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Republic of the Congo vs. Central African Republic

Demographics

Republic of the CongoCentral African Republic
Population5,417,414 (July 2021 est.)

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, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected
5,357,984 (July 2021 est.)

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, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected
Age structure0-14 years: 41.57% (male 1,110,484/female 1,089,732)

15-24 years: 17.14% (male 454,981/female 452,204)

25-54 years: 33.5% (male 886,743/female 886,312)

55-64 years: 4.59% (male 125,207/female 117,810)

65 years and over: 3.2% (male 75,921/female 93,676) (2020 est.)
0-14 years: 39.49% (male 1,188,682/female 1,176,958)

15-24 years: 19.89% (male 598,567/female 593,075)

25-54 years: 32.95% (male 988,077/female 986,019)

55-64 years: 4.32% (male 123,895/female 134,829)

65 years and over: 3.35% (male 78,017/female 122,736) (2020 est.)
Median agetotal: 19.5 years

male: 19.3 years

female: 19.7 years (2020 est.)
total: 20 years

male: 19.7 years

female: 20.3 years (2020 est.)
Population growth rate2.36% (2021 est.)1.79% (2021 est.)
Birth rate32.15 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)33.2 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Death rate8.55 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)12.01 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Net migration rate0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)-3.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Sex ratioat birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female

total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female

total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
Infant mortality ratetotal: 49.28 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 53.82 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 44.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)
total: 84.22 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 90.39 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 77.86 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)
Life expectancy at birthtotal population: 61.69 years

male: 60.27 years

female: 63.16 years (2021 est.)
total population: 55.07 years

male: 53.74 years

female: 56.44 years (2021 est.)
Total fertility rate4.41 children born/woman (2021 est.)4.09 children born/woman (2021 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate3.3% (2020 est.)2.9% (2020 est.)
Nationalitynoun: Congolese (singular and plural)

adjective: Congolese or Congo
noun: Central African(s)

adjective: Central African
Ethnic groupsKongo 40.5%, Teke 16.9%, Mbochi 13.1%, foreigner 8.2%, Sangha 5.6%, Mbere/Mbeti/Kele 4.4%, Punu 4.3%, Pygmy 1.6%, Oubanguiens 1.6%, Duma 1.5%, Makaa 1.3%, other and unspecified 1% (2014-15 est.)Baya 28.8%, Banda 22.9%, Mandjia 9.9%, Sara 7.9%, M'Baka-Bantu 7.9%, Arab-Fulani (Peul) 6%, Mbum 6%, Ngbanki 5.5%, Zande-Nzakara 3%, other Central African Republic ethnic groups 2%, non-Central African Republic ethnic groups .1% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS110,000 (2020 est.)88,000 (2020 est.)
ReligionsRoman Catholic 33.1%, Awakening Churches/Christian Revival 22.3%, Protestant 19.9%, Salutiste 2.2%, Muslim 1.6%, Kimbanguiste 1.5%, other 8.1%, none 11.3% (2010 est.)Christian 89%, Muslim 9%, folk religion 1%, unaffiliated 1% (2020 est.)

note: animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority
HIV/AIDS - deaths6,100 (2020 est.)3,200 (2020 est.)
LanguagesFrench (official), French Lingala and Monokutuba (lingua franca trade languages), many local languages and dialects (of which Kikongo is the most widespread)

major-language sample(s):
Buku oyo ya bosembo ya Mokili Mobimba Ezali na Makanisi ya Liboso Mpenza. (Lingala)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
French (official), Sangho (lingua franca and national language), tribal languages
Literacydefinition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 80.3%

male: 86.1%

female: 74.6% (2018)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 37.4%

male: 49.5%

female: 25.8% (2018)
Major infectious diseasesdegree of risk: very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever

water contact diseases: schistosomiasis

animal contact diseases: rabies
degree of risk: very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever

water contact diseases: schistosomiasis

animal contact diseases: rabies

respiratory diseases: meningococcal meningitis
Food insecuritysevere localized food insecurity: due to restrictive measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic - the negative impact of the restrictive measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic on informal labor and on food supply chains, resulted, on one side, in the loss of income and, on the other, in high food prices due to a decline in food supply; these factors limited the access to food for the most vulnerable population (2021)exceptional shortfall in aggregate food production/supplies: due to conflict and population displacements - ongoing conflicts and population displacements due to armed violence that followed the December 2020 elections, adding to the already high levels of civil insecurity, coupled with restrictive measures to control the COVID-19 pandemic, are expected to continue affecting agricultural activities and limit farmers' access to crop-growing areas and inputs, with a negative impact on 2021 crop production (2021)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)total: 11 years

