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Country comparison

Central African Republic vs South Africa

Central African Republic and South Africa side by side across 203 indicators — each row links to the full 54-country ranking, with sources and the API call behind every figure.

GDP$3.49B vs $479.96BCentral African Republic vs South Africa
GDP per Capita$613 vs $7,503Central African Republic vs South Africa
Population5.51M vs 64.75MCentral African Republic vs South Africa

Indicator by indicator

203 indicators

Each country shows its latest available year, which can differ by indicator. Rows where the two sides are 5+ years apart are marked ⚠ in the Period column.

Indicator Central African Republic South AfricaPeriod
GDPEconomy$3.49B$479.96B2026
GDP per CapitaEconomy$613$7,5032026
Inflation RateEconomy1.5%5%2026
Central Bank Policy RateEconomy4.5%7%2025/2026
Official Exchange RateEconomy574.27 LCU/USD16.37 LCU/USD2026-07
Budget BalanceEconomy-5%-4.9%2026
Unemployment RateEconomy6.3%32.4%2025
Public DebtEconomy64%78.9%2026
Trade BalanceEconomy$-435.91M$8.16B2025
GDP GrowthEconomy2.6%1%2026
GNI per CapitaEconomy$560$6,2702025
GNI per Capita (PPP)Economy$1,390$15,6002025
GDP (PPP)Economy$7.24B$1.03T2025
Agriculture (% of GDP)Economy27.6%2.8%2025
Industry (% of GDP)Economy21.2%24.1%2025
Manufacturing (% of GDP)Economy18%12.3%2023/2025
Services (% of GDP)Economy41.4%63.1%2025
Investment (% of GDP)Economy9.3%13.9%2025
Remittances ReceivedEconomy$158.92K$1B1993/2025 ⚠
Remittances (% of GDP)Economy0%0.2%1993/2025 ⚠
External Debt (% of GNI)Economy35.9%44.8%2024
Foreign ReservesEconomy$489.29M$76.02B2024/2025
Credit to Private Sector (% of GDP)Economy13%89.4%2022/2024
Tax Revenue (% of GDP)Economy8.2%25.9%2021/2024
Labor Force ParticipationEconomy73.4%55.6%2025
Female Labor Force ParticipationEconomy65.5%49.9%2025
Income Inequality (Gini)Economy4354.12021/2022
Extreme Poverty RateEconomy71.6%17.4%2021/2022
Account OwnershipEconomy13.7%81.1%2017/2024 ⚠
Youth NEET RateEconomy—34.6%2024
Military Spending (% of GDP)Economy2.5%0.7%2024
Trade Openness (% of GDP)Economy52.9%60.9%2025
Inflation (GDP Deflator)Economy2.3%2.8%2025
Tourism ReceiptsEconomy$15.6M$2.72B2013/2020 ⚠
Tourist ArrivalsEconomy87K3.89M2019/2020
Current Account BalanceEconomy-3.4%-0.9%2026
Foreign Direct InvestmentEconomy$40.41M$2.47B2024
FDI (% of GDP)Economy1.5%0.6%2024
Government Revenue (% of GDP)Economy14.5%27.2%2024
Government Spending (% of GDP)Economy19.5%33%2024
Youth Unemployment RateEconomy—60.1%2024
Productive Capacity IndexEconomy21.351.72024
Natural Resource RentsEconomy10.3%7.3%2021
Oil Rents (% of GDP)Economy0%0.4%2021
Mineral Rents (% of GDP)Economy0.8%3.8%2021
Natural Gas Rents (% of GDP)Economy0%0%2021
Foreign Aid (% of GNI)Economy27.3%0.4%2023
Foreign Aid per CapitaEconomy$143$242023
Lending Interest RateEconomy—10.7%2025
Real Interest RateEconomy—7.7%2025
Gross Savings (% of GDP)Economy15.1%12.9%1994/2025 ⚠
Adjusted Net Income per CapitaEconomy$417$5,5212021
Employment in AgricultureEconomy66.1%5.4%2025
Employment in IndustryEconomy13.4%20.8%2025
Employment in ServicesEconomy20.5%73.8%2025
Vulnerable EmploymentEconomy79.4%11.7%2025
Household Consumption (% of GDP)Economy94.6%65.8%2025
Income Share of Poorest 20%Economy5.6%3.7%2021/2022
Bank Branches per 100,000Economy0.782017/2024 ⚠
ATMs per 100,000Economy1.4462017/2024 ⚠
GDP per Capita GrowthEconomy1%-0%2025
Debt Service (% of GNI)Economy1.9%5.7%2024
Poverty Rate ($3.65/day)Economy83.9%30.2%2021/2022
Poverty Rate ($6.85/day)Economy96.1%59.6%2021/2022
Exports of Goods & ServicesTrade$593.13M$134.18B2025
Imports of Goods & ServicesTrade$1.03B$126.02B2025
