Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Central African Republic
Central African Republic: Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas was 2.21 million people in 2020. ▲ Rising
Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Central African Republic, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Central African Republic is 2.21 million people, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 7.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Central African Republic peaked at 2.21 million people in 2020 and was at its lowest, 840,284 people, in 1950.
Central African Republic ranks 98th of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Central African Republic, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 840,284 people | — |
| 1955 | 892,346 people | +6.2% |
| 1960 | 950,630 people | +6.5% |
| 1965 | 1.02 million people | +7.0% |
| 1970 | 1.09 million people | +7.5% |
| 1975 | 1.17 million people | +6.6% |
| 1980 | 1.26 million people | +7.6% |
| 1985 | 1.36 million people | +8.3% |
| 1990 | 1.49 million people | +9.2% |
| 1995 | 1.66 million people | +12.0% |
| 2000 | 1.85 million people | +11.1% |
| 2005 | 2.00 million people | +8.2% |
| 2010 | 2.06 million people | +2.9% |
| 2015 | 2.09 million people | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 2.21 million people | +5.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 866,315 people | 840,284 people | 892,346 people | 2 |
| 1960s | 984,050 people | 950,630 people | 1.02 million people | 2 |
| 1970s | 1.13 million people | 1.09 million people | 1.17 million people | 2 |
| 1980s | 1.31 million people | 1.26 million people | 1.36 million people | 2 |
| 1990s | 1.58 million people | 1.49 million people | 1.66 million people | 2 |
| 2000s | 1.92 million people | 1.85 million people | 2.00 million people | 2 |
| 2010s | 2.07 million people | 2.06 million people | 2.09 million people | 2 |
| 2020s | 2.21 million people | 2.21 million people | 2.21 million people | 1 |
Countries ranked near Central African Republic
More population data for Central African Republic
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.248 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.4069 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 0.8749 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.4069 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development 0.4% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 1.36 million people (2100)
- Population density 30.14 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth 0.4% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.5628 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 3.07 Percent per annum (2030)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Central African Republic?
- Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Central African Republic was 2.21 million people in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas recorded in Central African Republic?
- The highest recorded value was 2.21 million people in 2020.
- What is the lowest number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas recorded in Central African Republic?
- The lowest recorded value was 840,284 people in 1950.
- How does Central African Republic rank for number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas?
- Central African Republic ranks 98th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas rising or falling in Central African Republic?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Central African Republic data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Estimated number of people living in rural areas. Rural areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.