Life Expectancy in Central African Republic (2024): Men 55.5, Women 59.6

Life expectancy in Central African Republic since 1960

Women
Men

Since 1960, life expectancy in Central African Republic has risen by 18.1 years, from 39.6 to 57.7. During the COVID-19 pandemic it fell by 12.7 years (from 31.5 in 2019 to 18.8 in 2022) and has since recovered. Women live 4.1 years longer than men (59.6 vs 55.5).

Expected age at death in Central African Republic by age

Life expectancy at birth includes deaths in childhood. Once people reach adulthood they can expect to live longer — here is the average expected age at death for people who have already reached each age:

Current age	Birth	20	40	60	80
Men	55.5	61.5	63.2	68.7	81.8
Women	59.6	66.0	67.2	71.5	82.7

Birth: World Bank. Other ages: our survival model calibrated to Central African Republic’s figures (method).

How people die in Central African Republic

Chronic diseases: 25%
Infections, maternal & nutritional: 65.9%
Injuries: 9.1%

In 2019, 25% of deaths in Central African Republic were caused by chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes (world: 74%). A Central African Republic man has a 36% chance and a woman 27% of dying of one of these diseases between the ages of 30 and 70 (world: 21% and 16%). Road traffic accidents kill 37.7 people per 100,000 each year (world: 16.7).

See which causes of death are most likely for you →

Child mortality

Out of every 1,000 babies born in Central African Republic, about 89.7 die before their fifth birthday (world: 37.4). This is one of the main reasons life expectancy at birth differs so much between countries.

Central African Republic compared with its region

Central African Republic is in the World Bank’s Sub-Saharan Africa region, where the average life expectancy is 64.8 years. It ranks #45 of 48 countries there.

#	Country	Overall	Men	Women
40	Benin	61.0	59.5	62.4
41	Guinea	60.9	59.7	62.1
42	Mali	60.7	59.3	62.2
43	Somalia, Fed. Rep.	59.0	56.5	61.6
44	Lesotho	57.8	55.0	60.4
45	Central African Republic	57.7	55.5	59.6
46	South Sudan	57.7	54.8	60.7
47	Chad	55.2	53.4	57.2
48	Nigeria	54.6	54.3	54.9

See all 217 countries ranked →

Frequently asked questions

What is the life expectancy in Central African Republic?

57.7 years in 2024: 55.5 for men and 59.6 for women, according to the World Bank.

Do women live longer than men in Central African Republic?

Yes. Women in Central African Republic live about 4.1 years longer than men. Worldwide the gap is 4.9 years in favour of women.

How does Central African Republic rank for life expectancy?

Central African Republic ranks #214 out of 217 countries and territories with data. That is 15.8 years below the world average of 73.5.

What is the average age of death in Central African Republic?

Life expectancy at birth (57.7) is pulled down by deaths in childhood. Adults live longer: a 40-year-old man in Central African Republic can expect to live to about 63.2, and a 40-year-old woman to about 67.2.

Sources

World Bank, World Development Indicators: life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.MA.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.FE.IN), under-5 mortality (SH.DYN.MORT), causes of death (SH.DTH.NCOM.ZS, SH.DTH.INJR.ZS), mortality from major chronic diseases (SH.DYN.NCOM.MA.ZS, SH.DYN.NCOM.FE.ZS) and road traffic deaths (SH.STA.TRAF.P5). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Link

Data updated October 25, 2026.