Central African Republic population pyramid 2026
5,698,984 people in 2026 (projected). The Central African Republic has one of the youngest pyramids anywhere, with a thin adult section holding only about seven men for every ten women aged 40–59.
- 2026 population
- 5.7Mrank 118 of 237
- Median age
- 14.6 yearsoldest rank 237
- Fertility rate
- 5.69births per woman · above replacement
- Structure
- Youthful2.2% age 65+
Central African Republic population pyramid
2026 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex
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The UN series provides historical estimates through 2023. Figures from 2024 onward—including 2026—are medium-scenario projections, not counts or predictions guaranteed to occur.
Central African Republic age distribution in 2026
Children under 15 account for 48.2% of the population, while 2.2% are aged 65 or older. The remaining 49.5% are in the conventional working-age range of 15–64. On these shares, the site classifies Central African Republic’s age structure as youthful; the guide to expansive population pyramids explains what that shape implies.
The total age dependency ratio is 101.9: about 102 people under 15 or 65+ for every 100 people aged 15–64 (97.4 children and 4.5 older people). This is an age-balance indicator, not a literal count of economic dependants per worker.
What shapes Central African Republic’s population pyramid
Fertility unchanged for 70 years
The total fertility rate in the Central African Republic was about 5.9 children per woman in 1950 and about 6.0 in 2023, with almost no change in between. Few countries have gone so long without a sustained decline. Combined with some fall in child mortality, this has made the population steadily younger: the median age was about 21 in 1950, 16 in 2000 and about 14.6 in 2026, among the lowest values in the median age ranking. Almost half the population is under 15.
A thin and uneven adult section
What sets this pyramid apart from other very young ones is how sharply it narrows above age 20. In 2026 there are about 1.1 million children under five but only about 310,000 people aged 30–34, a ratio of more than three to one. Life expectancy rose from about 35 in 1950 to 50 in 1990, then fell back to about 47 by 2010, a setback that coincided with a serious HIV epidemic and repeated conflict, before recovering to about 57 in 2023.
Migration has also shaped the adult bands. The UN estimates net emigration of about 1.1 million people between 2000 and 2023, a period that includes the violence that followed the 2013 coup, when hundreds of thousands fled to Cameroon, Chad and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Women far outnumber men at most adult ages in 2026: about 82 men per 100 women at 30–34, 71 at 40–44 and 62 at 60–64. The overall sex ratio is about 93. Conflict deaths, displacement and sex differences in mortality probably all contribute, but the chart alone cannot separate them, and the earlier pattern, with men outnumbering women at ages 45–74 in 2000, suggests the underlying estimates are uncertain.
Rapid growth ahead
With births about five times deaths in 2026, the population grows by over 3% a year. Under the medium scenario it nearly doubles from about 5.7 million in 2026 to 10.6 million in 2050 and reaches about 18.8 million in 2100, still without a peak, as fertility falls to about 3.4 by 2050 and 2 by 2100. By 2075 the four youngest bands are almost equal in size. In 2026 the country’s structure is closest to those of Niger, Mali, Chad, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
What to notice across the years
Distinctive cohorts and turning points
No five-year band under age 80 is more than 10% larger or smaller than both of its neighbours, so Central African Republic’s 2026 pyramid has a comparatively smooth profile without sharp bulges or notches.
Deaths exceeded births in 2009, but births outnumber deaths in 2026 and in every later year of the medium scenario. Children under 15 outnumber people aged 65 and older in every pyramid year through 2100.
Births, deaths, and migration
A pyramid changes in only three ways: births add to the base, deaths remove people at every age, and migration adds or removes people mainly in young adulthood. In 2026, Central African Republic is projected to record 254,783 births (about 698 births a day) and 52,068 deaths, a natural increase of 202,715. Net migration adds −15,608 people, ranking #195 in the net migration rate ranking.
Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates 4,783,032 births, 2,192,689 deaths, and cumulative net migration of −1,130,808. Over that period the balance of births and deaths moved the total more than migration did. See how migration shapes a pyramid and birth rate versus fertility rate. The medium scenario assumes net migration of −444,624 between 2026 and 2050.
Annual values 1950–2100; dashed lines after 2023 are the UN medium projection. The trend table below lists the values by decade.
Life expectancy and mortality
- Life expectancy, women
- 60.1 years36.7 in 1950
- Life expectancy, men
- 56.0 years34.3 in 1950
- Further years at 65
- 12.9 yearsboth sexes
- Infant mortality
- 64.8per 1,000 births · 174 in 1950
- Under-five mortality
- 89.7per 1,000 births
- Mother’s mean age at birth
- 28.9 yearssex ratio at birth 103.2
Women in Central African Republic are projected to live 4.1 years longer than men, which is why the female side of the pyramid widens relative to the other at older ages (see the life expectancy gap ranking). Infant mortality has fallen from 174 to 64.8 deaths per 1,000 live births since 1950, ranking #3 of 237 in the infant mortality ranking (highest first). A mean age at childbearing of 28.9 years sets the spacing between generations, and so how far apart echo cohorts sit in the pyramid.
Median age, fertility rate, and global ranks for Central African Republic
The median age of 14.6 years splits the population into two equal halves. A total fertility rate of 5.69 births per woman is above the replacement level of roughly 2.1, and life expectancy at birth is 58.2 years.
These ranks compare all 237 countries and areas in this dataset using the same 2026 UN medium projection. Ranks use the stored source precision, so displayed rounding can make adjacent values look identical; small differences should not be overinterpreted.
| Indicator | 2026 value | Global rank | Ranking direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,698,984 | #118 | Largest first |
| Median age | 14.6 years | #237 | Oldest first |
| Fertility rate | 5.69 | #4 | Highest first |
| Annual growth | +3.3% | #1 | Fastest first |
| Life expectancy | 58.2 years | #234 | Highest first |
| Population aged 65+ | 2.2% | #233 | Highest share first |
Largest age groups in Central African Republic
The five largest cohorts identify where the 2026 population is concentrated. They can reflect past birth patterns, survival, and migration; the chart alone does not establish which cause dominates.
| Rank | Age group | Population | Share of total | Male / female |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0–4 | 1,084,614 | 19.0% | 546.8K / 537.8K |
| 2 | 5–9 | 857,024 | 15.0% | 432K / 425K |
| 3 | 10–14 | 806,721 | 14.2% | 407.3K / 399.4K |
| 4 | 15–19 | 703,425 | 12.3% | 352.5K / 351K |
| 5 | 20–24 | 583,991 | 10.2% | 285K / 299K |
Sex ratio and the balance by age
In the 2026 projection, Central African Republic has 2,744,576 males and 2,954,407 females. That is 92.9 males per 100 females, ranking #198 when the dataset is ordered from the highest male-to-female ratio to the lowest.
Males account for 48.2% of the population and females for 51.8%. There are 209,831 more females than males overall. Among people aged 65 and older, the ratio is 69.4 males per 100 females.
The overall balance can conceal large differences by age; how sex ratios change with age explains the usual pattern. The ratio reflects the male/female categories in the UN source and is not a measure of gender identity. Compare all profiles in the sex-ratio ranking.
At birth, 103.2 boys are projected to be born for every 100 girls in 2026, slightly below the typical value of about 105 (compare the sex ratio at birth ranking). The ratio at birth sets the balance at the base of the pyramid; how it changes with age then depends on survival and migration.
How Central African Republic has changed since 1950
The population has increased from 1,438,057 in 1950 to 5,698,984 in 2026, a change of 296%. Over the same span, median age moved from 21.2 to 14.6 years.
The under-15 share changed from 36.7% to 48.2%, while the share aged 65 and older changed from 5.0% to 2.2%. These shifts show why total population growth and age-structure change need to be read separately.
How the population could change by 2050
Under the UN medium scenario, Central African Republic’s population is projected to grow by about 86%, reaching 10,616,752 in 2050. The median age changes from 14.6 to 19.2 years.