male: 11 years

female: 11 years (2012)
total: 7 years

male: 8 years

female: 6 years (2012)
Education expenditures3.5% of GDP (2018)1.2% of GDP (2011)
Urbanizationurban population: 68.3% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization: 3.19% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
urban population: 42.6% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization: 3.32% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Drinking water sourceimproved: urban: 97.5% of population

rural: 56.4% of population

total: 83.7% of population

unimproved: urban: 2.5% of population

rural: 43.6% of population

total: 16.3% of population (2017 est.)
improved: urban: 89.6% of population

rural: 54.4% of population

total: 68.5% of population

unimproved: urban: 10.4% of population

rural: 45.6% of population

total: 31.5% of population (2015 est.)
Sanitation facility accessimproved: urban: 73.4% of population

rural: 15.1% of population

total: 53.9% of population

unimproved: urban: 26.6% of population

rural: 84.9% of population

total: 46.1% of population (2017 est.)
improved: urban: 43.6% of population

rural: 7.2% of population

total: 21.8% of population

unimproved: urban: 56.4% of population

rural: 92.8% of population

total: 78.2% of population (2015 est.)
Major cities - population2.470 million BRAZZAVILLE (capital), 1.254 million Pointe-Noire (2021)910,000 BANGUI (capital) (2021)
Maternal mortality rate378 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)829 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight12.3% (2014/15)20.5% (2019)
Health expenditures2.1% (2018)11% (2018)
Physicians density0.17 physicians/1,000 population (2011)0.07 physicians/1,000 population (2015)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate9.6% (2016)7.5% (2016)
Demographic profile

The Republic of the Congo is one of the most urbanized countries in Africa, with nearly 70% of Congolese living in urban areas.  The population is concentrated in the southwest of the country, mainly in the capital Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, and along the railway line that connects the two.  The tropical jungles in the north of the country are sparsely populated.  Most Congolese are Bantu, and most belong to one of four main ethnic groups, the Kongo, Teke, Mbochi, and Sangha, which consist of over 70 subgroups.

The Republic of Congo is in the early stages of a demographic transition, whereby a population shifts from high fertility and mortality rates to low fertility and mortality rates associated with industrialized societies.  Its total fertility rate (TFR), the average number of children born per woman, remains high at 4.4.  While its TFR has steadily decreased, the progress slowed beginning in about 1995.  The slowdown in fertility reduction has delayed the demographic transition and Congo's potential to reap a demographic dividend, the economic boost that can occur when the share of the working-age population is larger than the dependent age groups. 

The TFR differs significantly between urban and rural areas - 3.7 in urban areas versus 6.5 in rural areas.  The TFR also varies among regions.  The urban regions of Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire have much lower TFRs than other regions, which are predominantly or completely rural.  The gap between desired fertility and actual fertility is also greatest in rural areas.  Rural families may have more children to contribute to agricultural production and/or due to a lack of information about and access to contraception.  Urban families may prefer to have fewer children because raising them is more expensive and balancing work and childcare may be more difficult.  The number of births among teenage girls, the frequency of giving birth before the age of fifteen, and a lack of education are the most likely reasons for higher TFRs in rural areas.  Although 90% of school-age children are enrolled in primary school, repetition and dropout rates are high and the quality of education is poor.  Congolese women with no or little education start having children earlier and have more children in total than those with at least some secondary education.

 

The Central African Republic's (CAR) humanitarian crisis has worsened since a coup in March 2013. CAR's high mortality rate and low life expectancy are attributed to elevated rates of preventable and treatable diseases (including malaria and malnutrition), an inadequate health care system, precarious food security, and armed conflict. Some of the worst mortality rates are in western CAR's diamond mining region, which is impoverished because of government attempts to control the diamond trade and the fall in industrial diamond prices. To make matters worse, the government and international donors have reduced health funding in recent years. The CAR's weak educational system and low literacy rate have also suffered as a result of the country's ongoing conflict. Schools are closed, qualified teachers are scarce, infrastructure, funding, and supplies are lacking and subject to looting, and many students and teachers are displaced by violence.

Rampant poverty, human rights violations, unemployment, poor infrastructure, and a lack of security and stability have led to forced displacement internally and externally. Since the political crisis that resulted in CAR's March 2013 coup began in December 2012, approximately 600,000 people have fled to Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and other neighboring countries, while another estimated 600,000 are displaced internally as of October 2019. The UN has urged countries to refrain from repatriating CAR refugees amid the heightened lawlessness.

(2019)

Contraceptive prevalence rate30.1% (2014/15)17.8% (2019)
Dependency ratiostotal dependency ratio: 78.7

youth dependency ratio: 73.7

elderly dependency ratio: 4.9

potential support ratio: 20.3 (2020 est.)
total dependency ratio: 86.4

youth dependency ratio: 81.1

elderly dependency ratio: 5.2

potential support ratio: 19.2 (2020 est.)

Source: CIA Factbook