Photo: David Holt London · CC BY-SA 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 14 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Central African Republic: Poverty & Inequality
How is a country’s income shared, and how many live below a line?
Central African Republic is placed 153rd of 159 countries on poverty & inequality in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 3 key statistics. Readings behind it: Gini Index 43.03 (2023); Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day 34.4 (2023).
Share
Poverty & Inequality
153rd
of 159 countries placed
Placed from 3 of 3 key statistics
01The evidence
The 3 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Central African Republic on poverty & inequality — 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.
Key 1 of 3
Gini Index
World Bank Group
Latest reading per country, 2013–2023 · Central African Republic’s is from 2021 · CC BY 4.0
43.03
Gini index (0 = perfect equality, 100 = perfect inequality)
Lower is better
Central African Republic: 43.03. Across the 159 countries at their latest reading, values run from 23 (India) to 59.07 (Namibia); the world median is 33.72.
- World median
- 33.72
- Best in Middle Africa
- 37.36 Chad
- Land neighbours
- Cameroon 42.18 · DR Congo 44.67 · Sudan 34.24 · South Sudan 44.05 · Chad 37.36
Key 2 of 3
Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day
World Bank Group
Latest reading per country, 2013–2023 · Central African Republic’s is from 2021 · CC BY 4.0
34.4
Poverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%)
Lower is better
Central African Republic: 34.4. Across the 159 countries at their latest reading, values run from 0 (Czechia) to 48.69 (DR Congo); the world median is 0.345.
- World median
- 0.345
- Best in Middle Africa
- 1 Gabon
- Land neighbours
- Cameroon 8.15 · DR Congo 48.69 · Sudan 2.2 · South Sudan 40.83 · Chad 12.73
Key 3 of 3
Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY 4.0
87.6
Share of the population unable to afford a healthy diet (%)
Lower is better
Central African Republic: 87.6. Across the 145 countries in this edition, values run from 0.6 (Belarus) to 93.9 (South Sudan); the world median is 26.4.
- World median
- 26.4
- Best in Middle Africa
- 39.3 Gabon
- Land neighbours
- Cameroon 55.3 · DR Congo 90.1 · Republic of the Congo 77.3 · South Sudan 93.9 · Chad 66.6
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.
Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet
Share of the population unable to afford a healthy diet (%) · lower is better
Central African RepublicWorld median
Central African Republic rose from 86.1 in 2017 to 87.6 in 2025; the world median went from 32.4 to 26.4.
Every year’s figures
Year Central African Republic World median 2025 87.6 26.40 2024 87.5 27.10 2023 87.2 27.15 2022 87.1 27.90 2021 87.1 29.65 2020 86.4 31.80 2019 85.9 29.05 2018 86.1 29.85 2017 86.1 32.40
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 159 countries on poverty & inequality, never a place within the region.
Central African Republic and the countries it borders
Standing among all 159; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.
| Country | Standing | Gini IndexGini index (0 = perfect equality, 100 = perfect inequality) | Poverty Gap at $3.00 a DayPoverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%) | Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy DietShare of the population unable to afford a healthy diet (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Sudan | 94th | 34.24 | 2.2 | — |
 Chad | 136th | 37.36 | 12.73 | 66.6 |
 Cameroon | =138th | 42.18 | 8.15 | 55.3 |
| Central African Republic | 153rd | 43.03 | 34.4 | 87.6 |
 South Sudan | 156th | 44.05 | 40.83 | 93.9 |
 DR Congo | 157th | 44.67 | 48.69 | 90.1 |
 Republic of the Congo | not placed | — | — | 77.3 |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Middle Africa
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 159.
Placed either side on poverty & inequality
The countries immediately above and below Central African Republic in the topic’s list.
Malawi150th
Lesotho151st
Angola152nd- Central African Republic153rd
Eswatini154th
Zimbabwe155th- South Sudan156th
04Context, no vote
Where Central African Republic is ahead of the world, and behind
14 more statistics filed under poverty & inequality, 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 median1
Statistics on which Central African Republic does better than the middle country measured.
Severe Child Food Poverty, Children Aged 6–23 MonthsUNICEF · 2024 · world median 21.2619.0321.26No earlier reading
Central African Republic: 19.03 · world median 21.26 · Children aged 6-23 months fed from at most 2 of 8 food groups (%). UNICEF, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 1.169 to 63.08; lower is better.
