Central African Republic

https://www.humantruth.info/central_african_republic.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2025

Central African Republic
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	189th best
Capital	Bangui
Land Area	622 980km²₁
Location	Africa
Population	4.7m₂
Life Expectancy	53.89yrs (2017)₃
GNI	$0 966 (2017)₄
ISO3166-1 Codes	CF, CAF, 140₅
Internet Domain	.cf₆
Currency	Franc (XAF)₇
Telephone	+236₈

1. Overview

#france

“The former French colony of Ubangi-Shari became the Central African Republic upon independence in 1960. After three tumultuous decades of misrule - mostly by military governments - civilian rule was established in 1993 and lasted for one decade. In March, 2003 President Ange-Felix PATASSE was deposed in a military coup led by General Francois BOZIZE, who established a transitional government. Elections held in 2005 affirmed General BOZIZE as president; he was reelected in 2011 in voting widely viewed as flawed. The government still does not fully control the countryside, where pockets of lawlessness persist. The militant group the Lord's Resistance Army continues to destabilize southeastern Central African Republic, and several rebel groups joined together in early December 2012 to launch a series of attacks that left them in control of numerous towns in the northern and central parts of the country. The rebels - who are unhappy with BOZIZE's government - participated in peace talks in early January 2013 which resulted in a coalition government including the rebellion's leadership.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Central African Republic (CAR) is a country with staggeringly rare and untouched natural beauty and some of the world´s most amazing wildlife. It´s one of the best places in Africa for encounters with forest elephants and lowland gorillas, and perhaps the best place in the world to see butterflies.
It´s also one of the most impoverished and least developed countries on the continent. For centuries CAR was worked over and ruthlessly exploited by colonisers; independence only brought more of the same from homegrown leaders. Yet the people of this plundered nation are open and friendly; just as rich life looms in its darkest jungles, warmth, generosity and pride steadfastly survive in the hearts of its people.
CAR´s border crossings can be difficult and dangerous, and flights are expensive and infrequent. It is a country not for the faint of heart. At the time of writing most of the country was not considered stable or safe enough to travel through. Check the situation with your embassy before attempting to visit.”
"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Central African Republic National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better Value₁₁
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
184	Burkina Faso	0.449
185	Mozambique	0.446
186	Mali	0.428
187	Burundi	0.426
188	Central African Rep.	0.404
189	Niger	0.400
190	Chad	0.394
191	S. Sudan	0.385
	Africa Avg	0.56
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $₁₁
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
186	Liberia	$1 289
187	Niger	$1 240
188	Mozambique	$1 198
189	Congo, DR	$1 076
190	Somalia	$1 018
191	Central African Rep.	$0 966
192	S. Sudan	$0 768
193	Burundi	$0 732
	Africa Avg	$5 339
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index₁₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₂
1	Denmark	26.9
2	Norway	29.1
3	Sweden	29.9
	...
186	Mauritania	125.1
187	Myanmar	126.5
188	Liberia	126.6
189	Central African Rep.	126.7
190	Chad	129.8
191	Congo, DR	130.6
192	Yemen	130.8
193	Sudan	135.0
	Africa Avg	119.0
	World Avg	89.0
q=200.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Central African Republic's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population Datasets:

The Central African Republic's population is predicted to rise to 6.365 million by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 5.92. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1, once you take mortality into account₁₃. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₄

Population₂
Pos.		2018 Population₂
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
122	Liberia	4.8m
123	Ireland	4.8m
124	New Zealand	4.7m
125	Central African Rep.	4.7m
126	Mauritania	4.4m
127	Panama	4.2m
128	Croatia	4.2m
129	Kuwait	4.1m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
188	Ivory Coast	58.6
189	Swaziland	57.1
190	Somalia	55.3
191	S. Sudan	55.0
192	Central African Rep.	53.9
193	Lesotho	53.1
194	Nigeria	52.7
195	Chad	52.5
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₅
Pos.		2022₁₅
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
201	Nigeria	5.14
202	Angola	5.21
203	Mali	5.87
204	Central African Rep.	5.92
205	Congo, DR	6.11
206	Somalia	6.20
207	Chad	6.22
208	Niger	6.75
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better₁₆
Pos.		2016 Per 100₁₆
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
39=	Palestine	06.5
40=	Ethiopia	06.6
40=	Swaziland	06.6
42=	Central African Rep.	06.8
42=	Sudan	06.8
42=	Mauritania	06.8
42=	Kuwait	06.8
46=	Congo, (Brazzaville)	07.0
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants₁₇
Pos.		2017 %₁₇
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
128	Mali	2.1%
129	Georgia	2.0%
130	Guyana	2.0%
131	Central African Rep.	1.9%
132	Romania	1.9%
133	Japan	1.8%
134	Sudan	1.8%
135	Albania	1.8%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants₁₈
Pos.		2010 %₁₈
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
139	Bangladesh	3.3%
140	Botswana	3.2%
141	Spain	3.0%
142	Central African Rep.	2.9%
143	Angola	2.8%
144	France	2.8%
145	Costa Rica	2.7%
146	Rwanda	2.6%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#animism #Central_African_Republic #central_african_republic_freethought #christianity #equality #freedom #freethought #gender_equality #human_rights #islam #morals #politics #prejudice #religious_tolerance #tolerance

