| Demographics of Central African Republic | |
|---|---|
 Population pyramid of the Central African Republic in 2020 | |
| Population | 5,454,533 (2022 est.) |
| Growth rate | 1.78% (2022 est.) |
| Birth rate | 32.79 births/1,000 population (2022 est.) |
| Death rate | 11.76 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 55.52 years |
| • male | 54.19 years |
| • female | 56.88 years |
| Fertility rate | 4.04 children born/woman (2022 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate | 82.97 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Net migration rate | -3.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.) |
| Age structure | |
| 0–14 years | 39.49% |
| 65 and over | 3.35% |
| Sex ratio | |
| Total | 0.99 male(s)/female (2022 est.) |
| At birth | 1.03 male(s)/female |
| Under 15 | 1.05 male(s)/female |
| 65 and over | 0.64 male(s)/female |
| Nationality | |
| Nationality | Central African |
| Language | |
| Official | French |
Demographic features of the population of the Central African Republic include population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
There are more than 80 ethnic groups in the Central African Republic (CAR), each with its own language. About 50% are Baya-Mandjia, 40% Banda (largely located in the northern and central parts of the country), and 7% are M'Baka (southwestern corner of the CAR). Sangho, the language of a small group along the Oubangui River, is the national language spoken by the majority of Central Africans. Only a small part of the population has more than an elemental knowledge of French, the official language.
More than 55% of the population of the CAR lives in rural areas. The chief agricultural areas are around the Bossangoa and Bambari. Bangui, Berberati, Bangassou, and Bossangoa are the most densely populated urban centers.