Central African Republic Population
Central African Republic had an estimated population of 5,513,282 in mid-2025 (World Bank), making it the 119th most populous of 217 countries and territories, with 0.07% of everyone alive. The counter above projects that figure forward at the current growth rate of +3.37% a year.
Central African Republic at a glance
How Central African Republic's population is changing
Central African Republic's population is growing fast: +3.37% a year, which works out to about +185,684 people per year, or +508 a day. Births (46.2 per 1,000) and deaths (9.4 per 1,000) alone would give +3.68% a year; net migration removes about 14,693 people a year (−0.27%). Roughly one in every 1,490 people on Earth lives in Central African Republic.
Population of Central African Republic since 1960
In 1960, Central African Republic had 1,702,346 people. By 2025 that was 5,513,282 — 3.2× larger. The fastest growth came between 1989 and 1999, when the population rose by 34%.
| Year | Population | Change vs previous row |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 1,702,346 | — |
| 1970 | 2,097,505 | +23.2% |
| 1980 | 2,450,535 | +16.8% |
| 1990 | 2,871,910 | +17.2% |
| 2000 | 3,833,416 | +33.5% |
| 2010 | 4,492,995 | +17.2% |
| 2020 | 5,026,628 | +11.9% |
| 2025 | 5,513,282 | +9.7% |
Central African Republic from 1800 to 2100
Modelled estimates put Central African Republic at about 479,444 people in 1800; the UN estimates 5,513,286 in 2025 (11× 1800) and projects 18,779,151 for 2100 in its medium scenario. That is still 241% growth over the rest of this century.
| Year | Population | Kind |
|---|---|---|
| 1800 | 479,444 | modelled estimate |
| 1850 | 919,016 | modelled estimate |
| 1900 | 1,043,751 | modelled estimate |
| 1950 | 1,438,062 | UN estimate |
| 2000 | 3,833,421 | UN estimate |
| 2025 | 5,513,286 | UN projection |
| 2050 | 10,616,753 | UN projection |
| 2075 | 15,697,691 | UN projection |
| 2100 | 18,779,151 | UN projection |
Country live/base figures use World Bank estimates; this historical/future chart uses a separate UN series and need not match the World Bank base in overlapping years. Before 1950: HYDE 3.3 / Gapminder reconstructions via Our World in Data — historical modelling, not censuses. 1950–2023: UN World Population Prospects 2024. 2024–2100: UN medium projection. Open the time machine to see the whole map in any year.
Largest listed places in Central African Republic
10 records sorted by displayed base population. Definitions vary (province/administrative unit, UN urban centre or GeoNames settlement); this is not a harmonised city ranking. Shares use World Bank 2025 country population 5,513,282. Dates and boundaries may differ. Overlapping entities are not summed.
| # | Place | Population | Definition | Share | Source / reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bangui | 1,056,949 | UN urban centre | 19.17% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 2 | Bimbo | 348,802 | GeoNames settlement | 6.33% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 3 | Bégoua | 264,067 | GeoNames settlement | 4.79% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 4 | Berbérati | 103,713 | GeoNames settlement | 1.88% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 5 | Carnot | 78,387 | UN urban centre | 1.42% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 6 | Bouar | 62,698 | UN urban centre | 1.14% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 7 | Bambari | 56,913 | UN urban centre | 1.03% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 8 | Bossangoa | 55,353 | GeoNames settlement | 1.00% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 9 | Kaga-Bandoro | 55,047 | GeoNames settlement | 1.00% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 10 | Bangassou | 54,059 | GeoNames settlement | 0.98% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
How Central African Republic compares
Central African Republic has almost the same population as Oman (5,494,691).
| Rank | Country | Population | vs Central African Republic | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #117 |  Finland | 5,646,436 | +2% | compare → |
| #118 |  Norway | 5,610,870 | +2% | compare → |
| #120 |  Oman | 5,494,691 | −0% | compare → |
| #121 |  Ireland | 5,484,367 | −1% | compare → |
Compare Central African Republic with any country →
Same region (Sub-Saharan Africa): Nigeria, Ethiopia, DR Congo, Tanzania, South Africa, Kenya.
Explore around Central African Republic
Land neighbours (6)
DR Congo 112,832,473 · 20.5× the population · compare
Sudan 51,662,147 · 9.4× the population · compare
Cameroon 29,879,337 · 5.4× the population · compare
Chad 21,003,705 · 3.8× the population · compare
South Sudan 12,188,788 · 2.2× the population · compare
Republic of the Congo 6,484,437 · 1.2× the population · compare
Central African Republic's 6 neighbours together hold 234,050,887 people — 42.5× Central African Republic's population. The most populous is DR Congo (112,832,473).
In its region
Central African Republic is the 33rd most populous of the 48 economies in Sub-Saharan Africa, holding 0.4% of the region's 1,321,654,217 people.
Rankings featuring Central African Republic
- Fastest-growing countries #7
- Highest birth rates #1
- Highest fertility rates #4
- Youngest populations (share aged 0–14) #1
- Least densely populated countries #13
Cities
Bangui, Bimbo, Bégoua, Berbérati, Carnot, Bouar, Bambari, Bossangoa — all Central African Republic's cities on the map.
World population history · The world when you were born · Central African Republic when you were born · Time machine · Embed this live counter on your site
About these numbers
Population, growth, birth and death rates, migration, density, age structure, life expectancy, fertility and GDP per capita come from the World Bank Indicators API (latest available year shown beside each figure). The live counter applies the annual growth rate continuously from 1 July 2025 — a model, not a measurement. City populations are the latest census or official estimate held by GeoNames and are not projected. Sub-city units are folded into their parent city.
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Read this country carefully
This page is a structured reference entry. Its sources, geographic definition and reference dates determine what the figures mean; it is not independent reporting about the causes of change. Read the accompanying explanation before comparing different places or vintages.