Extreme Poverty in Central African Republic: 1800 to Today (and Tomorrow)

The arc of extreme poverty in the Central African Republic is a testament to the slow, fragile accumulation of human stability. When we measure poverty as the share of people living below the international line of $2.15/day, 2017 PPP, we are looking at the foundational capacity of a population to secure food, shelter, and basic survival. While numbers distill complex lives into percentages, they represent the reality of millions navigating a landscape where the absence of surplus has defined the rhythm of daily existence for generations.

For the entire 1800s estimate, 80 percent of the population lived in extreme poverty. This persistence remained largely unbroken until the 1900s estimate of 80, after which a gradual decline began. By the 1960s, the figure reached 68.33, continuing to fall through the decades until the 2020s, where extreme poverty in Central African Republic stands at 35 % — ranking #126 of 157 countries. Projections suggest a continued downward trend, potentially reaching 3.5 by the 2100s projection, marking a profound shift in the country’s statistical horizon.

If you were born in the 1800s estimate, the mathematical probability of living below the poverty line was 80. For a child born during the 2020s, that statistical shadow has narrowed significantly, though the challenges of development remain present. The trajectory from 80 in the 1800s estimate to the 2030s projection of 26.25 illustrates a transition that, while measured in decades, reflects a cumulative change in the possibilities available to each new generation. Visit our interactive tool to see where you rank among everyone ever born.