Export Diversification IndexTrade0.8110.5532024
Export Concentration IndexTrade0.470.1452024
Liner Shipping ConnectivityTrade—39.12021
Fuel Exports (% of Exports)Trade0%8.2%2024/2025
Manufactures Exports (% of Exports)Trade71.8%38.3%2024/2025
Food Exports (% of Exports)Trade0.2%12.8%2024/2025
High-Tech Exports (% of Manufactured)Trade8.3%5.7%2024
Exports (% of GDP)Trade19.3%31.4%2025
Imports (% of GDP)Trade33.6%29.5%2025
Human Development IndexDevelopment0.4140.7412023
Gender Inequality IndexDevelopment—0.3882023
Inequality-adjusted HDIDevelopment0.2530.4762023
PopulationDemographics5.51M64.75M2025
Population GrowthDemographics3.4%1.1%2025
Life ExpectancyDemographics57.7 years66.3 years2024
Median AgeDemographics14.6 years28.9 years2026
Fertility RateDemographics5.952.212024
Rural PopulationDemographics55.4%36.2%2025
Population Under 15Demographics48.7%25.7%2025
Urban PopulationDemographics44.6%63.8%2025
Population DensityDemographics9.1/km²53.6/km²2026
Birth RateDemographics44.717.82026
Death RateDemographics9.149.312026
Net Migration RateDemographics-2.742.012026
Life Expectancy (Female)Demographics59.6 years69.8 years2024
Life Expectancy (Male)Demographics55.5 years62.8 years2024
Urban Population GrowthDemographics4.3%1.3%2025
Infant MortalityHealth58.824.22024
HIV PrevalenceHealth2.4%17.2%2024
Health Spending (% of GDP)Health10.7%8.9%2023
Physicians per 1,000Health0.070.792023/2022
UHC Service Coverage IndexHealth39742023
Road Traffic DeathsHealth25.924.52021
Premature NCD MortalityHealth30.8%22.7%2021
Out-of-Pocket Health SpendingHealth45%6.7%2023
Safely Managed SanitationHealth13.5%73.8%2024
Maternal MortalityHealth691.7117.62023
Under-Five MortalityHealth92.234.72023
Neonatal MortalityHealth30.711.72023
Tuberculosis IncidenceHealth4193892024
Measles ImmunizationHealth44%66%2025
DTP3 ImmunizationHealth46%65%2025
Basic Drinking WaterHealth30.3%22.2%2024
Basic SanitationHealth0.5%3.6%2024
Diabetes PrevalenceHealth7.6%7.2%2024
Hospital Beds per 1,000Health12.252011/2010
Contraceptive PrevalenceHealth17.8%54.6%2019/2016
Skilled Birth AttendanceHealth40.3%96.7%2019/2016
Nurses & Midwives per 1,000Health1.16.392023/2022
Adolescent Fertility RateHealth161.351.82024
Health Spending per CapitaHealth$54$5372023
NCD Share of DeathsHealth22.8%37.2%2021
Smoking PrevalenceHealth—23.7%2024
Antenatal Care CoverageHealth51.8%93.7%2019/2016
Child StuntingChild Welfare38.9%24.4%2024
Child WastingChild Welfare5.2%3.6%2022/2017 ⚠
Birth RegistrationChild Welfare44.8%88.6%2019/2017
Child MarriageChild Welfare61%3.6%2019/2016
Overweight ChildrenChild Welfare1.5%11.8%2019/2017
Education Spending (% of GDP)Education1.8%6%2023/2024
Tertiary EnrollmentEducation2.8%23.5%2012/2023 ⚠
Adult Literacy RateEducation42.4%91.2%2019/2024 ⚠
Youth Literacy RateEducation50.6%97.2%2019/2024 ⚠
Primary Completion RateEducation27%97.6%2019/2024 ⚠
Lower Secondary CompletionEducation12.3%92.5%2019/2024 ⚠
Primary Net EnrollmentEducation62.1%93.9%2012/2023 ⚠
Lower Secondary EnrollmentEducation39.9%90.4%2012/2023 ⚠
Upper Secondary EnrollmentEducation14.1%86.9%2012/2023 ⚠
Upper Secondary CompletionEducation5.6%62.2%2019/2024 ⚠
Qualified Primary TeachersEducation—77.9%2002
Secondary EnrollmentEducation15.8%104.1%2017/2023 ⚠
UndernourishmentFood Security29.8%10%2023
Acute Food InsecurityFood Security875K—2026-06
Agricultural Land (% of Land)Agriculture9.1%79.4%2023
Food Production IndexAgriculture148113.22022
Cassava ProductionAgriculture1.21M t—2024
Coffee ProductionAgriculture324.92K t—2024
Cocoa ProductionAgriculture135.72 t—2024
Sorghum ProductionAgriculture20K t98K t2024
Millet ProductionAgriculture10K t6.33K t2024
Maize ProductionAgriculture200K t12.85M t2024
