Population Distribution
| Total population |
5,990,855 |
| Population growth rate |
2.09% |
| Birth rate |
34.30 births per 1,000 residents |
| Life expectancy |
|
| Overall life expectancy |
50.90 years |
| Men life expectancy |
49.64 years |
| Women life expectancy |
52.20 years |
| Age structure |
|
| 0-14 years |
39.89% |
| 15-64 years |
56.72% |
| 65 years and above |
3.39% |
| Median age |
19.50 years |
| Gender ratio |
0.98 M / F |
| Population density |
9.62 residents per km² |
| Urbanization |
42.70% |
| Cities |
|
| (F 2013) Bangui 747109, Bimbo 267859, Berbérati
108620, Carnot 55483, Bria 44185, Nola 43020, Bambari 41334, Bouar 38921 |
| Ethnicities |
|
| Central Africans - last census 2003: 3,895,139 residents
- mainly Ubangi groups: 34% Banda, 27% Gbaya, 11% Ngbandi, 10% Azande,
Yakoma and others; Bantu; French people |
| Religions |
|
| Indigenous religions 35%, Protestants 25%, Catholics
(Roman Catholic) 25%, Muslims 15%, Note: Animism and animistic practices
have a great influence on the Christian majority |
| Human Development Index (HDI) |
0.381 |
| HDI ranking |
188 |
People in Central African Republic
Almost 5 million people live in the Central African
Republic. The population is growing by 2 percent
annually. The birth rate is 4.7 children per woman. As a
result, the population is very young: 40 percent are
under 15 years old, and a total of 60 percent are under
25 years old. The average age is 20 years.
However, life expectancy is low. For men it is 52
years, for women 55 years. Many babies die at birth, 41
out of 1,000. That is one of the worst values in the
world. Poverty, hunger and disease make life difficult.
While the rainforests in the southwest and the dry
savannas in the north are sparsely populated, most of
the people live in the area of the capital Bangui as
well as on the rivers. 41 percent of the population live
in urban areas, so the majority still live in rural
areas.
Pygmies, who were among the first residents of the
country, now only make up a very small proportion of the
population. They live secluded in the rainforests of the
southwest. Bantu people also live here, who also form a
minority in the Central African Republic. They include
the Yakoma and the G'bakka, each with 4 percent of the
population.
The Baya (also spelled Gbaya) are the largest ethnic
group with 33 percent today. You live in the north of
the country. The second largest group are the Banda with
27 percent. This is followed by the Manschia (13
percent), the Sara (10 percent) and the Mboum (7
percent). The Azande live in the southeast and Fula in
the northwest. There are around 80 peoples in total.
Languages in Central African Republic
The Central African Republic has two official
languages: French and Sango. Sango originated from the
Ngbandi language, which was spoken by the people of the
same name on the Ubangi River. It developed into a
lingua franca with which the different peoples could
communicate. Sango is spoken far more than French.
However, a total of 72 languages are spoken in the
country. After all, every ethnic group has its own
language. Most of these languages belong to the
Niger-Congo languages and here again to the Ubangic
languages (on the left in turquoise on the map). Sango
is also an Ubangic language. Most of the residents are
at least bilingual.
Religions in Central African Republic
80 percent of the population are Christians, with
Catholics and Protestants each making up half. Most of
the Christians live in the south of the country.
Traditional faith is still practiced by many people,
sometimes mixed with Christian elements. 10 percent are
attached to Islam. The Muslims live more in the north,
east and north-west.
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