The Central African Republic ranked 171/197 by economy size with a GDP of $2.75B and 194/197 by GDP per capita at $516. The Central African Republic has $1.67B in government debt, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 58.3%.
In 2025, the Central African Republic made up 0.002% of the world's economy, compared to 0.008% in 1960.
The chart below shows GDP in nominal terms, GDP adjusted for inflation (in constant dollars), and a bar chart of year-over-year inflation-adjusted growth.
| Year | GDP | GDP growth | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current $ | Constant $ | ||
| 1960 | $112,155,598 | $980,371,514 | - |
| 1961 | $123,134,583 | $1,028,934,744 | 9.79% |
| 1962 | $124,482,774 | $990,722,164 | 1.09% |
| 1963 | $129,379,124 | $983,717,651 | 3.93% |
| 1964 | $142,025,079 | $1,004,182,172 | 9.77% |
| 1965 | $150,574,795 | $1,013,697,588 | 6.02% |
| 1966 | $157,930,018 | $1,020,233,745 | 4.88% |
| 1967 | $163,820,514 | $1,067,946,130 | 3.73% |
| 1968 | $191,767,442 | $1,082,941,303 | 17.1% |
| 1969 | $188,039,210 | $1,159,738,546 | -1.94% |
| 1970 | $189,106,529 | $1,186,793,864 | 0.57% |
| 1971 | $201,450,800 | $1,200,207,037 | 6.53% |
| 1972 | $230,317,883 | $1,200,196,629 | 14.3% |
| 1973 | $271,183,082 | $1,222,867,623 | 17.7% |
| 1974 | $281,398,706 | $1,300,385,612 | 3.77% |
| 1975 | $378,660,016 | $1,305,652,006 | 34.6% |
| 1976 | $451,152,461 | $1,376,581,800 | 19.1% |
| 1977 | $507,298,148 | $1,428,977,737 | 12.4% |
| 1978 | $610,578,632 | $1,446,257,442 | 20.4% |
| 1979 | $700,764,748 | $1,410,605,203 | 14.8% |
| 1980 | $797,048,199 | $1,347,429,290 | 13.7% |
| 1981 | $694,803,623 | $1,326,618,708 | -12.8% |
| 1982 | $748,312,391 | $1,428,977,737 | 7.7% |
| 1983 | $658,679,333 | $1,312,851,667 | -12% |
| 1984 | $637,820,670 | $1,437,332,673 | -3.17% |
| 1985 | $864,849,836 | $1,493,779,883 | 35.6% |
| 1986 | $1,122,265,013 | $1,547,227,017 | 29.8% |
| 1987 | $1,200,991,978 | $1,470,809,662 | 7.02% |
| 1988 | $1,264,899,288 | $1,495,962,938 | 5.32% |
| 1989 | $1,233,930,281 | $1,525,542,171 | -2.45% |
| 1990 | $1,440,711,459 | $1,492,780,725 | 16.8% |
| 1991 | $1,377,374,987 | $1,484,532,469 | -4.4% |
| 1992 | $1,411,917,553 | $1,389,164,943 | 2.51% |
| 1993 | $1,278,781,262 | $1,393,822,475 | -9.43% |
| 1994 | $851,174,357 | $1,462,119,071 | -33.4% |
| 1995 | $1,115,389,674 | $1,567,392,310 | 31% |
| 1996 | $1,007,791,127 | $1,504,695,161 | -9.65% |
| 1997 | $937,741,513 | $1,584,443,042 | -6.95% |
