Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Central African Republic

Central African Republic: Do more people live in urban or rural areas? was 44.6% in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
44.6%
Change on year
up 1.0%
World rank
178th
of 238 countries
All-time high
44.6%
in 2025
All-time low
0.0%
in 1000
Years of data
108
1000–2025

Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Central African Republic, 1000–2025

010203040100015122025

Source: HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2025, do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Central African Republic stood at 44.6%. That is the highest value across all 108 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.0% on the previous year and up 11.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Central African Republic peaked at 44.6% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1000.

Central African Republic ranks 178th of 238 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Central African Republic, year by year

Annual values for Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Central African Republic, 1000 to 2025.
Year % Change
1000 0.0%
1100 0.0% +200.0%
1200 0.0% +200.0%
1300 0.0% +200.0%
1400 0.1% +200.0%
1500 0.2% +200.0%
1600 0.5% +200.0%
1700 1.4% +200.0%
1710 1.6% +12.7%
1720 1.8% +9.5%
1730 1.9% +9.5%
1740 2.1% +9.5%
1750 2.3% +9.5%
1760 2.6% +9.5%
1770 2.8% +9.5%
1780 3.1% +9.5%
1790 3.4% +9.5%
1800 3.7% +9.5%
1810 4.0% +9.5%
1820 4.4% +9.5%
1830 4.8% +9.5%
1840 5.3% +9.5%
1850 5.8% +9.5%
1860 6.4% +9.5%
1870 7.0% +9.5%
1880 7.6% +9.5%
1890 8.4% +9.5%
1900 9.1% +9.5%
1910 10.0% +9.5%
1920 11.0% +9.5%
1930 12.0% +9.5%
1940 13.2% +9.5%
1950 16.0% +21.4%
1951 16.3% +1.8%
1952 16.6% +1.9%
1953 16.9% +2.1%
1954 17.3% +2.3%
1955 17.7% +2.4%
1956 18.2% +2.5%
1957 18.6% +2.5%
1958 19.1% +2.6%
1959 19.6% +2.6%
1960 20.1% +2.6%
1961 20.7% +2.7%
1962 21.2% +2.8%
1963 21.9% +2.9%
1964 22.5% +3.0%
1965 23.2% +3.1%
1966 23.9% +3.2%
1967 24.7% +3.3%
1968 25.6% +3.4%
1969 26.5% +3.5%
1970 27.6% +4.3%
1971 29.1% +5.3%
1972 30.7% +5.5%
1973 32.2% +5.0%
1974 33.5% +4.1%
1975 34.4% +2.6%
1976 34.8% +1.3%
1977 35.2% +0.9%
1978 35.4% +0.8%
1979 35.7% +0.7%
1980 35.9% +0.6%
1981 36.1% +0.6%
1982 36.3% +0.5%
1983 36.5% +0.4%
1984 36.6% +0.4%
1985 36.7% +0.3%
1986 36.8% +0.3%
1987 36.9% +0.3%
1988 37.0% +0.3%
1989 37.1% +0.2%
1990 37.2% +0.2%
1991 37.3% +0.2%
1992 37.3% +0.2%
1993 37.4% +0.1%
1994 37.4% +0.1%
1995 37.5% +0.1%
1996 37.5% +0.1%
1997 37.6% +0.1%
1998 37.6% +0.1%
1999 37.7% +0.1%
2000 37.7% +0.1%
2001 37.8% +0.1%
2002 37.8% +0.2%
2003 37.9% +0.2%
2004 38.0% +0.2%
2005 38.0% +0.2%
2006 38.1% +0.2%
2007 38.2% +0.3%
2008 38.3% +0.3%
2009 38.5% +0.3%
2010 38.6% +0.4%
2011 38.8% +0.5%
2012 39.0% +0.6%
2013 39.3% +0.7%
2014 39.6% +0.8%
2015 40.0% +0.9%
2016 40.4% +1.0%
2017 40.8% +1.1%
2018 41.3% +1.1%
2019 41.8% +1.2%
2020 42.3% +1.3%
2021 42.9% +1.3%
2022 43.3% +1.0%
2023 43.7% +1.0%
2024 44.1% +1.0%
2025 44.6% +1.0%