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₁₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₉
1	Sweden	7.8
2	Netherlands	8.7
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
130	Benin	108.6
131	Papua New Guinea	108.8
132	Cambodia	109.0
133	Central African Rep.	109.1
134	Kuwait	109.5
135	Lebanon	109.6
	Africa Avg	110.04
	World Avg	89.80
q=199.

The Central African Republic is very poor at ensuring human rights and freedom compared to the rest of the world, and it has cultural issues when it comes to tolerance and equality. The Central African Rep. does better than average in freethought₂₀, supporting press freedom₂₁ and in combatting modern slavery₂₂. The Central African Rep. does not succeed in everything, however. The Central African Rep. does worse than average in LGBT equality in the 2020s₂₃ and in its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₄. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 in commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₅, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₆ (amongst the highest in Africa) and in its average Freedom in the World rating (one of the worst in Africa). Amidst widespread conflict and loss of control to armed groups, much of the country is insecure, unstable, "and beset by serious human rights violations"₂₇. Violence between Muslim Seleka rebel groups, Christian and animist anti-balaka militias and others continue to fight each other. Cultural issues mean that those who survive sexual violence face many irrational and inhumane barriers to accessing essential services, family planning, and justice ₂₇. The UN estimates in 2017 that over 600,000 refugees have fled, and 2.4 million people (over half the population) need humanitarian assistance ₂₇. Progress is always going to be difficult in a country where the richest 10% hold 46% of the country's entire income₂₈.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

Human Rights and Freedom in Central African Republic

5. Central African Republic's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #central_african_republic #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #vaccines

Compared to Africa (2025)₂₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₉
1	Mauritius	71.1
2	Tunisia	75.3
3	Seychelles	77.4
	...
46	Mali	147.6
47	Nigeria	149.0
48	Mozambique	149.7
49	Guinea	150.5
50	Central African Rep.	152.2
51	Equatorial Guinea	155.3
52	S. Sudan	161.0
53	Somalia	163.2
54	Angola	164.4
	Africa Avg	111.13
q=54.

Health (2025)₂₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₉
1	Monaco	10.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Japan	37.3
	...
199	Nigeria	149.0
200	Mozambique	149.7
201	Guinea	150.5
202	Central African Rep.	152.2
203	Afghanistan	152.4
204	Equatorial Guinea	155.3
205	S. Sudan	161.0
206	Somalia	163.2
	World Avg	97.57
q=207.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and Japan₃₀. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan₃₀.

42 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate, delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations, delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 and childhood mortality. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean₃₀, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Melanesia₃₀.

For more, see:

"Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

5.1. Health Datasets

#alcohol #birth_control #central_african_republic #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #obesity #overpopulation

