Economy · Population · Central African Republic
Central African Republic’s population rose to 5.5 m people in 2025.
5.5 m people
2025
Up 0.18 m people from 2024.
Updated 8 Oct 2026
In plain words
5.5 m people
What it is. Population is the estimated number of people living in the Central African Republic at mid-year. It gives one national total and leaves out age, location and the movement of people within and across borders. Because it is an estimate, later revisions can shift the figures for earlier years.
Neither way is good in itself. A larger population can mean more workers and customers, and it can also mean more demand for food, schools and health care, so the direction carries no verdict by itself. The latest figure, for January 2025, is 5.5 million, up from 5.3 million a year earlier. That is a rise of 0.18 million, or 3.4%. Since 2016 the series has run from a low of 4.7 million in 2016 to a high of 5.5 million, and the latest reading sits at the top of that range.
Why it matters. With 5.5 million people, households share local food, land and services among a larger number each year. Firms have a growing pool of potential workers and customers. The state has to plan schools, clinics and other services for a population growing at 3.4% a year.
| Period | Population · Central African Republic |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 4.7 m people |
| 2017 | 4.8 m people |
| 2018 | 4.9 m people |
| 2019 | 4.9 m people |
| 2020 | 5 m people |
| 2021 | 5.1 m people |
| 2022 | 5.1 m people |
| 2023 | 5.2 m people |
| 2024 | 5.3 m people |
| 2025 | 5.5 m people |
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0) · Licence: CC BY 4.0
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Every change is logged in Corrections. How the figure is made: Methodology.
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Strata-AF™ Data, Population, Central African Republic, 2025; source World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0), retrieved 8 Oct 2026; https://data.strata-af.com/economy/population/central-african-republic
Data insights · Worked out from the published figures
What this means
Working this out from the published figures…
Strata AI commentary is coming — reviewed, dated, and generated only from the figures on this page.
Methodology
Total population, mid-year estimate. Unit: m people.
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (series SP.POP.TOTL), retrieved through the World Bank API and published under CC BY 4.0. Updated annually; the World Bank's own source notes apply.