Share of children who have completed primary school in Central African Republic
Central African Republic: Share of children who have completed primary school was 30.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Share of children who have completed primary school in Central African Republic, 1981–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, share of children who have completed primary school in Central African Republic stood at 30.8%. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.9% on the previous year and up 11.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children who have completed primary school in Central African Republic peaked at 30.8% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 18.7%, in 1981.
Central African Republic ranks 160th of 165 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Share of children who have completed primary school in Central African Republic, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 18.7% | — |
| 1982 | 18.9% | +0.9% |
| 1983 | 19.1% | +0.8% |
| 1984 | 19.2% | +0.9% |
| 1985 | 19.4% | +1.0% |
| 1986 | 19.6% | +1.0% |
| 1987 | 19.9% | +1.4% |
| 1988 | 20.1% | +1.3% |
| 1989 | 20.4% | +1.1% |
| 1990 | 20.6% | +1.0% |
| 1991 | 20.7% | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 20.8% | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 20.9% | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 21.0% | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 21.1% | +0.6% |
| 1996 | 21.2% | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 21.4% | +0.9% |
| 1998 | 21.4% | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 21.5% | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 21.5% | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 21.6% | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 21.6% | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 21.8% | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 22.1% | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 22.5% | +1.7% |
| 2006 | 22.9% | +2.1% |
| 2007 | 23.5% | +2.4% |
| 2008 | 24.0% | +2.3% |
| 2009 | 24.6% | +2.3% |
| 2010 | 25.2% | +2.4% |
| 2011 | 25.8% | +2.5% |
| 2012 | 26.3% | +2.0% |
| 2013 | 26.8% | +2.0% |
| 2014 | 27.3% | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 27.7% | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 28.1% | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 28.5% | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 28.9% | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 29.2% | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 29.6% | +1.1% |
| 2021 | 29.8% | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 30.0% | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 30.3% | +1.0% |
| 2024 | 30.6% | +0.7% |
| 2025 | 30.8% | +0.9% |
Central African Republic compared with similar countries
- Central African Republic's 30.8% is below the median for low income countries, which is 57.7%, 53% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Central African Republic's 30.8% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 72.2%, 43% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 19.5% | 18.7% | 20.4% | 9 |
| 1990s | 21.1% | 20.6% | 21.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 22.6% | 21.5% | 24.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.4% | 25.2% | 29.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 30.2% | 29.6% | 30.8% | 6 |
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 who have completed primary school in Central African Republic?
- Share of children who have completed primary school in Central African Republic was 30.8% in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of children who have completed primary school recorded in Central African Republic?
- The highest recorded value was 30.8% in 2025.
- What is the lowest share of children who have completed primary school recorded in Central African Republic?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.7% in 1981.
- How does Central African Republic rank for share of children who have completed primary school?
- Central African Republic ranks 160th out of 165 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of children who have completed primary school rising or falling in Central African Republic?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.2%. 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) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children who have completed primary school. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of children who are three to five years older than the official age for the last grade of primary education who have successfully completed it. This broader age band is used to include children who started school late or had to resit particular years.