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Country page · Sub-Saharan Africa

If you were born in the Central African Republic

1 in 527 babies · 0.19% of births · about 254,675 a year

Right now, about 0.19% of the world's babies are born in the Central African Republic — 1 in 527, or roughly 254,675 a year and 698 a day. Life expectancy there is 57.7 years.

1 in 527 chance of being born here, by births
0.19% of the world's births
254,675 babies born each year

How the 1 in 527 is calculated

This number is not based on population. It uses births: the Central African Republic has about 254,675 births a year, and the world has about 134,147,481. Divide one by the other and you get 0.19% — 1 in 527. Using population instead would understate young countries and overstate ageing ones, so every draw is weighted by births.

Life in Central African Republic, in numbers

Indicator Value World rank
Life expectancy women 59.6 · men 55.5 57.7 years 170th highest of 172 countries
Chance of dying before 5 89.7 / 1,000 9.0% 162nd lowest of 170 countries
Chance of dying before 1 58.8 / 1,000 5.9% 163rd lowest of 170 countries
Mothers who die giving birth per 100,000 births 692 167th lowest of 170 countries
Children per woman 5.95 169th lowest of 172 countries
Expected years of schooling 6.8 years 163rd highest of 168 countries
Tertiary enrollment 2.8% 160th highest of 168 countries
Income per person (PPP) GDP per capita, PPP $1,314 168th highest of 170 countries
Income inequality closer to 0 = more equal 43.00 26th highest of 157 countries
People living in cities 44.6% 129th highest of 172 countries
People working in farming 66.1% 165th lowest of 171 countries
People using the internet 13.8% 167th highest of 172 countries
Homicide per 100,000 people 20.1 144th lowest of 155 countries
Health costs paid out of pocket share of health spending 45.0% 128th lowest of 168 countries
Adults living with HIV 2.40% 16th highest of 142 countries
People who smoke — —

How to read these numbers

Income is shown in purchasing-power-parity dollars, so it compares what money buys locally rather than market exchange rates. The under-5 rate is the share of babies who die before their fifth birthday; the maternal mortality ratio is per 100,000 live births. A Gini index closer to 0 means a more equal income distribution, and a higher number means a more unequal one.

Each indicator uses the most recent year with a non-empty value, which can differ by country; the rank compares this country with the other 171 in the dataset, not with every country on Earth. Where a value is missing, the page shows a dash rather than an estimate.

the Central African Republic compared with Sub-Saharan Africa

Life expectancy in the Central African Republic is 57.7 years, against a Sub-Saharan Africa average of 0.0. The under-5 death rate is 9.0%, versus 0.0% across the region. Income per person is $1,314, against $0 regionally; expected schooling is 6.8 years against 0.0. 44.6% of people live in cities, against 0.0% in the region.

Indicator Central African Republic Sub-Saharan Africa World
Life expectancy 57.7 years old — 73.3 years old
Under-5 deaths 9.0% — 2.6%
Income per person (PPP) $1,314 — $30,311
Expected schooling 6.8 years — 13.0 years
People in cities 44.6% — 61.6%

What a life there looks like

Put those numbers together and you get a life: about 57.7 years on average, with roughly 89.7 of every 1,000 babies dying before their fifth birthday. A child can expect 6.8 years of school, and income per person is around $1,314. These are averages — every life still lands somewhere on the distribution.

If you play as someone born in Central African Republic

The game draws the Central African Republic in about 1 of every 527 births. From there the life runs year by year: 57.7 years of life expectancy on average, a 9.0% chance of dying before five, and an income of about $1,314 per person. Choices move the odds; the starting statistics do not.

Be born

Nearby and similar countries

Frequently asked questions

What are the odds of being born in the Central African Republic?
About 0.19% of the world's births happen in the Central African Republic — 1 in 527, or roughly 254,675 babies a year.
What is life expectancy in the Central African Republic?
The latest figure is 57.7 years (women 59.6, men 55.5). The chance of dying before age 5 is about 9.0%.
How many babies are born in the Central African Republic each year?
About 254,675 — roughly 698 a day and 29 an hour.
Is the Central African Republic a good country to be born in, in the game?
The game does not rank countries. Being born in the Central African Republic simply applies its real statistics: life expectancy, mortality, income and schooling shape the odds, but luck and choices still decide how the life goes.

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators, with UN World Population Prospects 2024 and UN IGME for births and mortality. Values are the most recent non-empty year for each indicator; the year is noted where it differs. Page updated Oct 24, 2026.

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