| 1998 | $967,338,390 | $1,658,914,120 | 3.16% |
| 1999 | $999,477,511 | $1,718,634,612 | 3.32% |
| 2000 | $916,777,283 | $1,675,850,365 | -8.27% |
| 2001 | $932,648,605 | $1,750,672,710 | 1.73% |
| 2002 | $996,068,145 | $1,813,986,527 | 6.8% |
| 2003 | $1,142,315,523 | $1,716,076,873 | 14.7% |
| 2004 | $1,272,360,517 | $1,818,953,694 | 11.4% |
| 2005 | $1,337,894,379 | $1,835,473,623 | 5.15% |
| 2006 | $1,461,859,762 | $1,923,045,638 | 9.27% |
| 2007 | $1,699,811,295 | $2,011,650,636 | 16.3% |
| 2008 | $1,993,407,888 | $2,052,972,574 | 17.3% |
| 2009 | $2,067,381,665 | $2,229,266,676 | 3.71% |
| 2010 | $2,142,591,540 | $2,332,499,968 | 3.64% |
| 2011 | $2,437,982,705 | $2,430,339,369 | 13.8% |
| 2012 | $2,510,126,512 | $2,553,162,919 | 2.96% |
| 2013 | $1,691,544,110 | $1,624,016,454 | -32.6% |
| 2014 | $1,894,813,389 | $1,625,333,053 | 12% |
| 2015 | $1,695,825,714 | $1,695,825,714 | -10.5% |
| 2016 | $1,825,018,145 | $1,776,382,809 | 7.62% |
| 2017 | $2,072,349,973 | $1,856,804,601 | 13.6% |
| 2018 | $2,220,979,146 | $1,927,167,164 | 7.17% |
| 2019 | $2,221,301,351 | $1,986,909,346 | 0.01% |
| 2020 | $2,326,720,900 | $2,004,791,530 | 4.75% |
| 2021 | $2,516,498,412 | $2,024,497,026 | 8.16% |
| 2022 | $2,382,618,615 | $2,033,686,257 | -5.32% |
| 2023 | $2,555,492,086 | $2,047,921,418 | 7.26% |
| 2024 | $2,751,544,520 | $2,079,451,881 | 7.67% |
Economic Statistics of the Central African Republic
CAR
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Gross domestic product |
$2.75B
2024 |
171/197 |
| GDP growth |
7.67%
2023-2024 |
69/196 |
| GDP per capita |
$516
2024 |
194/197 |
| GDP per capita, PPP |
$1,264
2024 |
195/197 |
| Government debt |
$1.67B
2024 |
162/185 |
| Debt-to-GDP ratio |
58.3%
2025 |
87/185 |
| Government debt per person |
$313
2024 |
178/185 |
| Average annual personal income after taxes |
$1,261
2025 |
191/197 |
| Income share by richest 10% |
33.1%
2021 |
29/169 |
| Income share by poorest 10% |
2.1%
2021 |
128/169 |
| Government expenditure, % of GDP |
17.9%
2025 |
173/195 |
| Consumer prices inflation |
4.6%
2024-2025 |
60/195 |
| Unemployment rate |
6.9%
2017 |
65/196 |
| Population |
5662456
|
122/197 |
Central African Republic's GDP per capita
The Central African Republic has a GDP per capita of $516, ranking 194/197, a GDP per capita based on purchasing power parity (PPP) of $1,264, ranking 195/197, and a median annual after tax income of $1,261, ranking 191/197.