The 65+ share is projected to fall by 0.2 percentage points to 2.0%. At the same time, the under-15 share is projected at 37.9%. How UN projections work explains the assumptions behind these figures.
The population is still rising at the end of the UN medium projection in 2100, when it reaches 18,779,149. The page therefore does not assign a peak year beyond the available horizon.
Population trend: 1950–2100
Mid-year population for every year. Estimates through 2023; dashed line shows the UN medium projection.
| Year | Population | Median age | Fertility | Life exp. | Births | Deaths | Net migration | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 1,438,057 | 21.2 | 5.93 | 35.4 | 65,217 | 42,139 | 0 | +1.6% |
| 1960 | 1,702,346 | 19.3 | 5.95 | 39.6 | 74,109 | 42,977 | +474 | +1.9% |
| 1970 | 2,097,505 | 17.8 | 6.03 | 45.2 | 91,102 | 42,414 | −3,693 | +2.1% |
| 1980 | 2,450,535 | 17.4 | 6.13 | 49.8 | 110,566 | 41,805 | −41,539 | +1.1% |
| 1990 | 2,871,910 | 16.8 | 6.05 | 49.9 | 134,517 | 47,011 | +1,995 | +3.1% |
| 2000 | 3,833,416 | 16.0 | 5.85 | 46.6 | 161,226 | 63,759 | +8,079 | +2.8% |
| 2010 | 4,492,996 | 15.6 | 5.96 | 46.9 | 202,009 | 71,470 | −43,126 | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 5,026,628 | 14.4 | 6.06 | 50.6 | 223,558 | 66,646 | −24,745 | +2.6% |
| 2023 | 5,152,420 | 14.3 | 6.01 | 57.4 | 238,858 | 48,529 | −14,682 | +3.4% |
| 2024* | 5,330,690 | 14.4 | 5.95 | 57.7 | 246,241 | 49,999 | −15,357 | +3.4% |
| 2026* | 5,698,984 | 14.6 | 5.69 | 58.2 | 254,783 | 52,068 | −15,608 | +3.3% |
| 2030* | 6,478,246 | 15.2 | 5.25 | 59.1 | 273,532 | 55,671 | −17,862 | +3.1% |
| 2040* | 8,526,455 | 16.4 | 4.15 | 61.4 | 285,533 | 62,099 | −19,887 | +2.4% |
| 2050* | 10,616,752 | 19.2 | 3.36 | 63.4 | 304,003 | 70,397 | −15,524 | +2.0% |
| 2060* | 12,794,248 | 22.2 | 2.86 | 65.1 | 314,582 | 83,576 | −17,560 | +1.7% |
| 2070* | 14,809,844 | 25.0 | 2.52 | 66.7 | 308,901 | 103,533 | −13,990 | +1.3% |
| 2080* | 16,502,027 | 27.8 | 2.30 | 68.1 | 301,181 | 130,192 | −17,488 | +0.9% |
| 2090* | 17,838,607 | 30.5 | 2.15 | 69.6 | 292,778 | 158,260 | −19,009 | +0.7% |
| 2100* | 18,779,149 | 33.0 | 2.03 | 71.0 | 276,606 | 185,092 | −18,273 | +0.4% |
* 2024 onward is the UN medium projection. Fertility is births per woman; life expectancy is years at birth; births, deaths, and net migration are counts for that calendar year.
Download every year, 1950–2100 (CSV)
2026 population by age and sex
The table provides the counts behind the chart. Age groups are five-year bands, with everyone aged 100 or older combined.
