| Economy | Central African Republic |
 = Fields  = World Records  = Dictionary  = Bar graph  = Distribution map  = Fields History  = Definitions |
Economy - overview:
|
Subsistence agriculture, together with forestry, remains the backbone of the economy of the Central African Republic (CAR), with more than 70% 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):
|
$3.239 billion (2008 est.)
$3.13 billion (2007)
$3.004 billion (2006)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars |
GDP - per capita (PPP):
|
$700 (2008 est.)
$700 (2007 est.)
$700 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars |
GDP (official exchange rate):
|
$2.087 billion (2008 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate:
|
3.5% (2008 est.)
4.2% (2007 est.)
4% (2006 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector:
|
agriculture: 55%
industry: 20%
services: 25% (2001 est.) |
Investment (gross fixed):
|
void |
Population below poverty line:
|
NA% |
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
|
lowest 10%: 0.7%
highest 10%: 47.7% (1993) |
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
|
61.3 (1993) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
|
0.9% (2007 est.) |
Central bank discount rate:
|
5.25% (31 December 2007) |
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
|
15% (31 December 2007) |
Stock of money:
|
$218.3 million (31 December 2007) |
Stock of money - per capita:
|
49 USD per capita |
Stock of quasi money:
|
$47.58 million (31 December 2007) |
Stock of quasi money - per capita:
|
11 USD per capita |
Stock of domestic credit:
|
$320.2 million (31 December 2007) |
Stock of domestic credit - per capita:
|
71 USD per capita |
Labor force:
|
1.857 million (2006) |
Labor force participation rate:
|
41.16 % of population |
Labor force - by occupation:
|
void |
Unemployment rate:
|
8% (23% for Bangui) (2001 est.) |
Budget:
|
revenues: $250 million
expenditures: $273 million (2007 est.) |
Budget revenues per capita:
|
56 USD per capita |
Public debt:
|
void |
Industries:
|
gold and diamond mining, logging, brewing, textiles, footwear, assembly of bicycles and motorcycles |
Industrial production growth rate:
|
3% (2002) |
Electricity - production:
|
110 million kWh (2006 est.) |
Electricity - production per capita:
|
25 kWh per capita |
Electricity - consumption:
|
102.3 million kWh (2006 est.) |
Electricity - consumption - per capita:
|
23 kWh per capita |
Electricity - exports:
|
0 kWh (2007 est.) |
Electricity - imports:
|
0 kWh (2007 est.) |
Oil - production:
|
0 bbl/day (2007 est.) |
Oil - production per capita:
|
void |
Oil - consumption:
|
2,322 bbl/day (2006 est.) |
Oil - consumption - per capita:
|
0.19 bbl/year per capita |
Oil - exports:
|
0 bbl/day (2005) |
Oil - imports:
|
2,057 bbl/day (2005) |
Oil - proved reserves:
|
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.) |
Natural gas - production:
|
0 cu m (2007 est.) |
Natural gas - production per capita:
|
void |
Natural gas - consumption:
|
0 cu m (2007 est.) |
Natural gas - consumption - per capita:
|
void |
Natural gas - exports:
|
0 cu m (2007 est.) |
Natural gas - imports:
|
0 cu m (2007 est.) |
Natural gas - proved reserves:
|
0 cu m (1 January 2006) |
Agriculture - products:
|
timber, cotton, coffee, tobacco, manioc (tapioca), yams, millet, corn, bananas; timber |
Current account balance:
|
-$77 million (2007 est.) |
Current account balance - per capita:
|
-17 USD per capita |
Exports:
|
$146.7 million f.o.b. (2007 est.) |
Exports per capita:
|
33 USD per capita |
Exports - commodities:
|
diamonds, timber, cotton, coffee, tobacco |
Exports - partners:
|
Belgium 22.7%, Indonesia 19.3%, Italy 7.7%, France 7.1%, Spain 6.9%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 6.8%, China 4.9%, Turkey 4.7% (2007) |
Imports:
|
$237.3 million f.o.b. (2007 est.) |
Imports per capita:
|
53 USD per capita |
Imports - commodities:
|
food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals |
Imports - partners:
|
France 16.6%, Netherlands 13%, Cameroon 9.7%, US 6.3% (2007) |
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
|
void |
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold - per capita:
|
void |
Debt - external:
|
$1.153 billion (2007 est.) |
Debt - external - per capita:
|
256 USD per capita |
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
|
void |
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home - per capita:
|
void |
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
|
void |
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad - per capita:
|
void |
Market value of publicly traded shares:
|
$NA |
Market value of publicly traded shares - per capita:
|
void |
Economic aid - donor:
|
void |
Economic aid - recipient:
|
ODA, $95.29 million; note - traditional budget subsidies from France (2005 est.) |
Economic aid - recipient per capita:
|
22 USD per capita |
Currency (code):
|
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States |
Exchange rates:
|
Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) per US dollar - 447.81 (2008 est.), 481.8 (2007), 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004)
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 |
Fiscal year:
|
calendar year |
|
= Fields = World Records = Dictionary = Bar graph = Distribution map = Fields History = Definitions |
|
Home 
Geographic Names
Chiefs of State
Intl. Organizations
Intl. Environmental Agree.
Other References