The Central African Republic is a pretty unhealthy country. The Central African Rep. does better than average in the prevalence of overweight adults₃₁ and in its alcohol consumption rate₃₂. But unfortunately The Central African Rep. gets most other things wrong. It does worse than average for its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₃ (still good for Africa). And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 for delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015₃₄ (one of the lowest in Africa), its average life expectancy₁₁ (one of the lowest in Africa), childhood mortality in the 2020s₃₅, its adolescent birth rate₃₆ (one of the highest in Africa), its fertility rate₁₅ and in delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations in the 2020s₃₇. The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% between 1976 and 2016. Life expectancy in the Central African Republic in 1990 was 49.6yrs, lower than the global average of 64.6, and in 2001 and 2014 it had the second-worst in the world. It improved by +5.4yrs in the 30 years from then, less than the global average of +7.9yrs. The Central African Republic has had the most consistent fertility rate of all countries, varying by just 0.2 each decade since the 1960s. Its peak fertility rate was 6.14 in 1982.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
188	Ivory Coast	58.6
189	Swaziland	57.1
190	Somalia	55.3
191	S. Sudan	55.0
192	Central African Rep.	53.9
193	Lesotho	53.1
194	Nigeria	52.7
195	Chad	52.5
	Africa Avg	62.79
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better₃₂
Pos.		2016 Per Capita₃₂
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
56=	Fiji	3.0
56=	Benin	3.0
58	Togo	3.1
59=	Central African Rep.	3.3
59=	Tajikistan	3.3
61	Kenya	3.4
62	Mauritius	3.6
63	Malawi	3.7
	Africa Avg	4.8
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₅
Pos.		2022₁₅
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
201	Nigeria	5.14
202	Angola	5.21
203	Mali	5.87
204	Central African Rep.	5.92
205	Congo, DR	6.11
206	Somalia	6.20
207	Chad	6.22
208	Niger	6.75
	Africa Avg	3.97
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better₃₃
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₃
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
105	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	105
106	Serbia	106
107	Zimbabwe	107
108	Central African Rep.	108
109	Benin	109
110	Costa Rica	110
111	Dominica	111
112	Romania	112
	Africa Avg	117.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better₃₁
Pos.		1976 %₃₁
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
39	Togo	10.0
40	Cape Verde	10.1
41	China	10.2
42	Central African Rep.	10.3
43	Sierra Leone	10.4
44	Equatorial Guinea	10.5
45	Comoros	10.8
46	Somalia	10.9
	Africa Avg	13.4
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better₃₈
Pos.		2022 %₃₈
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
19	Uganda	6.9%
20	India	7.2%
21	Myanmar	7.5%
22	Central African Rep.	7.7%
23	Laos	7.8%
24	Congo, (Brazzaville)	8.0%
25	S. Sudan	8.0%
26	China	8.2%
	Africa Avg	13.7%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

5.2. Children's Health Datasets

#children's_health #health #parenting #population #vaccines

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better₃₆
Pos.		2022 Per 1000₃₆
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
188	Tanzania	123.4
189	Chad	135.7
190	Angola	135.8
191	Equatorial Guinea	136.4
192	Mali	147.7
193	Central African Rep.	159.0
194	Mozambique	165.1
195	Niger	168.0
	Africa Avg	84.6
	World Avg	43.8
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Infant DTP Immunizations (2020s) Higher is better₃₇
Pos.		Total Avg %₃₇
1=	Luxembourg	99.0
1=	Oman	99.0
1=	Niue	99.0
	...
204	Angola	64.2
205	Afghanistan	62.7
206	Venezuela	60.3
207	Azerbaijan	58.0
208	Yemen	57.0
209	Central African Rep.	42.6
210	Papua New Guinea	41.8
211	Sint Eustatius	38.1
	Africa Avg	82.9
	World Avg	88.5
q=211. Also scored for 1980s-2020s.

7x Infant Immunizations (2011-2015) Higher is better₃₄
Pos.		2015 Avg %₃₄
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
187	Syria	62.4
188	Ukraine	55.2
189	Chad	52.5
190	Nigeria	50.0
191	Central African Rep.	49.4
192	Somalia	46.0
193	S. Sudan	45.7
194	Equatorial Guinea	36.8
	Africa Avg	81.7
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Infant Mortality (2020s) Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		Total Per 1000₃₅
1	San Marino	2.11
2	Finland	2.59
3	Luxembourg	2.60
	...
188	Mali	117.79
189	Nigeria	126.78
190	Niger	127.65
191	Chad	131.11
192	Sierra Leone	133.17
193	Central African Rep.	146.86
194	Somalia	168.16
195	S. Sudan	174.03
	Africa Avg	71.63
	World Avg	32.19
q=195. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

Central African Republic was amongst 49 countries in the 1990s who had an adolescent birth rate of over 100 (per 1000 girls aged 15-19); in the 2000s it was still amongst only 37 countries that fell into the same grouping. It had the 5th-highest rate in the world in the 2010s.

