Population 3,642,739
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2002 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 43% (male 788,417; female 776,721)
15-64 years: 53.2% (male 951,908; female 986,947)
65 years and over: 3.8% (male 60,395; female 78,351) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate 1.8% (2002 est.)

Birth rate 36.6 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate 18.62 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate 103.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
total population: 43.58 years
female: 45.13 years (2002 est.)
male: 42.08 years

Total fertility rate 4.77 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate 13.84% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS 240,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths 23,000 (1999 est.)

Nationality
noun: Central African(s)
adjective: Central African

Ethnic groups Baya 33%, Banda 27%, Mandjia 13%, Sara 10%, Mboum 7%, M'Baka 4%, Yakoma 4%, other 2%

Religions indigenous beliefs 35%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15%
note: animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority

Languages French (official), Sangho (lingua franca and national language), tribal languages

Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 60%
male: 68.5%
female: 52.4% (1995 est.)

NOTE: The information regarding Central African Republic on this page is re-published from the 2002 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Central African Republic People 2002 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Central African Republic People 2002 should be addressed to the CIA.