Central African Republic compared with similar countries

  • Central African Republic's 44.6% is above the median for low income countries, which is 34.5%, 1.3× the median. (25 countries reporting)
  • Central African Republic's 44.6% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 44.9%, 99% of the median. (48 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Central African Republic changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
1100 +200.0% 0.0% 0.0%
1200 +200.0% 0.0% 0.0%
1300 +200.0% 0.0% 0.0%
1400 +200.0% 0.0% 0.1%
1500 +200.0% 0.1% 0.2%
1600 +200.0% 0.2% 0.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1000s 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 1
1100s 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 1
1200s 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 1
1300s 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 1
1400s 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 1
1500s 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 1
1600s 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% 1
1700s 1.4% 1.4% 1.4% 1
1710s 1.6% 1.6% 1.6% 1
1720s 1.8% 1.8% 1.8% 1
1730s 1.9% 1.9% 1.9% 1
1740s 2.1% 2.1% 2.1% 1
1750s 2.3% 2.3% 2.3% 1
1760s 2.6% 2.6% 2.6% 1
1770s 2.8% 2.8% 2.8% 1
1780s 3.1% 3.1% 3.1% 1
1790s 3.4% 3.4% 3.4% 1
1800s 3.7% 3.7% 3.7% 1
1810s 4.0% 4.0% 4.0% 1
1820s 4.4% 4.4% 4.4% 1
1830s 4.8% 4.8% 4.8% 1
1840s 5.3% 5.3% 5.3% 1
1850s 5.8% 5.8% 5.8% 1
1860s 6.4% 6.4% 6.4% 1
1870s 7.0% 7.0% 7.0% 1
1880s 7.6% 7.6% 7.6% 1
1890s 8.4% 8.4% 8.4% 1
1900s 9.1% 9.1% 9.1% 1
1910s 10.0% 10.0% 10.0% 1
1920s 11.0% 11.0% 11.0% 1
1930s 12.0% 12.0% 12.0% 1
1940s 13.2% 13.2% 13.2% 1
1950s 17.6% 16.0% 19.6% 10
1960s 23.0% 20.1% 26.5% 10
1970s 32.9% 27.6% 35.7% 10
1980s 36.6% 35.9% 37.1% 10
1990s 37.4% 37.2% 37.7% 10
2000s 38.0% 37.7% 38.5% 10
2010s 40.0% 38.6% 41.8% 10
2020s 43.5% 42.3% 44.6% 6

Countries ranked near Central African Republic

  1. 175 Seychelles 45.5% compare
  2. 176 Democratic Republic of Congo 45.1% compare
  3. 177 Lesotho 44.7% compare
  4. 179 Togo 44.4% compare
  5. 180 Moldova 43.7% compare
  6. 181 Bhutan 43.4% compare

See the full ranking of 239 places →

More reference data data for Central African Republic

All data for Central African Republic →

Frequently asked questions

What is do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Central African Republic?
Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Central African Republic was 44.6% in 2025, according to HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest do more people live in urban or rural areas? recorded in Central African Republic?
The highest recorded value was 44.6% in 2025.
What is the lowest do more people live in urban or rural areas? recorded in Central African Republic?
The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1000.
How does Central African Republic rank for do more people live in urban or rural areas??
Central African Republic ranks 178th out of 238 countries with data for 2025.
Is do more people live in urban or rural areas? rising or falling in Central African Republic?
Over the last ten years it is up 11.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Central African Republic data come from?
The figures come from HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Do more people live in urban or rural areas?. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Central African Republic. Statizoid, drawing on HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/urban-vs-rural-majority/central-african-republic/

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About this data

Indicator
Do more people live in urban or rural areas?
Unit
%
Source
HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
239 places, 24,444 data points, 1000–2025
Last refreshed

Share of the population living in urban areas, combining UN estimates with modeled historical data.