Rice ProductionAgriculture52.87K t3.08K t2024
Wheat ProductionAgriculture—1.92M t2024
Maize YieldAgriculture741 kg/ha4,874 kg/ha2024
Rice YieldAgriculture1,362 kg/ha2,912 kg/ha2024
Wheat YieldAgriculture—3,809 kg/ha2024
Cattle StockAgriculture4.9M head12.1M head2024
Homicide RateGovernance20.143.72016/2022 ⚠
Corruption Perceptions IndexGovernance24412024
Electoral Democracy IndexGovernance0.2930.7432025
Liberal Democracy IndexGovernance0.1020.6332025
Political Corruption IndexGovernance0.8540.5382025
Control of CorruptionGovernance-1.31-0.192024
Government EffectivenessGovernance-1.58-0.232024
Rule of LawGovernance-1.710.022024
Political StabilityGovernance-1.83-0.622024
Regulatory QualityGovernance-1.27-0.062024
Voice and AccountabilityGovernance-1.310.612024
Refugees HostedHumanitarian55.31K55.18K2025
Internally Displaced PeopleHumanitarian427.48K02025
Asylum Seekers HostedHumanitarian8.45K82.36K2025
Stateless PeopleHumanitarian002025
Internet UsersTechnology13.8%78.4%2024
Mobile SubscriptionsTechnology38.8179.32022/2024
4G CoverageTechnology0.2%99.4%2024
Fixed Broadband SubscriptionsTechnology05.32022/2024
Mobile Data PriceTechnology53.7%1.3%2025
3G CoverageTechnology59.6%99.9%2024
Fixed Broadband PriceTechnology76.6%3.4%2025
Mobile Bundle PriceTechnology18.1%1.1%2025
R&D Spending (% of GDP)Technology—0.6%2022
Electricity AccessInfrastructure18.2%90.2%2024
Air Transport PassengersInfrastructure46.36K15.45M2001/2023 ⚠
Slum PopulationInfrastructure68.9%24.2%2022
Renewable Energy CapacityEnergy59.4 MW16.6K MW2025
Solar CapacityEnergy40.5 MW11.3K MW2025
Wind CapacityEnergy—4.3K MW2025
Hydropower CapacityEnergy18.9 MW751.7 MW2025
Renewable Energy ShareEnergy90.9%9.7%2022/2021
Clean Cooking AccessEnergy1%89.8%2023
Electricity Consumption per CapitaEnergy—3,247 kWh2023
Power Transmission LossesEnergy—10.2%2023
Off-grid Renewable CapacityEnergy0.7 MW14.1 MW2025
Rural Electricity AccessEnergy2%86.3%2024
Solar Share of ElectricityEnergy0%8%2023/2025
Wind Share of ElectricityEnergy0%4.7%2023/2025
Hydropower Share of ElectricityEnergy100%0.8%2023/2025
Fossil Share of ElectricityEnergy0%82.2%2023/2025
Electricity DemandEnergy0.1 TWh237 TWh2023/2025
Electricity Carbon IntensityEnergy0 gCO₂/kWh699 gCO₂/kWh2023/2025
Primary Energy per CapitaEnergy280 kWh21,287 kWh2023/2024
CO2 Emissions per CapitaClimate0.06 t6.88 t2024
Renewable Electricity OutputClimate96.5%6.4%2021
Forest AreaClimate35.7%14%2023
Protected AreasClimate14.8%12.9%2025
Freshwater WithdrawalsClimate0.1%47.1%2022
PM2.5 Air PollutionClimate33.3 µg/m³27.7 µg/m³2023

Get this comparison via API

GET /v1/data

One call returns both countries' latest value for any indicator — JSON, with source metadata.

curl "https://api.africa-api.com/v1/data?metric_key=gdp_current_usd&latest=true&country_codes=CF,ZA" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $AFRICA_API_KEY"
Central African Republic profileSouth Africa profileGet a free API key

Frequently asked questions

Does Central African Republic or South Africa have the larger economy?

South Africa has the larger economy: $3.49B for Central African Republic versus $479.96B for South Africa (GDP, current US$).

How do Central African Republic and South Africa compare across indicators?

This page compares Central African Republic and South Africa on 203 indicators — economy, demographics, health, governance and more — each with its latest value, source, and a link to the full 54-country ranking.

How do I get this comparison via the API?

Call GET /v1/data?metric_key=<key>&latest=true&country_codes=CF,ZA with a free Africa API key to get both countries' latest values as JSON.

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