10 answers, 5 from the Central African Republic's own official bodies, with a link to each figure.
How many children go to primary school in the Central African Republic?
1,075,963 pupils were enrolled in primary school (Fondamental 1) in 2024-2025, 594,442 boys and 481,520 girls, according to the education statistical yearbook 2024-2025 published on the ICASEES site. They were taught by 13,261 teachers in 3,415 schools, of which 2,335 were public and 1,080 private.
The yearbook's monitoring table reports 127 pupils per teacher in public primary schools in 2024, against a target of 50 by 2029, and 179 pupils per classroom in good condition. The figures come from the 2024-2025 school statistics campaign.
How many children finish primary school in the Central African Republic?
The primary school completion rate was 73% in 2024, up from 66% in the 2019 base year, according to the indicator table in the education statistical yearbook 2024-2025. The rate was 82% for boys and 64% for girls. The education sector plan targets 80% by 2029.
The completion rate compares the number of pupils reaching the last year of primary with the population of the theoretical age for that year, so late starters and repeaters can push it up. The yearbook also reports that access to lower secondary school was 50% and to upper secondary 15% in 2024.
What is the baccalaureate pass rate in the Central African Republic?
36.66% of candidates passed the general baccalaureate in 2024, according to the indicator table in the education statistical yearbook 2024-2025 published on the ICASEES site. That compares with 25% in the 2019 base year, and the education sector plan targets 60% by 2029.
The baccalaureate is the exam at the end of upper secondary school and the entry requirement for university. The yearbook brings the pass rate together with other school indicators, such as completion and access rates, to track the education sector plan.
What is the literacy rate in the Central African Republic?
42.44% of adults aged 15 and over in the Central African Republic could read and write in 2019, according to UNESCO data on World Bank Open Data. The figure for 2000 was 50.65%.
The 2019 figure comes from a household survey, so it is not directly comparable with the census-based figure for 2000. Literacy is lower among women and in rural areas. ICASEES's education yearbooks report school enrolment and completion rather than adult literacy.
How much does the Central African Republic spend on education?
Government spending on education in the Central African Republic was 1.83% of GDP in 2023, down from 2.12% in 2022, according to UNESCO data on World Bank Open Data.
The figure counts spending by all levels of government, including spending financed by external aid passing through the budget. Many teachers in primary schools are community teachers paid by parents ("maîtres-parents"), whose pay is not counted here.
The figures below use one definition for every country, so they can differ from national figures.
What is secondary school enrolment in the Central African Republic?
15.8%: that is gross secondary school enrolment in the Central African Republic for 2017, according to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. That compares with 12.0% in 2009. It is 26th highest of 26 in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the median is 44.0%. World rank, highest first: 134th of 134.
What is the literacy rate in the Central African Republic?
The latest figure from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, for 2019, is 42.4%. In 2000 the figure was 50.7%. Across Sub-Saharan Africa the middle value was 55.0%, and the Central African Republic placed 13th highest of 15. World rank, highest first: 53rd of 55.
How much does the Central African Republic spend on education?
According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, government spending on education in the Central African Republic was 1.8% of GDP in 2023. Its high point since 2005 was 2013, at 2.6% of GDP; its low point was 2011, at 1.1% of GDP. It is 31st highest of 35 in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the median is 3.3% of GDP. Worldwide: 101st of 112.
How many pupils are there per teacher in the Central African Republic?
The latest figure from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, for 2016, is 83. The peak was 100 in 2008 and the low 80 in 2012. Across Sub-Saharan Africa the middle value was 41, and the Central African Republic placed 1st highest of 28. World rank, highest first: 1st of 136.
What is the primary completion rate in the Central African Republic?
38.5%: that is the primary completion rate in the Central African Republic for 2016, according to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Its high point since 2005 was 2012, at 38.7%; its low point was 2006, at 22.8%. It is 29th highest of 29 in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the median is 70.6%. World rank, highest first: 140th of 140.