Position 60th of 113 · derived, 1st = worst.
Behind the world median10
Statistics on which Central African Republic does worse than the middle country measured.
Coefficient of Variation of Habitual Caloric ConsumptionFAO · 2024 · world median 0.250.30.25▲ Improved since 2014
Central African Republic: 0.3 · world median 0.25 · Coefficient of variation of habitual calorie consumption across the population (standard deviation ÷ mean). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.17 to 0.4; lower is better.
Intergenerational Persistence in EducationWorld Bank Group · 2017 · world median 0.4460.5370.446No earlier reading
Central African Republic: 0.537 · world median 0.446 · Correlation between own and parents' years of schooling, born 1980–89 (0–1). World Bank Group, 2017 edition, data for 2017.
Published values in that edition run from 0.123 to 0.66; lower is better.
Position 28th of 153 · derived, 1st = worst.
Coefficient of Human InequalityUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 17.0538.5417.05▲ Improved since 2013
Central African Republic: 38.54 · world median 17.05 · Coefficient of Human Inequality (%). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 4.865 to 43.08; lower is better.
Position 11th of 169 · derived, 1st = worst.
Working Poverty RateILO · 2025 · world median 4.88569.684.885No real change since 2015
Central African Republic: 69.68 · world median 4.885 · Employed people living in extreme poverty (%). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.007 to 86.02; lower is better.
Poverty Headcount at $3.00 a Day, Line-up EstimatesWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 2.172.042.1No real change since 2014
Central African Republic: 72.04 · world median 2.1 · Population below $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP, World Bank line-up estimate (%). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 89.54; lower is better.
Global Multidimensional Poverty IndexOPHI · 2025 · world median 0.0390.4610.039▼ Worsened since 2018
Central African Republic: 0.461 · world median 0.039 · MPI (0–1). Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 0.517; lower is better.
Position 3rd of 109 · derived, 1st = worst.
Inequality-adjusted Human Development IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.6090.2530.609No real change since 2013
Central African Republic: 0.253 · world median 0.609 · IHDI (0–1). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.226 to 0.923; higher is better.
Position 166th of 169 · derived.
Wealth Parity Index, Lower Secondary CompletionUIS · 2024 · world median 0.5290.0330.529No earlier reading
Central African Republic: 0.033 · world median 0.529 · Adjusted wealth parity index, lower secondary completion (poorest vs richest fifth; 1 = parity). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.032 to 1.022; higher is better.
Actual Individual Consumption per Capita (PPP)World Bank Group · 2021 · world median 12,80092312,800No real change since 2017
Central African Republic: 923 · world median 12,800 · Actual individual consumption per capita (PPP, current international $). World Bank Group, 2021 edition, data for 2021.
Published values in that edition run from 688.7 to 52,654; higher is better.
Position 172nd of 173 · derived.
Exclusion by Socio-Economic GroupV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2023 · world median 0.4130.9690.413▼ Worsened since 2013
Central African Republic: 0.969 · world median 0.413 · Exclusion by socio-economic group index (0–1; higher = more exclusion). V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.014 to 0.969; lower is better.
Position 1st of 174 · derived, 1st = worst.
No better end3
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
Poverty Headcount at National Poverty LinesWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 21.868.821.8No earlier reading
Central African Republic: 68.8 · world median 21.8 · Population below the national poverty line (%). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 82.3.
Catastrophic Out-of-Pocket Health SpendingWorld Bank Group · 2019 · world median 6.886.7486.88No earlier reading
Central African Republic: 6.748 · world median 6.88 · Population in households spending more than 10% of their budget on health out of pocket (%). World Bank Group, 2019 edition, data for 2019.
Published values in that edition run from 0.133 to 31.21.
Cost of a Healthy DietFAO · 2025 · world median 4.554.344.55Moved since 2017
Central African Republic: 4.34 · world median 4.55 · Cost of the cheapest locally available healthy diet, PPP dollars per person per day. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 2.66 to 8.27.
