Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Central African Republic instead of United States, you would:
Health
be 73.3% less likely to be obese
In United States, 41.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Central African Republic, that number is 10.9% of people as of 2024.
be 41.2% less likely to die by suicide
United States has a suicide rate of 15.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Central African Republic, it is 9.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 21.2 years less
In United States, the average life expectancy is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 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.
see 99.0% less spent on your healthcare
United States spends $13,473 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Central African Republic spends $137 as of 2023.
have 98.0% fewer doctors per person
United States has 36.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Central African Republic has 0.7 as of 2023.
have 62.8% less access to essential health services
United States scores 86 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Central African Republic scores 32 as of 2021.
Economy
be 48.8% more likely to be unemployed
In United States, 4.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Central African Republic, that number is 6.2% as of 2025.
make 99.4% less money
United States has a GDP per capita of $90,027 as of 2025, while in Central African Republic, the GDP per capita is $556 as of 2025.
Life
have 4.4 times more children
In United States, there are approximately 10.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Central African Republic, there are 46.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 40.7 times more likely to die during childbirth
In United States, approximately 17.0 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.
be 10.7 times more likely to die during infancy
In United States, approximately 5.5 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Central African Republic, on the other hand, 58.8 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 82.4% less likely to have access to electricity
In United States, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% 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.
be 85.4% less likely to have internet access
In United States, approximately 94.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Central African Republic, about 13.8% do as of 2024.
be 63.5% less likely to have access to drinking water
In United States, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water (100% in urban areas, and 100% 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.
Expenditures
spend 66.2% less on education
United States spends 5.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Central African Republic spends 1.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 36.1% less on healthcare
United States spends 16.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Central African Republic, that number is 10.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 82.4% more likely to die in a road accident
In United States, road accidents kill 14.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Central African Republic, they kill 25.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 98.8% less strain on fresh water
United States withdraws 28% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Central African Republic withdraws 0% as of 2022.
find 99.9% less home broadband
United States has 38.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Central African Republic has 0.0 as of 2022.
Environment
emit 99.6% less CO2
United States emits 13.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Central African Republic emits 0.1 tonnes as of 2024.
be 7.0 times more likely to die from air pollution
In United States, air pollution causes 14.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Central African Republic, it causes 98.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: United States vs. Central African Republic
Central African Republic: At a glance
How big is Central African Republic compared to United States? See an in-depth size comparison.