GFmag Online Readers Survey 2012
The Central African Republic


The Central African Republic Country Report: GDP data and GDP forecasts; economic, financial and trade information; the best banks in The Central African Republic; country and population overview

DATA ON GDP AND ECONOMIC INFORMATION
Central bankBank of Central African States
International ReservesUS$ 181.175 million (Source: World Bank; Data updated: November 2010)
Gross Domestic Product - GDPUS$ 2.231 billion (2006 estimate)
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)3.627 billion of International dollars (2006 estimate)
Real GDP growth
20002001200220032004200520062007
1.9%0.6%-0.6%-7.1%1%2.4%3.8%3.7%
2008200920102011*
2%1.7%3.3%4.1%

*Estimate

GDP per capita - current pricesUS$ 470 (2004 estimate)
GDP per capita - PPP$765 International Dollars (2004 estimate)
GDP (PPP) - share of world total
19801990200020102015**
0.01%0.01%0.01%0.01%0.01%

**Forecast

GDP - composition by sector
  • agriculture: 53.4% 
  • industry: 14.6% 
  • services: 32.1% (2011 estimate)

    • (Data released on February 2012)

Gross domestic expenditure on R&D (% of GDP)N/A

(Data released on November 2010)

Inflation
2008200920102011*
9.3%(2008)3.5%1.5%2.7%

*Estimate

Unemployment rate
2008200920102011*
N/AN/AN/A(2009)N/A

*Estimate

Household saving ratesN/A

(Data released on November 2010)

Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP)
20072008200920102011*
79.1%79.6%33%32.8%29.9%

*Estimate

Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP)
2007200820092010*2011**
1.2%-1%1.1%-0.7%-1.7%

*Estimate    **Forecast

Government bond ratings

Standard & Poor's: N/A

Moody's rating: N/A

Moody's outlook: N/A

(Foreign Currency Government Bond Ratings; Data last updated Nov 2010)

Market value of publicly traded shares
200720082009
N/AN/AN/A
Largest companies in The Central African RepublicN/A
DATA ON TRADE AND COMPETITIVENESS
Current account balanceUS$ -0.2 billion (2009 estimate)(After 2008)
Current account balance by percentage of GDP-9.1% of GDP (2006 estimate)(2009)
Exports as percent of GDP

(Exports of goods and services)

14.5% (2009)

(Data released on December 2010)

Shares in world total merchandising export0%(2007)

(Data were released in Nov 2011 and refer to 2010)

Shares in world total commercial services export0%(2007)

(Data were released in Nov 2011 and refer to 2010)

Total exportsN/A
Export commoditiesdiamonds, timber, cotton, coffee, tobacco
Total importsUS$237.3 million f.o.b. (2007 estimate)
Import commoditiesfood, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals
Exports - major partnersBelgium 22.7%, Indonesia 19.3%, Italy 7.7%, France 7.1%, Spain 6.9%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 6.8%, China 4.9%, Turkey 4.7% (2007)
Imports - major partnersFrance 16.6%, Netherlands 13%, Cameroon 9.7%, US 6.3% (2007)
FDI inflows
200820092010
US$117 millionUS$42 million(2009)US$72 million(2009)
FDI outflows
200820092010
N/AN/AN/A
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser
2008200920102011
N/AN/A(2009)N/A(2009)N/A
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2008

(Acquiring company, Acquired company, Country of the acquired company, Value of the deal)

N/A

(for a monthly update on M&A click here )

Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2010

(Acquiring company, Acquired company, Country of the acquired company, Value of the deal)

N/A(2008 estimate)

(for a monthly update on M&A click here )

Best countries for doing business

World Bank/IFC Doing Business Project

(Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business, from 1 – 183. A high ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.)

Overall ranking: 182 out of 183 countries(2009) (2010)

Subcategories:

Starting a business: 161 out of 183 countries(2009)

Registering property: 141 out of 183 countries

Paying Taxes: 182 out of 183 countries

Getting credit: 138 out of 183 countries

Protecting investors: 132 out of 183 countries

Trading across border: 182 out of 183 countries

Enforcing Contracts: 173 out of 183 countries

(2010)

Global competitiveness ranking
(ranking by country on a basis of 142, the first is the best)		N/A

(2011/2012)

Index of Economic Freedom

WSJ and Heritage Foundation

Ranking: 152 Score: 49.3 (Repressed) (2009)

(100=totally free 0=totally repressed )

COUNTRY AND POPULATION OVERVIEW
Time zoneUTC+1
Total area 622,984 km2 (2006)
CapitalBangui (2009)
CurrencyCommunaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) (2009)
Government typerepublic (2009)
LanguagesFrench (official), Sangho (lingua franca and national language), tribal languages
Religionsindigenous beliefs 35%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15%
Total population
1980199020002010*2015**
2.31 million2.95 million3.72 million4.51 million4.93 million

*Estimate    **Forecast

Urban population as % of total population
1960198020002009
20.1%33.9%37.6%38.7%
Population median age18.0 years (2006)
Population growth rate1.9% (2009)
Life expectancy44 years (2007)
Adult literacy49% (2000/2007)
% of population living on less than $2 a day80.09% (2011)
Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index)

56.3 (2008)

(0=perfect equality, 100=absolute inequality)

Freedom House rating

Political Rights:5
Civil Liberties:5 (2010)

(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free)

Total telephone subscribers as % of population

23.45% (2010)

(sum of fixed telephone lines and mobile cellular subscribers)

Internet users as % of total population2.3% (Data were released in 2011 and refer to 2010)
Cost of living index

(ranking by city on a basis of 214; the 1st is the most expensive and the 214th is the least expensive)

Bangui: 49th (2011)

CO2 emissions
(Metric tons of CO2 per capita)

0.0599 (2008)

GLOBAL FINANCE RANKINGS AND AWARDS
ARTICLES AND COUNTRIES REPORTS FROM GLOBAL FINANCE ARCHIVE