Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Central African Republic
Central African Republic: Population density (people per sq. km of land area) was 8.56 people per sq. km of land area in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
8.56 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 3.5%
World rank
204th
of 216 countries
All-time high
8.56 people per sq. km of land area
in 2024
All-time low
2.78 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Population density in Central African Republic, 1961–2024
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
Central African Republic recorded 8.56 people per sq. km of land area for population density in 2024. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
That represents a change of up 3.5% on the previous year and up 15.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Central African Republic peaked at 8.56 people per sq. km of land area in 2024 and was at its lowest, 2.78 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
That places Central African Republic 204th out of 216 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Central African Republic, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 2.78 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 2.84 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1963 | 2.89 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1964 | 2.95 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1965 | 3.01 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1966 | 3.08 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1967 | 3.15 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1968 | 3.22 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1969 | 3.29 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1970 | 3.37 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1971 | 3.44 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1972 | 3.51 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1973 | 3.57 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1974 | 3.64 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1975 | 3.71 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1976 | 3.77 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 1977 | 3.81 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1978 | 3.85 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1979 | 3.89 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1980 | 3.93 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1981 | 3.98 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1982 | 4.02 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1983 | 4.07 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1984 | 4.12 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1985 | 4.17 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 1986 | 4.23 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 1987 | 4.28 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 1988 | 4.36 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 1989 | 4.47 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1990 | 4.61 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1991 | 4.76 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1992 | 4.91 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1993 | 5.07 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1994 | 5.23 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1995 | 5.37 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1996 | 5.52 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1997 | 5.67 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1998 | 5.82 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1999 | 5.99 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 2000 | 6.15 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 2001 | 6.29 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 2002 | 6.43 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 2003 | 6.59 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2004 | 6.73 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 2005 | 6.88 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 2006 | 7.03 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 2007 | 7.16 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 2008 | 7.32 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 2009 | 7.27 people per sq. km of land area | -0.7% |
| 2010 | 7.21 people per sq. km of land area | -0.8% |
| 2011 | 7.33 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 7.4 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 7.45 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 7.42 people per sq. km of land area | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 7.43 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 7.57 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 2017 | 7.69 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 7.83 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 2019 | 7.94 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 8.07 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 2021 | 8.21 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 8.18 people per sq. km of land area | -0.3% |
| 2023 | 8.27 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 2024 | 8.56 people per sq. km of land area | +3.5% |
Central African Republic compared with similar countries
- Central African Republic's 8.56 people per sq. km of land area is below the median for low income countries, which is 65.39 people per sq. km of land area, 13% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Central African Republic's 8.56 people per sq. km of land area is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 69.86 people per sq. km of land area, 12% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.02 people per sq. km of land area | 2.78 people per sq. km of land area | 3.29 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 3.66 people per sq. km of land area | 3.37 people per sq. km of land area | 3.89 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.16 people per sq. km of land area | 3.93 people per sq. km of land area | 4.47 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.29 people per sq. km of land area | 4.61 people per sq. km of land area | 5.99 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.79 people per sq. km of land area | 6.15 people per sq. km of land area | 7.32 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.53 people per sq. km of land area | 7.21 people per sq. km of land area | 7.94 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.26 people per sq. km of land area | 8.07 people per sq. km of land area | 8.56 people per sq. km of land area | 5 |
Countries ranked near Central African Republic
- 201 Bolivia 11.41 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 202 Gabon 9.85 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 203 Russia 8.77 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 205 Kazakhstan 7.63 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 206 Mauritania 5.02 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 207 Canada 4.69 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Central African Republic
- Population in the largest city 41.4% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 33.29 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in largest city 1.02 million (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 16.44 Hectares (2020)
- PM2.5 air pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO 100.0% (2017)
- Dollar value of all resources made available to strengthen 3.37 million (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Central African Republic?
- Population density in Central African Republic was 8.56 people per sq. km of land area in 2024, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in Central African Republic?
- The highest recorded value was 8.56 people per sq. km of land area in 2024.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Central African Republic?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.78 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does Central African Republic rank for population density?
- Central African Republic ranks 204th out of 216 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population density rising or falling in Central African Republic?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Central African Republic data come from?
- The figures come from FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.