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 546,833 | 537,781 | 1,084,614 | 19.0% |
| 5–9 | 432,024 | 425,000 | 857,024 | 15.0% |
| 10–14 | 407,291 | 399,430 | 806,721 | 14.2% |
| 15–19 | 352,462 | 350,963 | 703,425 | 12.3% |
| 20–24 | 285,007 | 298,984 | 583,991 | 10.2% |
| 25–29 | 208,344 | 239,473 | 447,817 | 7.9% |
| 30–34 | 140,134 | 171,161 | 311,295 | 5.5% |
| 35–39 | 93,058 | 125,688 | 218,746 | 3.8% |
| 40–44 | 64,434 | 91,003 | 155,437 | 2.7% |
| 45–49 | 50,078 | 68,793 | 118,871 | 2.1% |
| 50–54 | 42,169 | 60,014 | 102,183 | 1.8% |
| 55–59 | 38,967 | 60,364 | 99,331 | 1.7% |
| 60–64 | 31,547 | 50,520 | 82,067 | 1.4% |
| 65–69 | 24,637 | 36,695 | 61,332 | 1.1% |
| 70–74 | 16,116 | 22,242 | 38,358 | 0.7% |
| 75–79 | 7,695 | 10,351 | 18,046 | 0.3% |
| 80–84 | 2,989 | 4,412 | 7,401 | 0.1% |
| 85–89 | 722 | 1,311 | 2,033 | 0.0% |
| 90–94 | 69 | 213 | 282 | 0.0% |
| 95–99 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 0.0% |
| 100+ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
Countries with the most similar age structure
These profiles have the 2026 age distributions closest to Central African Republic’s, measured by the total difference in the share of the population in each five-year band. Similar shapes can arise from very different histories, so the match is a starting point for comparison, not an explanation.
- Niger95% overlap · median age 15.7
- Mali95% overlap · median age 15.9
- Chad94% overlap · median age 15.7
- Somalia94% overlap · median age 15.6
- Democratic Republic of the Congo93% overlap · median age 15.9
- Mozambique93% overlap · median age 16.6
To calculate school-age, working-age, or older groups with other boundaries, use the age-group calculator for Central African Republic.
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World Population Pyramid. (2026, October 19). Central African Republic Population Pyramid 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/central-african-republic/
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“Central African Republic Population Pyramid 2026.” World Population Pyramid, 19 Oct. 2026, worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/central-african-republic/.
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World Population Pyramid. “Central African Republic Population Pyramid 2026.” Last modified October 19, 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/central-african-republic/.
Underlying data: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024.
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Central African Republic in 2026?
Under the UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium scenario, Central African Republic's population in 2026 is projected at 5,698,984.
What is the median age in Central African Republic?
The projected median age in Central African Republic in 2026 is 14.6 years: half the population is younger and half is older.
What is the fertility rate in Central African Republic?
The projected total fertility rate in 2026 is 5.69 births per woman, above the replacement level of about 2.1 in low-mortality populations.
Is Central African Republic's population projected to grow?
Between 2026 and 2050, the UN medium scenario indicates the population will grow by about 86%, from 5.7M to 10.6M.
What share of Central African Republic is aged 65 or older?
In 2026, 2.2% of the projected population is aged 65 or older. By 2050, the medium scenario places the share at 2.0%.
How many babies are born in Central African Republic each year?
The UN medium scenario projects 254,783 births and 52,068 deaths in 2026, about 698 births a day. Births exceed deaths by 202,715.
What is life expectancy in Central African Republic for men and women?
Life expectancy at birth in 2026 is projected at 60.1 years for women and 56.0 years for men, a gap of 4.1 years in favour of women.
Does Central African Republic have more immigrants or emigrants?
Central African Republic is projected to lose about 15,608 more people through emigration than it gains in 2026. Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates cumulative net migration of −1,130,808.
What is the sex ratio in Central African Republic?
The projected 2026 population sex ratio is 92.9 males per 100 females. This all-age ratio is different from the sex ratio at birth and can vary substantially by age.
Sources and notes
- United Nations, DESA, Population Division: World Population Prospects 2024, medium scenario.
- Population values are mid-year figures. Source values published in thousands are converted to people; displayed figures may imply more precision than is appropriate for planning.
- Historical values through 2023 are estimates. Values from 2024 onward are projections.
- Calculations follow the site methodology.