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The Central African Republic

Country Report 2017 - Includes The Central African Republic real Gross Domestic Product growth rate, with latest forecasts and historical data, GDP per capita, and GDP composition by sector.

Browse additional economic indicators and data sets, selected by Global Finance editors, to learn more about The Central African Republic economic outlook, debt to GDP ratio, trade performance and population trends. Rankings of country's best banks and safest banks are also available.

 
 
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Central bank

Bank of Central African States

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International Reserves

USD 0.2 billion (2015)

International Monetary Fund (IMF), data retrieved January 2017

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Gross Domestic Product - GDP

USD 2.0 billion (2017, estimate)

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GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

Intl$ 3.5 billion (2017, estimate)

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Real GDP growth
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
4.8% 4.6% 2.1% 1.7% 3.1% 3.3% 4.1%
2013* 2014* 2015* 2016* 2017*    
-36.7% 1% 4.8% 5.2% 5.5%    

*Estimate

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GDP per capita - current prices

USD 402.0 (2017, estimate)

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GDP per capita - PPP

Intl$ 693.1 (2017, estimate)

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GDP (PPP) - share of world total
1980 1990 2000 2010 2017*
0.01% 0.01% 0.01% 0.00% 0.003%

*Estimate

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GDP - composition by sector
  • agriculture: 58% 
  • industry: 11.7% 
  • services: 30.3%

(2016 estimate)

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Gross domestic expenditure on R&D; (% of GDP)

N/A

 

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Inflation
2013 2014 2015* 2016* 2017*
6.6% 11.6% 4.5% 4.0% 3.5%

*Estimate

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Unemployment rate
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

*Estimate

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Household saving rates

N/A

 

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Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP)
2013 2014 2015* 2016* 2017*
38.5% 51.1% 48.5% 47.2% 41.2%

*Estimate

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Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP)
2013 2014 2015* 2016* 2017*
-6.5% 3% -0.6% -4.1% -2.8%

*Estimate

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Government bond ratings

Standard & Poor's: N/A

Moody's: N/A

Standard & Poor's / Moody's (Updated as of January 24th 2017)

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Market value of publicly traded shares
2013 2014 2015
N/A N/A N/A
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Largest companies

N/A

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Current account balance

USD -0.2 billion (2017 estimate)

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Current account balance by percentage of GDP

-9.7% (2017 estimate)

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Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services)

12.6% (2015)

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Shares in world total merchandising export

0.001% (2015)

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Shares in world total commercial services export

0.001% (2013)

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Total exports

USD 77.0 millions (2016 estimate)

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Export commodities

Diamonds, timber, cotton, coffee

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Total imports

USD 0.4 billion (2016 estimate)

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Import commodities

Food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals

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Exports - major partners

Norway 52.2%, China 14.1%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 8.3% (2015)

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Imports - major partners

Norway 39.6%, France 6.8%, US 4.6% (2015)

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FDI inflows
2013 2014 2015
USD 1.9 million USD 3.5 million USD 3.0 million
Source
FDI outflows
2013 2014 2015
N/A N/A N/A
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Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser
2012 2013 2014 2015
N/A N/A N/A N/A
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Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2014

N/A

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Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2015

N/A

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Best countries for doing business

Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.

Overall ranking: 185 out of 190 countries (2016)

Subcategories:

Starting a business: 190 out of 190 countries

Enforcing Contracts: 182 out of 190 countries

Registering Property: 167 out of 190 countries

Getting credit: 139 out of 190 countries

Protecting investors: 145 out of 190 countries

Trading across border: 138 out of 190 countries

Paying Taxes: 187 out of 190 countries

Dealing with Construction Permits: 154 out of 190 countries

Getting Electricity: 184 out of 190 countries

Resolving Insolvency: 146 out of 190 countries

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Global competitiveness ranking

N/A

(2016-2017)

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Index of Economic Freedom

Ranking: 168 / Score: 45.23 (Repressed) (2017)

(100=totally free 0=totally repressed)

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Time zone

UTC+1

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Total area

622,984 sq km

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Capital

Bangui

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Currency

Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) 

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Government type

Presidential republic

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Languages

French (official), Sangho (lingua franca and national language), tribal languages

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Religions

Indigenous beliefs 35%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15%

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Total population
1990 2000 2010* 2016* 2021*
2.913 million 3.638 million 4.35 million 4.888 million 5.386 million

*Estimate

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Urban population as % of total population
1960 1980 2000 2015
20% 34% 38% 40%
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Population median age

19.6 years (2016 estimate)

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Population growth rate

2.12% (2016 estimate)

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Life expectancy

52.3 years (2016 estimate)

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Literacy

Total population: 36.8%
Male: 50.7%
Female: 24.4% (2015 est.)

(age 15 and over can read and write) 

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% of population living on less than $3.10 a day

N/A

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Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index)

N/A

Source
Freedom House rating

Political Rights: 7
Civil Liberties: 7 (2017)

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

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Total telephone subscribers as % of population

Fixed 0.04%   Mobile 25.87% (2015)
(fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers)

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Internet users as % of total population

4.56% (2015)

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Mercer Cost of living index

Bangui: 62nd (2016)

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CO2 emissions

0.1 (2013)

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World's Best Banks

2017
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