Business & Markets · Credit to private sector · Central African Republic
Central African Republic’s credit to private sector was 13% of GDP in 2022.
13% of GDP
2022
Up 1.2 pp from 2021.
Stale — last updated 8 Oct 2026
In plain words
13% of GDP
What it is. This measure adds up the loans and similar claims that banks and other financial institutions hold against private firms and households, and divides the total by the size of the economy. It shows how far the financial system funds private activity, whether through business loans, trade finance or household borrowing. Lending to government and informal borrowing between individuals fall outside it.
Neither way is good in itself. A higher ratio means lenders are channelling more money to firms and households relative to the economy, which can finance investment and also build up debt risk. A lower ratio can reflect cautious lenders or weak demand for loans. The latest figure is 13% of GDP for 2022, up 1.2 percentage points from 11.8% of GDP a year earlier. Since 2013 the range runs from a low of 11.2% of GDP in 2017 to a high of 13.6% of GDP in 2013, so the latest reading sits close to the top of that range.
Why it matters. At 13% of GDP, private borrowing from the financial system is small next to the size of the economy. Many households and firms in the Central African Republic therefore probably depend on their own savings or informal lending to start or expand activity. The 2022 rise suggests lenders extended somewhat more credit, and the next annual reading will show whether that continues.
| Period | Credit to private sector · Central African Republic |
|---|---|
| 2013 | 13.6% of GDP |
| 2014 | 12.8% of GDP |
| 2015 | 11.7% of GDP |
| 2016 | 12.3% of GDP |
| 2017 | 11.2% of GDP |
| 2018 | 12.3% of GDP |
| 2019 | 11.7% of GDP |
| 2020 | 11.7% of GDP |
| 2021 | 11.8% of GDP |
| 2022 | 13% of GDP |
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0) · Licence: CC BY 4.0
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Strata-AF™ Data, Credit to private sector, Central African Republic, 2022; source World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0), retrieved 8 Oct 2026; https://data.strata-af.com/business/private-sector-credit/central-african-republic
Data insights · Worked out from the published figures
What this means
Working this out from the published figures…
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Methodology
Domestic credit to the private sector as a share of GDP. Unit: % of GDP.
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (series FS.AST.PRVT.GD.ZS), retrieved through the World Bank API and published under CC BY 4.0. Updated annually; the World Bank's own source notes apply.