Photo: David Holt London · CC BY-SA 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 08 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Central African Republic: Gender & Equality
How wide is the gap between women's and men's lives?
Central African Republic is placed 148th of 183 countries on gender & equality in the Country Index 2026, from 4 of its 4 key statistics. Readings behind it: Women, Business and the Law 77.5 (2025); Women's Political Empowerment Index 0.556 (2025).
Share
Gender & Equality
148th
of 183 countries placed
Placed from 4 of 4 key statistics
- 77.5Women, Business and the Law, 2025WBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity)
- 0.556Women's Political Empowerment Index, 2025Women's political empowerment index (0–1)
- 10.22Firms with a Female Top Manager, 2025Firms with a female top manager (%)
- 48.7Social Institutions and Gender Index, 2023SIGI score (0 = no discrimination, 100 = absolute)
01The evidence
The 4 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Central African Republic on gender & equality — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used — or, for a survey-based key, each country’s latest reading; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
77.5
WBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity)
Higher is better
Central African Republic: 77.5. Across the 190 countries in this edition, values run from 3.125 (Afghanistan) to 100 (Sweden); the world median is 81.25.
- World median
- 81.25
- Best in Middle Africa
- 91.88 Gabon
- Land neighbours
- Cameroon 60 · DR Congo 78.75 · Republic of the Congo 61.25 · Sudan 32.5 · South Sudan 73.75 · Chad 66.25
Key 2 of 4
Women's Political Empowerment Index
V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY-SA 4.0
0.556
Women's political empowerment index (0–1)
Higher is better
Central African Republic: 0.556. Across the 176 countries in this edition, values run from 0.028 (Afghanistan) to 0.954 (Denmark); the world median is 0.772.
- World median
- 0.772
- Best in Middle Africa
- 0.843 São Tomé and Príncipe
- Land neighbours
- Cameroon 0.76 · DR Congo 0.55 · Republic of the Congo 0.466 · Sudan 0.219 · South Sudan 0.476 · Chad 0.625
Key 3 of 4
Firms with a Female Top Manager
World Bank Group
Latest reading per country, 2016–2025 · Central African Republic’s is from 2023 · CC BY 4.0
10.22
Firms with a female top manager (%)
Higher is better
Central African Republic: 10.22. Across the 179 countries at their latest reading, values run from 1.429 (Qatar) to 62.9 (Kiribati); the world median is 19.16.
- World median
- 19.16
- Best in Middle Africa
- 25.08 São Tomé and Príncipe
- Land neighbours
- Cameroon 21.18 · DR Congo 22.74 · Republic of the Congo 19.35 · Sudan 3.417 · South Sudan 10.55 · Chad 8.513
Key 4 of 4
Social Institutions and Gender Index
OECD
2023 edition · data for 2023 · OECD Terms and Conditions — data clause
48.7
SIGI score (0 = no discrimination, 100 = absolute)
Lower is better
Central African Republic: 48.7. Across the 140 countries in this edition, values run from 6.7 (Norway) to 67.4 (Mauritania); the world median is 25.2.
- World median
- 25.2
- Best in Middle Africa
- 25.9 Angola
- Land neighbours
- Cameroon 66.9 · DR Congo 46.9 · Sudan 64.6 · South Sudan 40.6 · Chad 45
02Over time
Which way Central African Republic is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Women, Business and the Law
WBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity) · higher is better
Central African RepublicWorld median
Central African Republic rose from 58.75 in 2000 to 77.5 in 2025; the world median went from 63.13 to 81.25.
Every year’s figures
Year Central African Republic World median 2025 78 81.3 2023 78 81.3 2022 78 80.3 2021 78 80.0 2020 78 79.7 2019 78 78.8 2018 78 77.5 2017 78 77.5 2016 78 76.9 2015 78 75.9 2014 78 75.6 2013 78 75.0 2012 78 73.8 2011 78 73.1 2010 78 73.1 2009 78 72.5 2008 74 71.3 2007 74 69.7 2006 59 68.8 2005 59 67.2 2004 59 66.9 2003 59 64.7 2002 59 63.8 2001 59 63.8 2000 59 63.1 Women's Political Empowerment Index
Women's political empowerment index (0–1) · higher is better
Central African RepublicWorld median
Central African Republic fell from 0.565 in 2000 to 0.556 in 2025; the world median went from 0.681 to 0.772.