| Year | Current $ | |
|---|---|---|
| GDP per capita | GDP per capita, PPP | |
| 1960 | $65.9 | - |
| 1961 | $71 | - |
| 1962 | $70.4 | - |
| 1963 | $71.8 | - |
| 1964 | $77.2 | - |
| 1965 | $80.2 | - |
| 1966 | $82.3 | - |
| 1967 | $83.6 | - |
| 1968 | $95.6 | - |
| 1969 | $91.7 | - |
| 1970 | $90.2 | - |
| 1971 | $94.1 | - |
| 1972 | $105.5 | - |
| 1973 | $121.8 | - |
| 1974 | $124 | - |
| 1975 | $163.6 | - |
| 1976 | $192.1 | - |
| 1977 | $213.8 | - |
| 1978 | $254.6 | - |
| 1979 | $289.1 | - |
| 1980 | $325 | - |
| 1981 | $280.3 | - |
| 1982 | $298.4 | - |
| 1983 | $259.6 | - |
| 1984 | $248.3 | - |
| 1985 | $333 | - |
| 1986 | $426 | - |
| 1987 | $450 | - |
| 1988 | $466 | - |
| 1989 | $443 | - |
| 1990 | $502 | $620 |
| 1991 | $465 | $618 |
| 1992 | $462 | $573 |
| 1993 | $405 | $570 |
| 1994 | $261.3 | $592 |
| 1995 | $333 | $631 |
| 1996 | $293.3 | $601 |
| 1997 | $265.5 | $626 |
| 1998 | $266.6 | $645 |
| 1999 | $268 | $660 |
| 2000 | $239.2 | $640 |
| 2001 | $238 | $668 |
| 2002 | $248.6 | $688 |
| 2003 | $278.4 | $648 |
| 2004 | $303 | $690 |
| 2005 | $312 | $702 |
| 2006 | $334 | $743 |
| 2007 | $381 | $783 |
| 2008 | $437 | $798 |
| 2009 | $456 | $877 |
| 2010 | $477 | $936 |
| 2011 | $534 | $980 |
| 2012 | $544 | $1,062 |
| 2013 | $364 | $710 |
| 2014 | $410 | $699 |
| 2015 | $366 | $769 |
| 2016 | $387 | $826 |
| 2017 | $432 | $884 |
| 2018 | $455 | $906 |
| 2019 | $449 | $985 |
| 2020 | $463 | $1,066 |
| 2021 | $492 | $1,129 |
| 2022 | $467 | $1,218 |
| 2023 | $496 | $1,257 |
| 2024 | $516 | $1,264 |
Central African Republic's government spending, deficit, and chart
This chart shows the Central African Republic's government spending, budget balance, and debt over time, each expressed as a share of GDP.
Over the past 38 years, the Central African Republic recorded a fiscal deficit in 33 years — average annual deficit equal to -2.37% of GDP. In 2024, government spending reached $538M (17.9% of GDP), with a deficit of -1.62%.
The national debt reached $1.67B, ranking 162nd out of 185 countries by total size, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 58.3%, ranking 87th.
| Year | % of GDP | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Government spending | Government debt | Government deficit/surplus | |
| 1988 | 21.4% | 48.8% | -3.72% |
| 1989 | 19.6% | 50.9% | -3.25% |
| 1990 | 22% | 44.6% | -6.6% |
| 1991 | 22.6% | 55.8% | -8% |
| 1992 | 23.1% | 57.4% | -7.33% |
| 1993 | 20.6% | 68.2% | -5.66% |
| 1994 | 22.4% | 103.4% | -7.57% |
| 1995 | 20.6% | 83.8% | -4.84% |
| 1996 | 11.7% | 93% | -1.06% |
| 1997 | 14.5% | 96.1% | -1.57% |
| 1998 | 18.1% | 85.3% | 0.001% |
| 1999 | 18.2% | 84.2% | -0.5% |
| 2000 | 17.2% | 94.7% | -2.01% |
| 2001 | 14.1% | 103.1% | -0.88% |
| 2002 | 16.7% | 98.5% | -1.19% |
| 2003 | 12.3% | 95.9% | -3.06% |
| 2004 | 13.1% | 99.7% | -1.74% |
| 2005 | 16.2% | 103% | -4.37% |
| 2006 | 13.4% | 46.7% | 8.58% |
| 2007 | 12.9% | 47.9% | 1.04% |
| 2008 | 16% | 35.8% | -1.23% |
| 2009 | 16% | 20.3% | -0.54% |
| 2010 | 17.3% | 19.9% | -1.35% |
| 2011 | 14.2% | 19.7% | -2.15% |
| 2012 | 14.7% | 31.5% | -0.78% |
| 2013 | 13.4% | 51.8% | -2.3% |
| 2014 | 18% | 62.2% | -3.26% |
| 2015 | 14% | 59.8% | -0.59% |
| 2016 | 12.1% | 53.9% | 1.28% |
| 2017 | 13.9% | 50.3% | -1.06% |
| 2018 | 17.6% | 50% | -0.97% |
| 2019 | 16.9% | 48.2% | 1.42% |
| 2020 | 25.1% | 44.4% | -3.36% |
| 2021 | 19.7% | 48.5% | -6.02% |
| 2022 | 17.6% | 51% | -5.34% |
| 2023 | 18.1% | 58.2% | -3.59% |
| 2024 | 19.5% | 60.7% | -4.98% |
| 2025 | 17.9% | 58.3% | -1.62% |
Inflation rate by year
Over the past 20 years, the Central African Republic has had an average annual inflation rate of 4.29%. In 2025, inflation was 4.6%. The bar chart below shows consumer price inflation by year.