No current reading for Central African Republic
Adequacy of Social Protection and Labour Benefits, Gini Index (last 2021), Gini Index of Disposable Income (SWIID) (last 2021), Gini Index of Monthly Earnings, Income Growth of the Poorest 40%, Income Share Held by Lowest 20% (last 2021), Income Share Held by Richest 10% (last 2021), Low Pay Rate, Median Daily Income or Consumption per Person (last 2021), Multidimensional Poverty Measure, Palma Ratio (last 2021), Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day (last 2021), Poverty Headcount Ratio at $3.00 a Day (last 2021), Poverty Headcount Ratio at $4.20 a Day (last 2021), Poverty Headcount Ratio at $8.30 a Day (last 2021), Poverty Severity (Squared Poverty Gap) at $3.00 a Day (last 2021), Prevalence of Moderate or Severe Food Insecurity (last 2022), Prosperity Gap (last 2021) and Societal Poverty Rate (last 2021). 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
Poverty & Inequality among Central African Republic’s 15 topics
Poverty & Inequality is Central African Republic’s 10th 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 poverty & inequality
The three countries placed highest of 159, and the leaders Central African Republic can most readily be measured against.
1
BelarusEastern Europe
1st of 159 · 3 of 3 keys
Photo: zedlik , cropped by Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2
SloveniaSouthern Europe
2nd of 159 · 3 of 3 keys
Photo: Z.K. derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY 3.0, greyscale
=3
UkraineEastern Europe
Joint 3rd of 159 · 2 of 3 keys
Photo: uploaded by Chern038 · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest in Africa
Tunisia43rd3/3 keysHighest in Middle Africa
Gabon102nd3/3 keysThis page
Central African Republic153rd3/3 keys
Positions out of 159 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 poverty & inequality: 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 poverty & inequality?
Central African Republic is placed 153rd of 159 countries on Poverty & Inequality in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 3 key statistics (Gini Index, Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day and Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest Gini Index figure for Central African Republic?
43.03 in 2023 (gini index (0 = perfect equality, 100 = perfect inequality)), according to World Bank Group. The world median in the same edition was 33.72.
What is the latest Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day figure for Central African Republic?
34.4 in 2023 (poverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%)), according to World Bank Group. The world median in the same edition was 0.345.
How does Central African Republic compare with DR Congo on poverty & inequality?
DR Congo is placed 157th of 159, and Central African Republic 153rd. Gini Index: DR Congo 44.67, Central African Republic 43.03; Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day: DR Congo 48.69, Central African Republic 34.4; Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet: DR Congo 90.1, Central African Republic 87.6.
How have Central African Republic’s poverty & inequality figures changed?
Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet rose from 86.1 in 2017 to 87.6 in 2025.
Which poverty & inequality statistics are missing for Central African Republic?
No current reading is published for Central African Republic on Adequacy of Social Protection and Labour Benefits, Gini Index, Gini Index of Disposable Income (SWIID), Gini Index of Monthly Earnings, Income Growth of the Poorest 40%, Income Share Held by Lowest 20%, Income Share Held by Richest 10%, Low Pay Rate, Median Daily Income or Consumption per Person, Multidimensional Poverty Measure, Palma Ratio, Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day, Poverty Headcount Ratio at $3.00 a Day, Poverty Headcount Ratio at $4.20 a Day, Poverty Headcount Ratio at $8.30 a Day, Poverty Severity (Squared Poverty Gap) at $3.00 a Day, Prevalence of Moderate or Severe Food Insecurity, Prosperity Gap and Societal Poverty Rate. 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
These figures come from household surveys, which most countries run every few years rather than every year. So the subject's standing is read from each country's most recent survey of the last decade, with the year of every reading shown, rather than from one year in which only a minority of countries were surveyed. Two readings decide it — how unequally income is shared and how deep extreme poverty runs — because the other poverty and inequality measures here largely repeat one of those two or repeat average income, which already counts under Economy and Development. Countries with no survey in the last decade have no standing here. What work pays is under Work & Labour; wealth, as opposed to income, has no global source this site is permitted to republish.
How the Poverty & Inequality standing is decided
A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 3 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 3 keys to be placed.
The poverty & inequality method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built
The key statistics and their licences
- Gini Index — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), CC BY 4.0
The other 14 statistics on this page come from 8 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
- Belarus — zedlik , cropped by Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Slovenia — Z.K. derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY 3.0
- Ukraine — uploaded by Chern038, CC BY-SA 3.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Central African Republic: Poverty & Inequality — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/central-african-republic/poverty