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

Health

be 71.4% more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Sierra Leone, 1.4% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Central African Republic, that number is 2.4% of people as of 2024.

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live 4.3 years less

In Sierra Leone, the average life expectancy is 62 years (60 years for men, 64 years for women) as of 2024. In Central African Republic, that number is 58 years (56 years for men, 60 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 33.5% more likely to be obese

In Sierra Leone, 8.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Central African Republic, that number is 10.9% of people as of 2024.

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see 14.0% less spent on your healthcare

Sierra Leone spends $159 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Central African Republic spends $137 as of 2023.

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have 44.8% fewer doctors per person

Sierra Leone has 1.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Central African Republic has 0.7 as of 2023.

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have 22.0% less access to essential health services

Sierra Leone scores 41 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Central African Republic scores 32 as of 2021.

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be 49.7% more likely to die by suicide

Sierra Leone has a suicide rate of 6.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Central African Republic, it is 9.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 98.4% more likely to be unemployed

In Sierra Leone, 3.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Central African Republic, that number is 6.2% as of 2025.

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be 21.1% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Sierra Leone, 56.8% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In Central African Republic, however, that number is 68.8% as of 2021.

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make 34.3% less money

Sierra Leone has a GDP per capita of $846 as of 2025, while in Central African Republic, the GDP per capita is $556 as of 2025.

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Life

have 53.4% more children

In Sierra Leone, there are approximately 30.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Central African Republic, there are 46.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 95.5% more likely to die during childbirth

In Sierra Leone, approximately 354.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Central African Republic, 692.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 22.8% less likely to be literate

In Sierra Leone, the literacy rate is 48.6% as of 2022. In Central African Republic, it is 37.5% as of 2020.

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Basic Needs

be 50.4% less likely to have access to electricity

In Sierra Leone, approximately 36% of people have electricity access (56% in urban areas, and 19% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Central African Republic, that number is 18% of people on average (37% in urban areas, and 2% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 45.1% less likely to have internet access

In Sierra Leone, approximately 25.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Central African Republic, about 13.8% do as of 2024.

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be 46.4% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Sierra Leone, approximately 68% of people have access to drinking water (82% in urban areas, and 57% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Central African Republic, that number is 36% of people on average (48% in urban areas, and 27% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 30.2% less on education

Sierra Leone spends 2.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Central African Republic spends 1.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 2.3 times more on healthcare

Sierra Leone spends 4.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Central African Republic, that number is 10.7% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 87.7% more likely to die in a road accident

In Sierra Leone, road accidents kill 13.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Central African Republic, they kill 25.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

live with 32.0% less strain on fresh water

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

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Environment

emit 64.7% less CO2

Sierra Leone emits 0.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Central African Republic emits 0.1 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2018–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2020–2022). How we calculate this

Central African Republic: At a glance

Central African Republic is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 622,984 sq km. The former French colony of Ubangi-Shari became the Central African Republic upon independence in 1960. After three tumultuous decades of misrule - mostly by military governments - civilian rule was established in 1993 and lasted for one decade. In March, 2003 President Ange-Felix PATASSE was deposed in a military coup led by General Francois BOZIZE, who established a transitional government. Elections held in 2005 affirmed General BOZIZE as president; he was reelected in 2011 in voting widely viewed as flawed. The government still does not fully control the countryside, where pockets of lawlessness persist. The militant group the Lord's Resistance Army continues to destabilize southeastern Central African Republic, and several rebel groups joined together in early December 2012 to launch a series of attacks that left them in control of numerous towns in the northern and central parts of the country. The rebels - who are unhappy with BOZIZE's government - participated in peace talks in early January 2013 which resulted in a coalition government including the rebellion's leadership. In March 2013, the coalition government dissolved, rebels seized the capital, and President BOZIZE fled the country. Rebel leader Michel DJOTODIA assumed the presidency, reappointed Nicolas TIANGAYE as Prime Minister, and established a transitional government on 31 March. On 13 April 2013, the National Transitional Council affirmed DJOTODIA as President.
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