Sub-Saharan Africa

A life that begins in Central African Republic

One in every 527 babies in the world is born here: about 254,675 a year, 0.48 a minute.

Population: 5,513,282
Births a year: 254,675
Life expectancy: 57.5
Children who die before 5 (per 1,000): 89.7

Health and survival

Life expectancy, women (years)
59.6
World: 75.9
Life expectancy, men (years)
55.5
World: 71
Babies who die before 1 (per 1,000)
58.8
World: 27.8
Children who die before 5 (per 1,000)
89.7
World: 37.6
Mothers who die in childbirth (per 100,000 births)
692
World: 189
Adults living with HIV (%)
2.4
World: 0.7
Adults who smoke (%)
≈ 10
World: 20
Alcohol per adult (litres a year)
1.8
World: 4.6
Road deaths (per 100,000)
37.7
World: 17
Homicides (per 100,000)
20.1
World: 4.7

Family and school

Children per woman
5.95
World: 2.85
Women married before 18 (%)
61
World: 18
Children in primary school (%)
66
World: 89
Secondary school enrolment (%)
16
World: 81
Higher education enrolment (%)
3
World: 48
Children aged 7–14 who work (%)
37.2
World: 11.9

Money and work

Income per person (PPP)
$1,123
World: $21,797
Income inequality (Gini, 0–100)
43
World: 34
Living on under $3 a day (%)
71.6
World: 9.9
Unemployment (%)
6.3
World: 5.1
Jobs in farming (%)
66
World: 27
Women in the workforce (%)
65
World: 48
Health costs paid out of pocket (%)
45
World: 37

Home and connection

Living in cities (%)
45
World: 58
Access to electricity (%)
18
World: 92
Safe drinking water (%)
37
World: 91
Internet users (%)
14
World: 72

Peace and wellbeing

Life satisfaction (0–10)
3.48
World: 5.4
Deaths in armed conflict (per 100,000 a year)
7.15
World: 2.43
Refugees abroad (% of population)
12.23
World: 0.34

≈ Estimated from the region

From 1960 to 2050

How life here has changed, and where UN projections expect it to go. The dashed part is a projection.

Life expectancy

1960: 39.6 → 2026: 55.6 → 2050: 63.3

World

Children who die before 5 (per 1,000)

1960: 285 → 2026: 96 → 2050: 45

World

Children per woman

1960: 6 → 2026: 5.6 → 2050: 3.4

World

Living in cities (%)

1960: 20 → 2026: 45 → 2050: 56

World

Nobody chooses where they are born

In the game, the country is drawn by the real share of births: Central African Republic comes up about once in every 527 lives.

Sources: World Bank (WDI), UN World Population Prospects, Our World in Data, World Happiness Report, UCDP and PRIO. Updated 2026-10-18.