| Year | Inflation |
|---|---|
| 1980 | 13.3% |
| 1981 | 14.7% |
| 1982 | 13.2% |
| 1983 | 14.6% |
| 1984 | 2.6% |
| 1985 | 10.5% |
| 1986 | 2.4% |
| 1987 | -7% |
| 1988 | -3.9% |
| 1989 | 0.6% |
| 1990 | -0.2% |
| 1991 | -2.8% |
| 1992 | -0.8% |
| 1993 | -2.9% |
| 1994 | 24.5% |
| 1995 | 19.2% |
| 1996 | 3.8% |
| 1997 | 1.6% |
| 1998 | -2% |
| 1999 | -1.6% |
| 2000 | 3.4% |
| 2001 | 4.1% |
| 2002 | 2.3% |
| 2003 | 4.4% |
| 2004 | -2.6% |
| 2005 | 2.9% |
| 2006 | 6.9% |
| 2007 | 0.9% |
| 2008 | 9.2% |
| 2009 | 3.6% |
| 2010 | 1.5% |
| 2011 | 1.2% |
| 2012 | 5.9% |
| 2013 | 4% |
| 2014 | 17.8% |
| 2015 | 1.4% |
| 2016 | 4.9% |
| 2017 | 4.2% |
| 2018 | 1.6% |
| 2019 | 2.8% |
| 2020 | 0.9% |
| 2021 | 4.3% |
| 2022 | 5.6% |
| 2023 | 3% |
| 2024 | 1.5% |
| 2025 | 4.6% |
Balance of trade
|
CAR
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
Current account balance
|
-$24.7M
1994 |
78/189 |
| Current account balance, % of GDP |
-2.9%
1994 |
115/189 |
| Goods imports |
$131M
1994 |
186/188 |
| Goods exports |
$146M
1994 |
170/188 |
| Service imports |
$114M
1994 |
181/188 |
| Service exports |
$33.1M
1994 |
181/188 |
| Imports of goods and services, % of GDP |
32.4%
2024 |
122/180 |
| Exports of goods and services, % of GDP |
15.5%
2024 |
165/193 |
The Central African Republic's top 10 trading partners
The Central African Republic's biggest trading partner accounting for 21%% of all exports and imports is Cameroon, with a trade balance between the two of -$206M — the Central African Republic exports $145K worth of goods and services to Cameroon and imports $206M.