6. Central African Republic's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #environmentalism #food #internationalism #meat #over-exploitation #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Africa (2025)₃₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₉
1	Morocco	46.5
2	Burundi	47.8
3	Mali	51.0
	...
33	Sierra Leone	83.6
34	Guinea-Bissau	83.7
35	Namibia	83.9
36	Central African Rep.	84.2
37	Djibouti	84.5
38	Zambia	85.4
39	Gabon	87.9
40	Equatorial Guinea	91.2
41	S. Africa	92.2
	Africa Avg	80.07
q=53.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)₃₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₉
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
103	Namibia	83.9
104	S. Korea	84.0
105	Cambodia	84.0
106	Central African Rep.	84.2
107	Djibouti	84.5
108	Honduras	84.6
109	Zambia	85.4
110	Venezuela	86.1
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

We have known for a long term that we must protect the environment from habitation destruction, over-exploitation, pollution, and the emissions that cause climate change. In 1998, Greenpeace wrote that "Environment can no longer be meaningfully separated from health, quality of life, democracy, education, economy or trade"₄₀. What countries have been doing the right thing, via legislation and national culture? All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

"Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

The Central African Rep. comes 106th in the world regarding its responsibility towards the environment. This rank is derived from 21 data sets. The Central African Rep. comes in the best 20 in energy to GDP efficiency₄₁. It does better than average when it comes to the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₂ and in reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₃ (but bad for Africa). The Central African Rep. still has work to do. The Central African Rep. does worse than average when it comes to its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₄. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 in its environmental performance₄₅.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better₄₄
Pos.		Total₄₄
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
156	Bangladesh	-1.9%
157	US Virgin Islands	-1.9%
158	Sri Lanka	-2.5%
159	Central African Rep.	-2.6%
160	Malaysia	-2.9%
161	S. Korea	-2.9%
162	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	-3.0%
163	American Samoa	-3.4%
	Africa Avg	-8.7%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

Environmental Performance Higher is better₄₅
Pos.		2018₄₅
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
168	Afghanistan	37.7
169	Pakistan	37.5
170	Angola	37.4
171	Central African Rep.	36.4
172	Niger	35.7
173	Lesotho	33.8
174	Haiti	33.7
175	Madagascar	33.7
	Africa Avg	46.4
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better₄₁
Pos.		2022 Avg₄₁
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
7	Madagascar	0.38
8	Sri Lanka	0.39
9	Burundi	0.41
10	Central African Rep.	0.41
11	Ethiopia	0.42
12	Afghanistan	0.43
13	Guinea-Bissau	0.45
14	Niger	0.48
	Africa Avg	0.83
	World Avg	1.23
q=165. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
137	Suriname	52%
138	St Vincent & Grenadines	52%
139	Saudi Arabia	52%
140	Central African Rep.	52%
141	Mauritania	51%
142	Lesotho	51%
143	Croatia	51%
144	Djibouti	51%
	Africa Avg	56.4%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better₄₂
Pos.		2011 %₄₂
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
34	Nepal	52.8%
35	Chad	52.8%
36	Kenya	52.1%
37	Central African Rep.	51.9%
38	Belize	50.6%
39	Burkina Faso	50.5%
40	Dominican Rep.	50.2%
41	Thailand	49.9%
	Africa Avg	38.3%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Meat Consumption Lower is better₄₃
Pos.		2021 kg₄₃
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
61	Mauritania	32.4
62	Philippines	32.9
63	Burkina Faso	33.3
64	Central African Rep.	34.4
65	Comoros	34.5
66	Venezuela	35.6
67	Jordan	36.0
68	Lebanon	36.3
	Africa Avg	24.9
	World Avg	52.5
q=185. Also scored for 2010s.

7. Central African Republic's Modernity and Learning

#education #intelligence #metric #modernity #technology #the_internet

Compared to Africa (2025)₄₆
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₆
1	S. Africa	58.2
2	Tunisia	63.4
3	Seychelles	64.9
	...
30	Equatorial Guinea	125.2
31	Tanzania	125.4
32	Lesotho	126.9
33	Central African Rep.	129.2
34	Namibia	129.8
35	Rwanda	130.0
36	Guinea	131.4
37	Guinea-Bissau	131.7
38	Sao Tome & Principe	133.0
	Africa Avg	119.28
q=54.

Modernity & Learning (2025)₄₆
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₆
1	Vatican City	1.0
2	Finland	4.8
3	Belgium	8.5
	...
160	Lesotho	126.9
161	Belize	127.3
162	Kiribati	127.3
163	Central African Rep.	129.2
164	Namibia	129.8
165	Rwanda	130.0
166	Guinea	131.4
167	Guinea-Bissau	131.7
	World Avg	80.33
q=194.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are The Vatican City, Finland and Belgium₄₇. The worst countries are S. Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia₄₇. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₈.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”
Bill Emmott (2017)₄₉

23 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Intellectual Endeavours, metric system adoption rate, Religiosity, IQ, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Maths, Science & Reading, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₄₇, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₇.