Every year’s figures
Year Central African Republic World median 2025 0.556 0.7715 2024 0.581 0.7745 2023 0.589 0.7755 2022 0.611 0.7825 2021 0.626 0.7785 2020 0.563 0.7755 2019 0.581 0.7665 2018 0.598 0.7715 2017 0.566 0.7710 2016 0.614 0.7780 2015 0.614 0.7755 2014 0.565 0.7795 2013 0.521 0.7730 2012 0.576 0.7740 2011 0.584 0.7650 2010 0.571 0.7610 2009 0.571 0.7515 2008 0.574 0.7505 2007 0.572 0.7380 2006 0.572 0.7290 2005 0.572 0.7350 2004 0.514 0.7205 2003 0.514 0.7160 2002 0.565 0.7150 2001 0.565 0.6950 2000 0.565 0.6810
03In context
Central African Republic beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 183 countries on gender & equality, never a place within the region.
Central African Republic and the countries it borders
Standing among all 183; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.
| Country | Standing | Women, Business and the LawWBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity) | Women's Political Empowerment IndexWomen's political empowerment index (0–1) | Firms with a Female Top ManagerFirms with a female top manager (%) | Social Institutions and Gender IndexSIGI score (0 = no discrimination, 100 = absolute) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 DR Congo | 130th | 78.75 | 0.55 | 22.74 | 46.9 |
 Cameroon | 140th | 60 | 0.76 | 21.18 | 66.9 |
 Republic of the Congo | 145th | 61.25 | 0.466 | 19.35 | — |
| Central African Republic | 148th | 77.5 | 0.556 | 10.22 | 48.7 |
 South Sudan | =151st | 73.75 | 0.476 | 10.55 | 40.6 |
 Chad | 157th | 66.25 | 0.625 | 8.513 | 45 |
 Sudan | 182nd | 32.5 | 0.219 | 3.417 | 64.6 |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Middle Africa
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 183.
Placed either side on gender & equality
The countries immediately above and below Central African Republic in the topic’s list.
- Republic of the Congo145th
Tunisia146th
Morocco147th- Central African Republic148th
Maldives149th
Sri Lanka150th
Guinea=151st
04Context, no vote
Where Central African Republic is ahead of the world, and behind
18 more statistics filed under gender & equality, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Ahead of the world median3
Statistics on which Central African Republic does better than the middle country measured.
Firms with Female Participation in OwnershipWorld Bank Group · 2026 · world median 35.1257.4735.12No earlier reading
Central African Republic: 57.47 · world median 35.12 · Firms with at least one woman among the owners (%). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 1.273 to 86.78; higher is better.
Position 16th of 181 · derived.
Female Labour Force Participation RateILO · 2025 · world median 53.3665.4653.36▲ Improved since 2015
Central African Republic: 65.46 · world median 53.36 · Women aged 15+ in the labour force (%). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 4.663 to 82.91; higher is better.
Position 22nd of 182 · derived.
Female Genital Mutilation PrevalenceUNICEF · 2024 · world median 34.121.634.1No earlier reading
Central African Republic: 21.6 · world median 34.1 · Women aged 15-49 who have undergone FGM (%). UNICEF, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.3 to 99.2; lower is better.
Behind the world median8
Statistics on which Central African Republic does worse than the middle country measured.
Length of Paid Paternity LeaveWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 323▼ Worsened since 2015
Central African Republic: 2 · world median 3 · Paid paternity leave set in law (calendar days). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 196; higher is better.
Institutional DeliveriesUNICEF · 2025 · world median 96.958.396.9No earlier reading
Central African Republic: 58.3 · world median 96.9 · Live births delivered in a health facility (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 11.5 to 100; higher is better.
