Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Central African Republic
Central African Republic: Share of children in primary school age who are in school was 62.1% in 2012. ▲ Rising
Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Central African Republic, 1971–2012
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2012, share of children in primary school age who are in school in Central African Republic stood at 62.1%.
The figure is up 4.3% on the previous year and up 46.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children in primary school age who are in school in Central African Republic peaked at 63.2% in 1986 and was at its lowest, 41.3%, in 1971.
Central African Republic ranks 199th of 209 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.
Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Central African Republic, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 41.3% | — |
| 1972 | 43.5% | +5.3% |
| 1973 | 45.4% | +4.4% |
| 1977 | 42.2% | -7.1% |
| 1978 | 42.7% | +1.3% |
| 1981 | 50.2% | +17.4% |
| 1982 | 53.6% | +6.8% |
| 1983 | 57.1% | +6.5% |
| 1986 | 63.2% | +10.8% |
| 1987 | 52.9% | -16.3% |
| 1988 | 50.5% | -4.5% |
| 1989 | 50.3% | -0.5% |
| 1990 | 58.4% | +16.2% |
| 1991 | 53.1% | -9.2% |
| 2005 | 42.5% | -19.8% |
| 2006 | 42.7% | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 49.9% | +16.8% |
| 2008 | 58.2% | +16.5% |
| 2009 | 58.5% | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 61.9% | +5.9% |
| 2011 | 59.5% | -3.8% |
| 2012 | 62.1% | +4.3% |
Central African Republic compared with similar countries
- Central African Republic's 62.1% is below the median for low income countries, which is 69.5%, 89% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Central African Republic's 62.1% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 84.5%, 74% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 43.0% | 41.3% | 45.4% | 5 |
| 1980s | 54.0% | 50.2% | 63.2% | 7 |
| 1990s | 55.7% | 53.1% | 58.4% | 2 |
| 2000s | 50.4% | 42.5% | 58.5% | 5 |
| 2010s | 61.2% | 59.5% | 62.1% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Central African Republic
More education data for Central African Republic
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 4,357 (2017)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 184,252 (2016)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 6,152 (2017)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 6,337 (2017)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 137,844 (2017)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 813,767 (2016)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.15 % change on previous year (2012)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0004 units per US$ of GDP (2016)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1726 units per person (2016)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of children in primary school age who are in school in Central African Republic?
- Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Central African Republic was 62.1% in 2012, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of children in primary school age who are in school recorded in Central African Republic?
- The highest recorded value was 63.2% in 1986.
- What is the lowest share of children in primary school age who are in school recorded in Central African Republic?
- The lowest recorded value was 41.3% in 1971.
- How does Central African Republic rank for share of children in primary school age who are in school?
- Central African Republic ranks 199th out of 209 countries with data for 2012.
- Is share of children in primary school age who are in school rising or falling in Central African Republic?
- Over the last ten years it is up 46.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Central African Republic data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children in primary school age who are in school. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of children of primary school age (typically 6–11 years) who are enrolled in primary education.