 million	291,713	161,139	2.14	69.7
2092	projection	18,005,679	6.8–53.2 million	289,988	163,890	2.12	69.8
2093	projection	18,112,413	6.8–54.9 million	288,195	166,705	2.11	70.0
2094	projection	18,212,070	6.8–56.2 million	286,708	169,454	2.10	70.1
2095	projection	18,310,414	6.7–58.0 million	285,196	171,947	2.08	70.3
2096	projection	18,407,097	6.6–60.0 million	283,405	174,476	2.07	70.4
2097	projection	18,496,380	6.5–61.1 million	281,610	177,182	2.06	70.6
2098	projection	18,580,476	6.5–62.6 million	279,802	179,829	2.05	70.7
2099	projection	18,663,751	6.5–64.4 million	278,349	182,449	2.04	70.8
2100	projection	18,742,529	6.5–65.3 million	276,606	185,092	2.03	71.0

Show the numbers: Central African Republic, mid-2026, by single year of age

Central African Republic: population by single year of age, mid-2026
Age	Male	Female
0	121,412	118,746
1	115,978	113,776
2	111,964	109,928
3	102,953	101,616
4	94,526	93,714
5	91,347	90,267
6	88,005	86,728
7	85,660	84,236
8	84,276	82,698
9	82,736	81,071
10	81,485	79,750
11	81,130	79,480
12	81,429	79,886
13	81,636	80,132
14	81,610	80,182
15	80,310	79,052
16	74,022	73,456
17	67,732	67,710
18	65,752	65,792
19	64,645	64,953
20	63,106	63,974
21	60,278	62,002
22	57,290	60,024
23	53,913	57,716
24	50,420	55,270
25	47,886	53,555
26	45,147	51,338
27	41,474	47,939
28	38,204	44,667
29	35,632	41,974
30	33,080	39,312
31	30,534	36,706
32	27,949	34,132
33	25,335	31,546
34	23,237	29,464
35	21,563	27,867
36	19,977	26,432
37	18,592	25,235
38	17,248	23,964
39	15,678	22,190
40	14,351	20,450
41	13,492	19,172
42	12,790	18,063
43	12,164	17,078
44	11,638	16,240
45	11,114	15,422
46	10,579	14,573
47	10,030	13,707
48	9,460	12,904
49	8,894	12,187
50	8,374	11,622
51	8,296	11,637
52	8,516	12,034
53	8,550	12,305
54	8,433	12,416
55	8,275	12,439
56	8,103	12,408
57	7,869	12,226
58	7,544	11,874
59	7,176	11,416
60	6,850	10,990
61	6,581	10,615
62	6,316	10,173
63	6,040	9,658
64	5,761	9,084
65	5,497	8,507
66	5,252	7,969
67	4,962	7,368
68	4,637	6,740
69	4,288	6,111
70	3,928	5,506
71	3,582	4,970
72	3,227	4,439
73	2,866	3,914
74	2,514	3,412
75	2,189	2,962
76	1,850	2,479
77	1,450	1,926
78	1,182	1,584
79	1,025	1,400
80	868	1,218
81	726	1,050
82	588	876
83	460	709
84	348	560
85	258	431
86	188	331
87	132	246
88	88	178
89	57	125
90	35	85
91	20	57
92	10	37
93	4	22
94	1	12
95	0	6
96	0	2
97	0	0
98	0	0
99	0	0
100+	0	0

CAF · 1950–2100 · every age, every year

Central African Republic, every age in every year

Each column is a year and each row an age; the denser the ink in a cell, the more people. Everyone born in the same year climbs one 45° diagonal, so famines, baby booms and migration show up as streaks. Select a cell to follow its generation.

CAF · ages 15–64

Who does the work in Central African Republic

In the Central African Republic the number of people aged 15–64 is still growing in 2100, the last year the UN projects. In 2023 there were 2,511,200 of them.

100 aged 15–64

101 children

4 aged 65+

aged 15–64 children under 15 aged 65 and over

How to read this: one orange square for each of 100 people aged 15–64 in 2023. Beneath them, teal for the children living alongside those 100 and violet for the people aged 65 or older.

Fewer than 50 dependants live alongside every 100 people aged 15–64 in 23 years: 2077–2099.

fewer than 50 dependants per 100 the same, projected 50 or more

How to read this: the strip runs 1950 to 2100. Coloured years are the ones with under 50 dependants for every 100 people aged 15–64; grey years are the rest, and a hatched year has not happened yet.

How every country compares

CAF · arrivals minus departures

Who arrives in Central African Republic, and who leaves

In 2020–2025 the Central African Republic loses 30,566 people a year: everyone who arrives, minus everyone who leaves. The age at which that happens most is 20–24, at 5,833 a year more leaving than arriving.

one square = 1,000 people a year

020406080+

more arrive than leave more leave than arrive

How to read this: each column is one age, youngest on the left. Above the line, in blue, are the ages gaining people; below it, in orange, the ages losing them. This is the UN's projection for 2020–2025 — the record of migration by age does not go back beyond 2020.

Its best and worst years between 1950 and 2023: a gain of 9,930 (1993), and a loss of 174,051 (2014).

In 2024, 94,556 people living in the Central African Republic had been born in another country, 2 of every 100 people there, against 2 in 1990.

