Central African Republic's economy in numbers:
Nominal GDP of USD 2.5 billion in 2021.
Nominal GDP of USD 2.5 billion in 2021.
GDP per capita of USD 503 compared to the global average of USD 10,589.
GDP per capita of USD 503 compared to the global average of USD 10,589.
Average real GDP growth of 0.4% over the last decade.
Average real GDP growth of 0.4% over the last decade.
Economic growth:
The economy recorded an average annual decrease of 0.4% in the decade to 2021. To read more about GDP growth in Central African Republic, go to our dedicated page.
Fiscal policy:
Central African Republic's fiscal deficit averaged 1.5% of GDP in the decade to 2021. Find out more on our dedicated page.
Inflation:
Inflation averaged -7.6% in the decade to 2022. Go to our Central African Republic inflation page for extra insight.
Exchange Rate:
From end-2012 to end-2022 the Central African CFA franc weakened by 19.2% vs the U.S. dollar. For more info on the Central African CFA franc, click here.
24 indicators covered including both annual and quarterly frequencies.
Consensus Forecasts based on a panel of 3 expert analysts.
Want to get insight on the economic outlook for Central African Republic in the coming years? FocusEconomics collects projections out to 2034 on 24 economic indicators for Central African Republic from a panel of 3 analysts at the leading national, regional and global forecast institutions. These projections are then validated by our in-house team of economists and data analysts, and averaged to provide one Consensus Forecast you can rely on for each indicator. This means you avoid the risk of relying on out of date, biased or outlier forecasts. Our Consensus Forecasts can be visualized in whichever way best suits your needs, including via interactive online dashboards , direct data delivery and executive-style reports which combine analysts' projections with timely written analysis from our in-house team of economists on the latest developments in the Central African Republic economy. To download a sample report on the Central African Republic's economy, click here. To get in touch with our team for more information, fill in the form at the bottom of this page.
Central African Republic Economic Data
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (million) | 4.9 | 5.0 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.2 |
| GDP (USD bn) | 2.3 | 2.6 | 2.5 | - | - |
| GDP per Capita (USD) | 462 | 511 | 484 | - | - |
| GDP (LCU bn) | 1,335 | 1,373 | 1,433 | - | - |
| Economic Growth (Nominal GDP, ann. var. %) | 5.5 | 2.8 | 4.4 | - | - |
| Economic Growth (GDP, ann. var. %) | 3.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | - | - |
| Fiscal Balance (% of GDP) | 1.8 | -3.1 | -5.7 | -4.9 | - |
| Public Debt (% of GDP) | 48.2 | 44.4 | 48.5 | 51.0 | - |
| Inflation (CPI, ann. var. %, eop) | -1.7 | 1.6 | 4.4 | 12.3 | 14.9 |
| Inflation (CPI, ann. var. %, aop) | -0.8 | 0.9 | 5.2 | 11.1 | 14.4 |
| Exchange Rate (XAF per USD, eop) | 584 | 535 | 579 | 615 | 594 |
| Exchange Rate (LCU per USD, aop) | 586 | 573 | 555 | 626 | 606 |
| Current Account Balance (USD bn) | -0.1 | -0.2 | -0.3 | - | - |
| Current Account Balance (% of GDP) | -4.9 | -7.6 | -11.7 | - | - |
| Foreign Direct Investment (USD bn) | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| International Reserves (USD bn) | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.4 | - |
| External Debt (USD bn) | 0.8 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 1.0 | - |
| External Debt (% of GDP) | 37.1 | 35.0 | 45.2 | - | - |