If you lived in Romania instead of Central African Republic, you would:

Health

be 91.7% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Central African Republic, 2.4% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Romania, that number is 0.2% of people as of 2024.

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live 18.8 years longer

In Central African Republic, the average life expectancy is 58 years (56 years for men, 60 years for women) as of 2024. In Romania, that number is 76 years (73 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 19.1 times more spent on your healthcare

Central African Republic spends $137 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Romania spends $2,614 as of 2023.

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have 49.0 times more doctors per person

Central African Republic has 0.7 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Romania has 36.2 as of 2022.

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have 2.4 times more access to essential health services

Central African Republic scores 32 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Romania scores 78 as of 2021.

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be 3.0 times more likely to be obese

In Central African Republic, 10.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Romania, that number is 32.4% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

be 73.3% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Central African Republic, 68.8% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Romania, however, that number is 18.4% as of 2024.

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make 40.5 times more money

Central African Republic has a GDP per capita of $556 as of 2025, while in Romania, the GDP per capita is $22,538 as of 2025.

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Life

be 98.3% less likely to die during childbirth

In Central African Republic, approximately 692.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Romania, 12.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 2.6 times more likely to be literate

In Central African Republic, the literacy rate is 37.5% as of 2020. In Romania, it is 99.2% as of 2021.

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be 89.8% less likely to die during infancy

In Central African Republic, approximately 58.8 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Romania, on the other hand, 6.0 children do as of 2024.

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have 83.8% fewer children

In Central African Republic, there are approximately 46.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Romania, there are 7.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 5.7 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Central African Republic, approximately 18% of people have electricity access (37% in urban areas, and 2% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Romania, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 6.6 times more likely to have internet access

In Central African Republic, approximately 13.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Romania, about 91.3% do as of 2024.

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be 2.7 times more likely to have access to drinking water

In Central African Republic, approximately 36% of people have access to drinking water (48% in urban areas, and 27% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Romania, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 46.4% less on healthcare

Central African Republic spends 10.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Romania, that number is 5.7% of GDP as of 2023.

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spend 79.2% more on education

Central African Republic spends 1.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Romania spends 3.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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Safety

be 62.9% less likely to die in a road accident

In Central African Republic, road accidents kill 25.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Romania, they kill 9.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 1790.0 times more home broadband

Central African Republic has 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Romania has 35.8 as of 2024.

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live with 22.4 times more strain on fresh water

Central African Republic withdraws 0% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Romania withdraws 8% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 53.1% less likely to die from air pollution

In Central African Republic, air pollution causes 98.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Romania, it causes 46.0 as of 2019.

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emit 62.0 times more CO2

Central African Republic emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Romania emits 3.7 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2020). How we calculate this

Romania: At a glance

Romania is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 229,891 sq km. The principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia - for centuries under the suzerainty of the Turkish Ottoman Empire - secured their autonomy in 1856; they were de facto linked in 1859 and formally united in 1862 under the new name of Romania. The country gained recognition of its independence in 1878. It joined the Allied Powers in World War I and acquired new territories - most notably Transylvania - following the conflict. In 1940, Romania allied with the Axis powers and participated in the 1941 German invasion of the USSR. Three years later, overrun by the Soviets, Romania signed an armistice. The post-war Soviet occupation led to the formation of a communist "people's republic" in 1947 and the abdication of the king. The decades-long rule of dictator Nicolae CEAUSESCU, who took power in 1965, and his Securitate police state became increasingly oppressive and draconian through the 1980s. CEAUSESCU was overthrown and executed in late 1989. Former communists dominated the government until 1996 when they were swept from power. Romania joined NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2007.
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How big is Romania compared to Central African Republic? See an in-depth size comparison.

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