Economy - overview:
Subsistence agriculture, together with forestry, remains the backbone of the economy of the Central African Republic (CAR), with about 60% of the population living in outlying areas. The agricultural sector generates more than half of GDP. Timber has accounted for about 16% of export earnings and the diamond industry, for 40%. Important constraints to economic development include the CAR's landlocked position, a poor transportation system, a largely unskilled work force, and a legacy of misdirected macroeconomic policies. Factional fighting between the government and its opponents remains a drag on economic revitalization. Distribution of income is extraordinarily unequal. Grants from France and the international community can only partially meet humanitarian needs.
GDP (purchasing power parity): GDP (official exchange rate): GDP - real growth rate: GDP - per capita (PPP): GDP - composition by sector: Labor force: Unemployment rate: Population below poverty line: Household income or consumption by percentage share: Distribution of family income - Gini index: Budget: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Central bank discount rate: Commercial bank prime lending rate: Stock of narrow money: Stock of broad money: Stock of domestic credit: Market value of publicly traded shares: Agriculture - products: Industries: Industrial production growth rate: Electricity - production: Electricity - consumption: Electricity - exports: Electricity - imports: Oil - production: Oil - consumption: Oil - exports: Oil - imports: Oil - proved reserves: Natural gas - production: Natural gas - consumption: Natural gas - exports: Natural gas - imports: Natural gas - proved reserves: Current account balance: Exports: Exports - commodities: Exports - partners: Imports: Imports - commodities: Imports - partners: Debt - external: Exchange rates:
NOTE: The information regarding Central African Republic on this page is re-published from the 2011 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Central African Republic Economy 2011 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Central African Republic Economy 2011 should be addressed to the CIA.
$3.468 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 171
note:
data are in 2010 US dollars
[see also: GDP (purchasing power parity) country ranks ]
$2.113 billion (2009 est.)
[see also: GDP (official exchange rate) country ranks ]
3.7% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 92
[see also: GDP - real growth rate country ranks ]
$700 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 223
note:
data are in 2010 US dollars
[see also: GDP - per capita country ranks ]
agriculture: 55%
[see also: GDP - composition by sector - agriculture country ranks ]
industry:
20%
[see also: GDP - composition by sector - industry country ranks ]
services:
25% (2001 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition by sector - services country ranks ]
1.926 million (2007)
country comparison to the world: 121
[see also: Labor force country ranks ]
8% (2001 est.)
country comparison to the world: 90
note:
23% unemployment for Bangui
[see also: Unemployment rate country ranks ]
NA%
[see also: Population below poverty line country ranks ]
lowest 10%: 2.1%
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10% country ranks ]
highest 10%:
33% (2003)
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - highest 10% country ranks ]
61.3 (1993)
country comparison to the world: 6
[see also: Distribution of family income - Gini index country ranks ]
revenues: $334 million
[see also: Budget - revenues country ranks ]
expenditures:
$362 million (2009 est.)
[see also: Budget - expenditures country ranks ]
0.9% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 18
[see also: Inflation rate (consumer prices) country ranks ]
4.25% (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 92
[see also: Central bank discount rate country ranks ]
NA% (31 December 2009 est.)
[see also: Commercial bank prime lending rate country ranks ]
$288.8 million (31 December 2009)
[see also: Stock of narrow money country ranks ]
$343.4 million (31 December 2009 est.)
[see also: Stock of broad money country ranks ]
$357.6 million (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 168
[see also: Stock of domestic credit country ranks ]
$NA
[see also: Market value of publicly traded shares country ranks ]
timber, cotton, coffee, tobacco, manioc (tapioca), yams, millet, corn, bananas; timber
gold and diamond mining, logging, brewing, textiles, footwear, assembly of bicycles and motorcycles
3% (2002)
country comparison to the world: 107
[see also: Industrial production growth rate country ranks ]
115 million kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 188
[see also: Electricity - production country ranks ]
107 million kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 189
[see also: Electricity - consumption country ranks ]
0 kWh (2008 est.)
[see also: Electricity - exports country ranks ]
0 kWh (2008 est.)
[see also: Electricity - imports country ranks ]
0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 197
[see also: Oil - production country ranks ]
2,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 187
[see also: Oil - consumption country ranks ]
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 145
[see also: Oil - exports country ranks ]
2,203 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 175
[see also: Oil - imports country ranks ]
0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 193
[see also: Oil - proved reserves country ranks ]
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 187
[see also: Natural gas - production country ranks ]
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 199
[see also: Natural gas - consumption country ranks ]
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 192
[see also: Natural gas - exports country ranks ]
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 193
[see also: Natural gas - imports country ranks ]
0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 194
[see also: Natural gas - proved reserves country ranks ]
-$77 million (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 74
[see also: Current account balance country ranks ]
$146.7 million (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 185
[see also: Exports country ranks ]
diamonds, timber, cotton, coffee, tobacco
Belgium 32.57%, China 10.49%, Indonesia 10.36%, Morocco 10.24%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 6.87%, France 5.79% (2009)
$237.3 million (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 199
[see also: Imports country ranks ]
food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals
South Korea 19.29%, France 11.95%, US 7.78%, Cameroon 7.39%, Netherlands 6.77% (2009)
$1.153 billion (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 149
[see also: Debt - external country ranks ]
Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) per US dollar - 506.04 (2009), 447.81 (2008), 481.8 (2007), 522.59 (2006)
note:
since 1 January 1999, the Central African CFA franc (XAF) has been pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 CFA francs per euro; Central African CFA franc (XAF) coins and banknotes are not accepted in countries using West African CFA francs (XOF), and vice versa, even though the two currencies trade at par
This page was last modified 09-Feb-11