Below is the list of the top 10 trade partners of the Central African Republic.
| Rank | Country | Trade value | Share of total trade | Export to | Import from | Top export to | Top import from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Cameroon
|
$206M | 21% | $145K | $206M | Precious metals & jewellery | Raw materials & minerals |
| 2 |
China
|
$192M | 19.6% | $27K | $192M | Wood & paper products | Raw materials & minerals |
| 3 |
France
|
$65.7M | 6.7% | $28K | $65.7M | Textiles & consumer goods | Machinery & equipment |
| 4 |
Pakistan
|
$63.2M | 6.44% | $62.2M | $1.05M | Machinery & equipment | Weapons & explosives |
| 5 |
Tunisia
|
$40.6M | 4.14% | $40.1M | $505K | Machinery & equipment | Weapons & explosives |
| 6 |
Japan
|
$38.9M | 3.97% | $12K | $38.9M | Machinery & equipment | Machinery & equipment |
| 7 |
India
|
$34.7M | 3.54% | $1K | $34.7M | Precious metals & jewellery | Chemicals & pharma |
| 8 |
UAE
|
$33.3M | 3.4% | $5.88M | $27.5M | Precious metals & jewellery | Machinery & equipment |
| 9 |
United States
|
$30.4M | 3.1% | $4.69M | $25.7M | Metals | Raw agricultural goods |
| 10 |
DR Congo
|
$20.7M | 2.11% | $0 | $20.7M | Animal & marine products | Raw materials & minerals |
Central African Republic's top 10 exports
|
CAR
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Government & miscellaneous services | $253M | 45/180 |
| Machinery & equipment | $126M | 124/193 |
| Precious metals & jewellery | $44.9M | 115/190 |
| Transport & tourism services | $32.8M | 174/188 |
| Metals | $20.6M | 144/192 |
| Wood & paper products | $11.3M | 135/192 |
| Business & finance services | $3.92M | 179/188 |
| Manufacturing & construction services | $1.54M | 145/164 |
| Textiles & consumer goods | $1.01M | 168/193 |
| Processed food, beverages & tobacco | $318K | 184/192 |
Central African Republic's top 10 imports
|
CAR
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Machinery & equipment | $244M | 169/193 |
| Raw materials & minerals | $224M | 165/193 |
| Transport & tourism services | $222M | 160/188 |
| Business & finance services | $113M | 153/188 |
| Chemicals & pharma | $87.8M | 169/193 |
| Animal & marine products | $73.8M | 146/193 |
| Processed food, beverages & tobacco | $56.5M | 179/193 |
| Raw agricultural goods | $33.3M | 177/193 |
| Textiles & consumer goods | $30M | 180/193 |
| Metals | $17.5M | 184/193 |
Economic freedom indices
|
CAR
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Economic freedom | 42.8 | 184/197 |
| Property rights | 6.9 | 175/182 |
| Government integrity | 19.6 | 175/182 |
| Judicial effectiveness | 4 | 175/182 |
| Tax burden | 65.5 | 158/181 |
| Government spending | 89.8 | 22/180 |
| Fiscal health | 53.8 | 117/181 |
| Business freedom | 27.1 | 180/182 |
| Labor freedom | 48.3 | 150/182 |
| Monetary freedom | 72.8 | 70/180 |
| Trade freedom | 50.4 | 169/181 |
| Investment freedom | 45 | 129/181 |
| Financial freedom | 30 | 135/181 |
Central African Republic's economic freedom by year
The Central African Republic is ranked 170/180 for economic freedom with a score of 42.8, compared to 92/163 and a score of 56.5 in 2005.