How migration works everywhere

CAF · births by the mother's age · 1950–2100

Who has the babies in Central African Republic

Of every 100 babies born in the Central African Republic in 2023, 24 had a mother under 20, 64 a mother aged 20 to 34 and 12 a mother aged 35 or older. In 1950 it was 19 under 20 and 12 aged 35 or older.

1950
19 · 69 · 12

2023
24 · 64 · 12

2050 · projected
17 · 66 · 17

The mother's age: under 20 20 to 34 35 or older projected

How to read this: shrink a year's babies to 100 and colour each one by the age of its mother — that is a block. Under it, the same three groups as numbers, starting with the youngest mothers.

Babies born, 2023: 238,858
Average age when women have a baby: 29.0 years; 27.7 in 1950
Babies a year per 1,000 girls aged 15–19: 163; 169 in 1950

Babies by the mother's age, 1950–2100

Babies born in the Central African Republic by the mother's age
Mother's age	1950	1975	2000	2023	2050 projected	2100 projected
10–14	738	1,415	2,236	3,619	2,594	380
15–19	11,505	19,165	28,563	52,707	49,743	16,800
20–24	18,844	26,462	36,732	70,078	85,528	53,376
25–29	15,532	20,270	34,471	51,314	68,161	71,591
30–34	10,598	14,421	28,836	32,322	47,452	70,411
35–39	4,917	8,828	18,924	19,208	34,416	46,751
40–44	2,063	4,450	9,224	7,929	13,238	14,920
45–49	957	1,437	2,150	1,599	2,763	2,312
50–54	63	79	90	82	108	65
All babies	65,217	96,527	161,226	238,858	304,003	276,606

The UN's births for each year, split by the mother's age in the UN's own proportions.

CAF · healthy years · 2021

Years in good health in Central African Republic

A baby born in the Central African Republic in 2021 could expect 52.3 years of life, 45.4 of them in full health (95% range 44.3–46.5). That leaves 6.9 years in less than full health, fewer than the world's 9.5, which mostly means lives are shorter here, with fewer years in which to be ill.

Women

47.3 in full health, 8.1 not: 55.4 years

Men

43.8 in full health, 5.8 not: 49.6 years

a year in full health a year in less than full health

How to read this: each square is a year of life, each row ten years; filled squares are years in full health, rounded to whole years.

Women: 47.3 healthy years of 55.4. Men: 43.8 of 49.6. In 2019, before the pandemic, the healthy years were 46.0.

CAF · forced from home · end of 2025

Displacement in Central African Republic

At the end of 2025, 427,479 people were displaced inside the Central African Republic, about 78 of every 1,000 people living there.

hosted from abroad63,761
displaced inside it427,479
Central African Republic nationals abroad756,822

stayed inside their own country crossed a border

How to read this: count the squares — 20,000 people each, so the rows can be compared with one another. The last row is people from the Central African Republic living in another country, wherever they are.

In 2025, 10,198 people asked for asylum in the Central African Republic for the first time; 69,436 people from the Central African Republic asked for asylum in another country. Of every 100 people from the Central African Republic whose claims were decided that year, 84 were given protection. Who asks for asylum, and who is given it

How the world's displacement is counted

CAF · of every 100 people

How people live in Central African Republic

Of every 100 people in the Central African Republic in 2025, 25 lived in a city, 31 in a town or suburb and 44 in the countryside.

cities towns and suburbs rural areas

81.8 of every 100 have no electricity at home (2024). 86.2 of every 100 do not use the internet (2024).

How to read this: one square for every hundredth person, coloured as the key shows. Because the rule behind the colours is the same everywhere, two countries' squares can be compared directly.

How the world's people live

CAF · adults 25 and over · 2020

How far people in Central African Republic went in school

Of every 100 adults in the Central African Republic in 2020, 35 never went to school and 6 finished upper secondary or went further.

35 never went to school 33 some primary 19 finished primary 7 finished lower secondary 3 finished upper secondary 3 studied after school

The young went further: 38.2 of every 100 women aged 25–29 never went to school, against 61.7 of every 100 aged 60–64 (men: 13.2 against 25.7).

Its people aged 15 to 64 are still growing in 2100 in the middle projection.

How to read this: every adult here as one of 100 squares. The stronger the colour, the further that person went in school (the Wittgenstein Centre, 2020).

How far the world's people went in school

CAF · cities · 2025

Cities in Central African Republic

The Central African Republic had 6 cities in 2025, home to 1.4 million people. The largest, Bangui, holds 19 of every 100 people in the Central African Republic.

Bangui1,056,949
Carnot78,387
Bouar62,698
Badokwa60,959
Bambari56,913
Nola53,625

How to read this: the 6 largest cities in 2025, bars on one scale. A city is the whole built-up area on the UN's rule, not the city's own boundary.

All the world's cities

Apparatus

Sources and method

Every figure on this page comes from the UN's World Population Prospects 2024: the annual country tables (estimates to 2023, projections with 95% intervals from 2024), and the population by single year of age and sex for the pyramid.

The censuses, surveys and registers behind the UN's estimates for the Central African Republic are listed, source by source, on the UN's own data sources page.

Sources: UN WPP 2024 · World Bank · UNHCR · country code lists · UN WUP 2025 · Wittgenstein Centre · WHO GHO · flag-icons · Natural Earth. Every source, its licence and how to cite it →

Checked before it was drawn

Verified 2026-09-30 · 73 canaries The pyramid for every year was checked against the published total. What that stamp counts, and what every page here has to pass before it can be built: how this site checks its figures.