For more, see:

" Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

7.1. Modernity Datasets

#intelligence #metric

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better₃₃
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₃
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
55	Turkey	55
56	Armenia	56
57	Guinea-Bissau	57
58	Central African Rep.	58
59	Kenya	59
60	Egypt	60
61	Japan	61
62	Malta	62
	Africa Avg	106.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Metric System Adoption Rate Higher is better₅₀
Pos.		2025 %₅₀
1=	Slovakia	100
1=	Poland	100
1=	Portugal	100
	...
160=	Mauritania	90
160=	Bangladesh	90
160=	Brunei	90
160=	Central African Rep.	90
160=	Botswana	90
160=	Angola	90
160=	Chad	90
160=	Comoros	90
	Africa Avg	90
	World Avg	92
q=187. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

Central African Republic officially adopted metric in 1960₅₁. Progression:

1960 (60%): French metric legacy; traditional units in markets.
1970 (75%): Education/commerce standardized metric.
1980 (85%): Metric dominant; informal legacy persists.
2000 (90%).
2025 (90%).

IQ Higher is better₅₂
Pos.		2006₅₂
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
131=	Zimbabwe	66
131=	Senegal	66
133=	Sierra Leone	64
133=	Mozambique	64
133=	Ethiopia	64
133=	Central African Rep.	64
133=	Congo, (Brazzaville)	64
133=	Cameroon	64
	Africa Avg	70.6
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

7.2. Education Datasets

#education

Secondary Education Higher is better₅₃
Pos.		2018₅₃
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
149	Ivory Coast	26.1%
150	Afghanistan	26.1%
151	Myanmar	25.8%
152	Central African Rep.	22.1%
153	Malawi	21.8%
154	Cambodia	21.3%
155	Mozambique	19.3%
156	Mauritania	18.8%
	Africa Avg	34.4%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better₅₄
Pos.		2021 Years₅₄
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
184	Senegal	9.0
185	Pakistan	8.7
186	Eritrea	8.1
187	Central African Rep.	8.0
188	Chad	8.0
189	Sudan	7.9
190	Djibouti	7.4
191	Mali	7.4
	Africa Avg	11.0
	World Avg	13.5
q=193. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

7.3. Technology and Information Datasets

#the_internet

Internet Users Higher is better₅₅
Pos.		2016₅₅
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
185	Mozambique	6%
186	Benin	6%
187	Tanzania	5%
188	Central African Rep.	5%
189	Madagascar	4%
190	Ethiopia	4%
191	Congo, DR	4%
192	Guinea-Bissau	4%
	Africa Avg	18.4%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

8. Central African Republic's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#capitalism #corruption #economics #extremism #health #human_development #inequality #internationalism #life_expectancy #peace #politics #poverty #religious_violence #social_development #terrorism

8.1. National Culture Datasets

#corruption #internationalism #politics

The Central African Republic has a consistently awful long-term record on corruption.

Corruption Higher is better₅₆
Pos.		2022 Points₅₆
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
147=	Guinea	25.0
147=	Bangladesh	25.0
147=	Iran	25.0
150=	Central African Rep.	24.0
150=	Lebanon	24.0
150=	Guatemala	24.0
150=	Nigeria	24.0
150=	Cambodia	24.0
	Africa Avg	32.31
	World Avg	42.98
q=180. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better₃₃
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₃
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
156	Iraq	156
157	Iran	157
158	Gabon	158
159	Central African Rep.	159
160	Burundi	160
161	Rwanda	161
162	Congo, DR	162
163	Libya	163
	Africa Avg	117.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Passport Reach (2020s) Higher is better₅₇
Pos.		Total Q₅₇
1	Singapore	192.2
2	Japan	192.0
3	S. Korea	190.7
	...
161=	Kosovo	53.2
161=	Comoros	53.2
163	Bhutan	52.8
164	Central African Rep.	52.5
165	Jordan	52.2
166=	Turkmenistan	51.8
166=	Egypt	51.8
168	Angola	50.5
	Africa Avg	62.9
	World Avg	108.8
q=195. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better₃₃
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₃
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
86	Azerbaijan	86
87	Uganda	87
88	Vietnam	88
89	Central African Rep.	89
90	Botswana	90
91	Guinea-Bissau	91
92	Burundi	92
93	Mozambique	93
	Africa Avg	96.7
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

