This article is about the demographic

Demographics

Demographics are the most recent statistical characteristics of a population. These types of data are used widely in sociology , public policy, and marketing. Commonly examined demographics include gender, race, age, disabilities, mobility, home ownership, employment status, and even location...

 features of the population

Population

A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...

 of the Central African Republic

Central African Republic

The Central African Republic , is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It borders Chad in the north, Sudan in the north east, South Sudan in the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo in the south, and Cameroon in the west. The CAR covers a land area of about ,...

, including population density

Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

, ethnicity

Ethnic group

An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...

, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.

There are more than 80 ethnic groups in the Central African Republic

Central African Republic

The Central African Republic , is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It borders Chad in the north, Sudan in the north east, South Sudan in the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo in the south, and Cameroon in the west. The CAR covers a land area of about ,...

 (CAR), each with its own language. About 50% are Baya-Mandjia, 40% Banda (largely located in the northern and central parts of the country), and 7% are M'Baka

M'Baka

The M'baka are a minority people in the Central African Republic and northwest Democratic Republic of Congo. The former President and Emperor, Jean-Bédel Bokassa, was M'Baka, as was the CAR's first President, David Dacko and Prime Minister Barthélémy Boganda...

 (southwestern corner of the CAR). Sangho, the language of a small group along the Oubangui River, is the national language spoken by the majority of Central Africans. Only a small part of the population has more than an elemental knowledge of French, the official language.

More than 55% of the population of the CAR lives in rural areas. The chief agricultural areas are around the Bossangoa

Bossangoa

Bossangoa is the capital of Ouham, one of the 14 prefectures of the Central African Republic. The town has a population of 36,478 . It is located 303 km north of the country's capital, Bangui...

 and Bambari

Bambari

Bambari is a town in the Central African Republic, lying on the Ouaka River. It has a population of 41,356 and is the capital of Ouaka prefecture...

. Bangui

Bangui

-Law and government:Bangui is an autonomous commune of the Central African Republic. With an area of 67 km², it is by far the smallest high-level administrative division of the CAR in area but the highest in population...

, Berberati

Berbérati

Berbérati is the third-largest city in the Central African Republic with a population of 76,918 . It is the capital of the Mambéré-Kadéï Prefecture. The city is situated in the south-west of the country near the border with Cameroon...

, Bangassou

Bangassou

Bangassou is a city in the south eastern Central African Republic, lying on the north bank of the Mbomou River. It has a population of 24,447 and is the capital of the Mbomou prefecture. It is known for its wildlife and its market and is linked by ferry to the Democratic Republic of Congo on the...

, and Bossangoa

Bossangoa

Bossangoa is the capital of Ouham, one of the 14 prefectures of the Central African Republic. The town has a population of 36,478 . It is located 303 km north of the country's capital, Bangui...

 are the most densely populated urban centers.

CIA World Factbook demographic statistics

The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.

Population

4,950,027

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 2011 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 41.9% (male 907,629/female 897,153)

15-64 years: 53.9% (male 1,146,346/female 1,173,268)

65 years and over: 4.2% (male 71,312/female 107,648) (2006 est.)

Sex ratio

At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

Under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female

Total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Infant mortality rate

Total: 99.38 deaths/1,000 live births

Male:107.34 deaths/1,000 live births

Female: 91.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total population: 50.07 years

Male: 48.84 years

Female: 51.35 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.63 children born/woman (2011 est.)

4.41 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS

Adult prevalence rate: 4.7% (2009 est.)

People living with HIV/AIDS: 130,000 (2009 est.)

Deaths: 11,000 (2009 est.)

Major infectious diseases

Degree of risk: very high

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

Vectorborne disease: malaria

Respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis

Water contact disease: schistosomiasis

Animal contact disease: rabies (2009)

Ethnic groups

Baya 33%, Banda 27%, Mandjia 13%, Sara

Sara people

The Sara are an ethnic group in Central Africa, who reside mostly in Chad, making up approximatively 30% of its southern population.-In Chad:...

 10%, Mboum 7%, M'Baka

M'Baka

The M'baka are a minority people in the Central African Republic and northwest Democratic Republic of Congo. The former President and Emperor, Jean-Bédel Bokassa, was M'Baka, as was the CAR's first President, David Dacko and Prime Minister Barthélémy Boganda...

 4%, Yakoma 4%, other 2%; About 15,000 Europeans (mostly French) live in the CAR.

Languages

French

French language

French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...

 (official) see: French in Africa

African French

African French is the generic name of the varieties of French spoken by an estimated 115 million African people spread across 31 francophone African countries...

, Sangho (lingua franca and national language), tribal languages, Arabic

Arabic language

Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...

Literacy

Definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Total population: 51%

Male: 63.3%

Female: 39.9% (2003 est.)