Demand for Family Planning Satisfied by Modern MethodsUN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 71.2538.271.25No real change since 2013
Central African Republic: 38.2 · world median 71.25 · Share of women aged 15–49 wanting to avoid pregnancy who use a modern method (%). UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 8.4 to 92.4; higher is better.
Position 180th of 196 · derived.
Women Who Think a Husband Is Justified in Hitting or Beating His WifeUNICEF · 2025 · world median 22.464.722.4No earlier reading
Central African Republic: 64.7 · world median 22.4 · Women aged 15-49 who say a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 1.2 to 80.2; lower is better.
Position 10th of 125 · derived, 1st = worst.
Antenatal Care Coverage, At Least Four VisitsUNICEF · 2025 · world median 8141.481No earlier reading
Central African Republic: 41.4 · world median 81 · Women with a live birth who had 4+ antenatal visits (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 22.6 to 100; higher is better.
Position 144th of 153 · derived.
Maternal Mortality RatioMMEIG · 2023 · world median 46.65691.7446.65No real change since 2013
Central African Republic: 691.74 · world median 46.65 · Maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (MMEIG), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.11 to 992.83; lower is better.
Position 4th of 195 · derived, 1st = worst.
Child MarriageUNICEF · 2025 · world median 17.16117.1No earlier reading
Central African Republic: 61 · world median 17.1 · Women 20–24 married before 18 (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 76.3; lower is better.
Position 2nd of 143 · derived, 1st = worst.
Adolescent Birth Rate (Ages 15–19)UN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 27.46163.0927.46No real change since 2013
Central African Republic: 163.09 · world median 27.46 · Live births per 1,000 women aged 15–19. UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.465 to 163.09; lower is better.
Position 1st of 222 · derived, 1st = worst.
Level with the median, or no median to compare2
Length of Paid Maternity LeaveWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 989898▼ Worsened since 2015
Central African Republic: 98 · world median 98 · Paid maternity leave set in law (calendar days). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 410; higher is better.
Legal Guarantees of Women's Equal Rights to LandFAO · 2025 · world median 333No earlier reading
Central African Republic: 3 · world median 3 · Level of legal guarantees of women's equal rights to land ownership and control, 1 (lowest) to 6 (highest). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 1 to 6; higher is better.
No better end5
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
Female Share of ResearchersUIS · 2024 · world median 38.1741.4638.17No earlier reading
Central African Republic: 41.46 · world median 38.17 · Researchers who are women (% of headcount; 50 = parity). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 76.54.
Female-Headed HouseholdsUN DESA Population Division · 2026 · world median 33.2125.3933.21No earlier reading
Central African Republic: 25.39 · world median 33.21 · Households headed by a woman (% of households). UN DESA Population Division, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 5.33 to 64.59.
Sex Ratio at BirthUN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 105.1103.2105.1Moved since 2013
Central African Republic: 103.2 · world median 105.1 · Male births per 100 female births. UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 101.1 to 116.3.
Caesarean Section RateUNICEF · 2025 · world median 20.652.220.65No earlier reading
Central African Republic: 2.2 · world median 20.65 · Live births delivered by caesarean section (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.6 to 72.2.
Mean Age at First Marriage, WomenUN DESA Population Division · 2019 · world median 24.6517.324.65No earlier reading
Central African Republic: 17.3 · world median 24.65 · Singulate mean age at marriage, women (years). UN DESA Population Division, 2019 edition, data for 2019.
Published values in that edition run from 17 to 34.
No current reading for Central African Republic
Account Ownership Among Women (last 2017), Births Attended by Skilled Health Staff (last 2019), Female Share of Senior and Middle Management, Female Share of STEM Graduates, Gender Development Index, Gender Inequality Index, Gender Parity Index, Tertiary Enrolment (last 2012), Gender Social Norms Index, Global Gender Parity Index, Women's Empowerment Index and Women's Share of Agricultural Landowners. Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing
05Country Index 2026
Gender & Equality among Central African Republic’s 15 topics
Gender & Equality is Central African Republic’s 5th best-placed topic of 15. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Environment & Sustainability6th of 1863/4 keys
- Mobility & Trade86th of 1772/4 keys
- Food & Agriculture146th of 1843/4 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties160th of 1984/4 keys
- Gender & Equality148th of 1834/4 keys
- Work & Labour149th of 1824/4 keys
- Risk & Resiliencejoint 170th of 1933/4 keys
- Governance & Institutions176th of 1944/4 keys
- Peace & Security163rd of 1774/4 keys
- Poverty & Inequality153rd of 1593/3 keys
- Digital & Technology192nd of 1983/4 keys
- Development & Human Capital193rd of 1963/3 keys
- Education & Knowledge195th of 1982/4 keys
- Health & Wellbeingjoint 197th of 2003/4 keys
- Economy & Innovation174th of 1762/4 keys
No standing on Energy: too few of those topics’ key statistics are published for this country.