8.2. Peace Versus Instability Datasets

#extremism #human_development #peace #politics #religious_violence #terrorism

Global Peace Index Lower is better₅₈
Pos.		2023 Score₅₈
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
149	N. Korea	2.85
150	Burkina Faso	2.87
151	Ethiopia	2.87
152	Central African Rep.	2.93
153	Mali	2.96
154	Iraq	3.01
155	Sudan	3.02
156	Somalia	3.04
	Africa Avg	2.29
	World Avg	2.07
q=163. Also scored for 2010s.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better₃₃
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₃
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
145	Libya	145
146	Croatia	146
147	UAE	147
148	Central African Rep.	148
149	Bosnia & Herzegovina	149
150	Seychelles	150
151	Sierra Leone	151
152	Afghanistan	152
	Africa Avg	83.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better₃₃
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₃
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
143	Mauritania	143
144	Rwanda	144
145	Chad	145
146	Central African Rep.	146
147	El Salvador	147
148	Bahamas	148
149	Marshall Islands	149
150	Burundi	150
	Africa Avg	104.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better₅₉
Pos.		2019 Score₅₉
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
134	S. Sudan	6.32
135	Turkey	6.53
136	Cameroon	6.62
137	Central African Rep.	6.62
138	Mali	6.65
139	Libya	6.77
140	Egypt	6.79
141	Congo, DR	7.04
	Africa Avg	3.41
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

8.3. Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets

#capitalism #economics #health #inequality #life_expectancy #poverty #social_development

Poverty (2020s) Lower is better₆₀
Pos.		Total %₆₀
1	Malaysia	0.01%
2	Bhutan	0.01%
3	Cyprus	0.02%
	...
99	Kenya	45.92%
100	Niger	60.49%
101	Madagascar	69.17%
102	Central African Rep.	71.62%
103	Zambia	71.66%
104	Burundi	74.20%
105	Mozambique	81.36%
106	Congo, DR	85.32%
	Africa Avg	41.51%
	World Avg	11.40%
q=106. Also scored for 1980s-2020s.

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better₆₁
Pos.		2019₆₁
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
177	Congo, DR	36.10
178	S. Sudan	36.20
179	Mali	36.70
180	Nigeria	37.10
181	Somalia	38.90
182	Sierra Leone	39.00
183	Central African Rep.	40.10
184	Chad	40.90
	Africa Avg	26.10
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better₆₂
Pos.		2023 %₆₂
1	Slovakia	24.1%₆₃
2	Slovenia	24.3%₆₃
3	Belarus	24.4%₆₄
	...
133	Cape Verde	42.4%₆₅
134	Madagascar	42.6%₆₆
135	Uganda	42.7%₆₇
136=	Central African Rep.	43.0%₆₃
136=	Chile	43.0%₆₈
138=	Ghana	43.5%₆₉
138=	Mexico	43.5%₆₈
140=	St Lucia	43.7%₆₅
	Africa Avg	40.7%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167. Also scored for 1980s-2010s.

Income inequality data is rarely available for Central African Republic - only for 2 years between 1980 and 2019, but despite the spare data, the indicators are of a very unequal country.

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better₇₀
Pos.		2018 Severity₇₀
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
	...
93	Mozambique	.411
94	Madagascar	.453
95	Mali	.457
96	Central African Rep.	.465
97	Ethiopia	.489
98	Burkina Faso	.519
99	Chad	.533
100	S. Sudan	.580
	Africa Avg	.264
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#belief #buddhism #christianity #god #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion

Disbelief In God (2007)₇₁
Pos.		Higher is better %₇₁
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
66=	India	3
67=	Angola	2
67=	Chile	2
67=	Central African Rep.	2
67=	Tajikistan	2
67=	Turkmenistan	2
67=	Indonesia	2
73=	Paraguay	1
73=	Nicaragua	1
73=	Bolivia	1
73=	Colombia	1
73=	Costa Rica	1
73=	Honduras	1
73=	Brazil	1
73=	Ecuador	1
73=	S. Africa	1
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:₇₂:

	2010	2020
Christian	89.8%	90.7%
Muslim	8.4%	6.24%
Other	0.837%	2.62%
Unaffiliated	0.998%	0.452%
Jewish	<0.1%	<0.1%
Hindu	<0.1%	<0.1%
Buddhist	<0.1%	<0.1%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: indigenous beliefs 35%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15%. note: animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority₇₃.

Links: