Value of imported goods as a share of GDP in Central African Republic
Central African Republic: Value of imported goods as a share of GDP was 20.8% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Value of imported goods as a share of GDP in Central African Republic, 1960–2024
Source: International Monetary Fund (2025); National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Central African Republic recorded 20.8% for value of imported goods as a share of gdp in 2024.
The figure is down 27.7% on the previous year and up 28.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, value of imported goods as a share of gdp in Central African Republic peaked at 28.8% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 1.1%, in 1961.
Central African Republic ranks 151st of 201 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Value of imported goods as a share of GDP in Central African Republic, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 16.0% | — |
| 1961 | 1.1% | -92.9% |
| 1963 | 18.4% | +1517.9% |
| 1964 | 18.7% | +1.8% |
| 1965 | 16.5% | -11.7% |
| 1966 | 19.9% | +20.6% |
| 1967 | 23.6% | +18.4% |
| 1968 | 17.6% | -25.6% |
| 1969 | 16.7% | -5.2% |
| 1970 | 15.2% | -8.7% |
| 1971 | 14.7% | -3.2% |
| 1972 | 13.5% | -8.7% |
| 1973 | 17.0% | +26.4% |
| 1974 | 14.4% | -15.4% |
| 1975 | 16.4% | +13.7% |
| 1976 | 10.6% | -35.0% |
| 1977 | 11.4% | +7.1% |
| 1978 | 8.5% | -25.2% |
| 1979 | 9.3% | +8.9% |
| 1980 | 9.0% | -3.3% |
| 1981 | 11.6% | +29.3% |
| 1982 | 14.5% | +24.9% |
| 1983 | 8.5% | -41.1% |
| 1984 | 9.0% | +5.3% |
| 1985 | 9.9% | +10.3% |
| 1986 | 15.3% | +54.1% |
| 1987 | 8.7% | -42.8% |
| 1988 | 9.9% | +13.3% |
| 1989 | 12.4% | +25.6% |
| 1990 | 12.4% | -0.1% |
| 1991 | 10.3% | -17.1% |
| 1992 | 9.4% | -8.4% |
| 1993 | 8.4% | -11.2% |
| 1994 | 11.1% | +32.1% |
| 1995 | 14.6% | +31.7% |
| 1996 | 15.0% | +3.2% |
| 1997 | 12.1% | -19.4% |
| 1998 | 14.3% | +17.8% |
| 1999 | 12.9% | -9.7% |
| 2000 | 6.7% | -48.0% |
| 2001 | 6.4% | -4.5% |
| 2002 | 5.1% | -19.7% |
| 2003 | 6.8% | +33.0% |
| 2004 | 6.8% | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 8.2% | +20.5% |
| 2006 | 5.6% | -31.7% |
| 2007 | 9.1% | +63.2% |
| 2008 | 9.3% | +1.6% |
| 2009 | 10.2% | +10.0% |
| 2010 | 9.7% | -5.0% |
| 2011 | 8.7% | -10.6% |
| 2012 | 8.5% | -1.9% |
| 2013 | 7.5% | -11.3% |
| 2014 | 16.2% | +114.9% |
| 2015 | 26.9% | +65.8% |
| 2016 | 21.9% | -18.6% |
| 2017 | 20.1% | -8.3% |
| 2018 | 17.1% | -15.0% |
| 2019 | 25.3% | +48.4% |
| 2020 | 23.3% | -8.0% |
| 2021 | 19.2% | -17.6% |
| 2022 | 26.1% | +36.0% |
| 2023 | 28.8% | +10.3% |
| 2024 | 20.8% | -27.7% |
Central African Republic compared with similar countries
- Central African Republic's 20.8% is below the median for low income countries, which is 24.0%, 87% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Central African Republic's 20.8% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 27.2%, 77% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Value of imported goods as a share of GDP in Central African Republic changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | +1517.9% | 1.1% | 18.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 16.5% | 1.1% | 23.6% | 9 |
| 1970s | 13.1% | 8.5% | 17.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 10.9% | 8.5% | 15.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 12.0% | 8.4% | 15.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.4% | 5.1% | 10.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.2% | 7.5% | 26.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 23.7% | 19.2% | 28.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Central African Republic
- 148 San Marino 21.3% compare
- 149 Iraq 21.0% compare
- 150 Côte d'Ivoire 20.9% compare
- 152 Papua New Guinea 20.6% compare
- 153 New Caledonia 20.4% compare
- 154 Guam 20.1% compare
More economy & growth data for Central African Republic
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP -0.5324 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.55 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 1,290 BoP, current US$ (2002)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2002)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 0.0003 BoP, current US$ per person (2002)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 40.41 million BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual 4.29 % change on previous year (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0147 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 7.58 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 2.02 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is value of imported goods as a share of gdp in Central African Republic?
- Value of imported goods as a share of gdp in Central African Republic was 20.8% in 2024, according to International Monetary Fund (2025); National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest value of imported goods as a share of gdp recorded in Central African Republic?
- The highest recorded value was 28.8% in 2023.
- What is the lowest value of imported goods as a share of gdp recorded in Central African Republic?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.1% in 1961.
- How does Central African Republic rank for value of imported goods as a share of gdp?
- Central African Republic ranks 151st out of 201 countries with data for 2024.
- Is value of imported goods as a share of gdp rising or falling in Central African Republic?
- Over the last ten years it is up 28.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Central African Republic data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund (2025); National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Value of imported goods as a share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Value of a country’s total goods imports, including freight and insurance costs, as a percentage of a country’s gross domestic product (GDP).