| Year | Index | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economic freedom | Judicial effectiveness | Tax burden | Government spending | Fiscal health | |
| 2002 | 59.8 | - | 65.3 | 88 | - |
| 2003 | 60 | - | 65.4 | 92.7 | - |
| 2004 | 57.5 | - | 65.5 | 89.5 | - |
| 2005 | 56.5 | - | 65.3 | 92.4 | - |
| 2006 | 54.2 | - | 58.8 | 95 | - |
| 2007 | 50.6 | - | 65.6 | 94.4 | - |
| 2008 | 48.6 | - | 65.5 | 91.6 | - |
| 2009 | 48.3 | - | 65.4 | 94 | - |
| 2010 | 48.4 | - | 65.5 | 94.1 | - |
| 2011 | 49.3 | - | 65.4 | 92.8 | - |
| 2012 | 50.3 | - | 65.2 | 92.9 | - |
| 2013 | 50.4 | - | 65.1 | 92.4 | - |
| 2014 | 46.7 | - | 65.1 | 92.6 | - |
| 2015 | 45.9 | - | 65 | 92 | - |
| 2016 | 45.2 | - | 65.7 | 93.6 | - |
| 2017 | 51.8 | 33 | 65.8 | 94.1 | 84.1 |
| 2018 | 49.2 | 28.2 | 64.6 | 94.6 | 96.4 |
| 2019 | 49.1 | 29.6 | 65.2 | 94.2 | 94.3 |
| 2020 | 50.7 | 31.7 | 65.5 | 93.5 | 95.3 |
| 2021 | 48.8 | 28.2 | 65.3 | 92.2 | 95.4 |
| 2022 | 45.7 | 12.3 | 65.3 | 88.1 | 95.2 |
| 2023 | 43.8 | 16.9 | 65.4 | 87.3 | 84.2 |
| 2024 | 41.3 | 4.8 | 65.3 | 87 | 56.1 |
| 2025 | 42.8 | 4 | 65.5 | 89.8 | 53.8 |
More economic indicators
|
CAR
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Services, % of GDP |
40.5%
2024 |
176/191 |
| Industry, % of GDP |
17.8%
2024 |
145/194 |
| Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, % of GDP |
32.5%
2024 |
11/193 |
|
GNI, Atlas method
|
$2.75B
2024 |
169/194 |
| GNI per capita, PPP |
$1,340
2024 |
189/191 |
| Total reserves including gold |
$480M
2023 |
158/177 |
|
Net foreign direct investment
|
$3.6M
1994 |
39/188 |
|
Net inflows of foreign direct investment
|
$40.4M
2024 |
156/193 |
|
Net outflows of foreign direct investment
|
$1.29K
2002 |
152/187 |
|
Servicing debt to the IMF, % of GNI
|
1.41%
2023 |
102/119 |
| Poverty at national poverty lines |
68.8%
2021 |
3/176 |
|
Gross capital formation, % of GDP
|
15.4%
2024 |
157/176 |
Compare countries by 7 more topics
GDP per capita map
GDP per capita
Relevant pages:
CAR topic pages:
Economy comparisons
The current account balance is the sum of net trade in goods and services, net earnings from cross-border investments, and net transfer payments. It reflects a country's economic transactions with the rest of the world and is a fundamental component of the balance of payments. A surplus indicates that a country exports more than it imports, while a deficit shows the opposite.
Gross National Income (GNI) measures a country's total income. It encompasses income earned by residents, businesses, and foreign sources, defined as employee compensation and investment profits. GNI adds product taxes not included elsewhere and subtracts subsidies. It accounts for income from residents working abroad but excludes earnings from foreigners within the country.
A negative value for Net Foreign Direct Investment indicates a country is a net receiver of investments, as foreign inflows exceed outflows after Balance of Payments adjustments. A positive value indicates a net provider, with outflows exceeding inflows. Inflows are credits (increasing foreign claims on domestic assets), while outflows are debits (increasing domestic assets abroad).
Foreign direct investment (FDI, net inflows) shows how much capital foreign investors bring into a country after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of overseas companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in the reporting country. A positive number means more capital entered the country than was withdrawn, while a negative number means foreign investors pulled out more than they invested.
Foreign direct investment (FDI, net outflows) shows how much capital residents of a country invest abroad after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of domestic companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in other countries. A positive number means more capital was invested abroad than withdrawn, while a negative number means residents pulled back more than they invested.
Principal and interest payments to the IMF in currency, goods, or services on long-term debt expressed as a share of GNI.
Formerly gross domestic investment, gross capital formation measures the share of a country’s economic output invested in fixed assets, including buildings, machinery, and infrastructure. It indicates how much of the economy is devoted to building productive capacity.