06The top of the list
Who leads on gender & equality
The three countries placed highest of 183, and the leaders Central African Republic can most readily be measured against.
1
LatviaNorthern Europe
1st of 183 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Marcin Szala · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2
TaiwanEastern Asia
2nd of 183 · 3 of 4 keys
Photo: xiangyang17 · CC BY-SA 2.0, greyscale
3
ItalySouthern Europe
3rd of 183 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Francisco Antunes · CC BY 2.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest in Africa
Cabo Verde=34th3/4 keysHighest in Middle Africa
São Tomé and Príncipe61st3/4 keysThis page
Central African Republic148th4/4 keys
Positions out of 183 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Questions
Central African Republic on gender & equality: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does Central African Republic rank on gender & equality?
Central African Republic is placed 148th of 183 countries on Gender & Equality in the Country Index 2026, from 4 of its 4 key statistics (Women, Business and the Law, Women's Political Empowerment Index, Firms with a Female Top Manager and Social Institutions and Gender Index). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest Women, Business and the Law figure for Central African Republic?
77.5 in 2025 (wBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity)), according to World Bank Group. The world median in the same edition was 81.25.
What is the latest Women's Political Empowerment Index figure for Central African Republic?
0.556 in 2025 (women's political empowerment index (0–1)), according to V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg. The world median in the same edition was 0.772.
How does Central African Republic compare with DR Congo on gender & equality?
DR Congo is placed 130th of 183, and Central African Republic 148th. Women, Business and the Law: DR Congo 78.75, Central African Republic 77.5; Women's Political Empowerment Index: DR Congo 0.55, Central African Republic 0.556; Firms with a Female Top Manager: DR Congo 22.74, Central African Republic 10.22; Social Institutions and Gender Index: DR Congo 46.9, Central African Republic 48.7.
How have Central African Republic’s gender & equality figures changed?
Women, Business and the Law rose from 58.75 in 2000 to 77.5 in 2025; Women's Political Empowerment Index fell from 0.565 in 2000 to 0.556 in 2025.
Which gender & equality statistics are missing for Central African Republic?
No current reading is published for Central African Republic on Account Ownership Among Women, Births Attended by Skilled Health Staff, Female Share of Senior and Middle Management, Female Share of STEM Graduates, Gender Development Index, Gender Inequality Index, Gender Parity Index, Tertiary Enrolment, Gender Social Norms Index, Global Gender Parity Index, Women's Empowerment Index and Women's Share of Agricultural Landowners. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
08Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
Violence against women is not a key here, because comparable data covers too few countries. The Gender Inequality Index is published here as context rather than as a key: its reading is driven largely by maternal and adolescent health, which moves with a country’s overall development and is already measured under Development and Health. Women’s labour force participation, women in management and child marriage are published here as context too.
How the Gender & Equality standing is decided
A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 4 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 4 keys to be placed.
The gender & equality method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built
The key statistics and their licences
- Women, Business and the Law — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Women's Political Empowerment Index — V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Firms with a Female Top Manager — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Social Institutions and Gender Index — OECD, OECD Terms and Conditions — data clause
The other 18 statistics on this page come from 7 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
Central African Republic’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Central African Republic (banner) — David Holt London, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Latvia — Marcin Szala, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Taiwan — xiangyang17, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Italy — Francisco Antunes, CC BY 2.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Central African Republic: Gender & Equality — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/central-african-republic/gender